I was told by someone very persistent that there is a volatile reaction when rubbing alcohol comes in contact with hot aluminum (think rubbing alcohol squirted on a hot charcoal briquette chimney). Can anyone confirm if this is accurate? Will rubbing alcohol react purely to the aluminum? Or does it need to have fire for the reaction? Thanks!
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2$\begingroup$ "volatile" reaction? It could just boil away, like water, but even faster. $\endgroup$– MithoronCommented Oct 27 at 1:33
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Yes, alcohols, including ethanol and isopropanol, both commonly used in rubbing alcohol, do react with aluminum (AKA aluminium), forming aluminum triethoxide ($\ce{Al(OCH2CH3)3}$) and aluminium triisopropoxide ($\ce{Al(CHO(CH3)2)3}$), respectively.
However, that reaction is normally exceedingly slow. At room temperature, an aluminum cap-liner on a bottle of rubbing alcohol may disintegrate over years as it first forms the ethoxide or isopropoxide, which rapidly decomposes in moist air, leaving crumbly aluminum oxide ($\ce{Al2O3}$).
At the temperature of a charcoal brazier, the alcohol will burn off long before it changes the aluminum appreciably. For that matter, at the temperature of burning charcoal, you'd have a puddle of molten aluminum, with a scum of $\ce{Al2O3}$ floating atop.
answered Oct 27 at 2:01
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$\begingroup$ Chimney tubes don't get terribly hot, some frying pan temp. tops. $\endgroup$– MithoronCommented Oct 27 at 10:23
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$\begingroup$ @Mithoron, yes, having accidentally melted Al foil onto a stove element, I'll attest to that. $\endgroup$ Commented Oct 27 at 16:55
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$\begingroup$ Then you should invest in better stove ;> $\endgroup$– MithoronCommented Oct 27 at 17:21