While I’ve heard nothing but good things about 710spirits heptane-denatured ethanol for extractions, it looks like heptane isn’t on the list of approved denaturants in Canada.
http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/sor-2005-22/FullText.html
I’ve frequently seen comments about avoiding methanol as a denaturant - is that purely a toxicity thing or are there other reasons for that?
We’re going to be doing a cryo-temp process somewhere between -40C and -70C.
Can you cite the comments you refer to? A link? What would methanol produce as a toxic byproduct except fume which all solvents have?
Comments on the internet are sort of like a Magic 8 ball. After a while an expert opinion about everything is bound to pop up. The internet as a reliable source of information becomes less reliable each time a parent tosses a child their very own tablet or phone and then turn their own heads forever then only to their own phones and tablets to continue flaming posts on whim and oblivious or uncaring what the hell junior may or may not say.
Just read and understand the MSDS sheets that should come with each product. Methanol is fine though when venturing into LLE or DCVC seperations then a pure product would be needed as a practical matter.
I’m specifally thinking about this comment from Future: Looking for bulk ethanol vendor - #5 by Future
My gut feeling was that it was likely a “because if you don’t know what you’re doing and don’t adequately remove the solvent it could cause you more problems than pure ethanol” comment, but wasn’t sure if it could also be problematic by say picking up extra chlorophyll or other undesirables. I’m going to be running a cryo process specifically to avoid such things, and don’t want to be causing myself problems in that respect.
I suppose I could have just tagged and asked future in that thread, but I’d honestly forgotten where I found that so started this thread.
I would attack @future and call him names and say bad things but he did leave me a supply of good live resin which I just puffed on a bit. Sometimes now the pure is just too much and a hit of the now more crystal like resin really does the trick.
So I can hardly disagree - it wouldn’t be right. 
I was speaking generally and you narrowed it down to the specific concern. What he said was right in that it “could” cause problems and it can but the issue is one of purge technique really. When I use methanol and hexane together it is more difficult to purge because even though the two liquids are immiscible in each other I always end up purging methanol from the hexane which in turn means I will be purging trace water as well.
Methanol is not a pain in the butt to purge like acetone is but it certainly is not the easiest either. It takes a bit more to rid methanol from my stuff than the non polar stuff but not so much that it really harms much.
710 Spirits carries 95% ethanol, denatured with a small amount of heptane.
Cool thanks for info. Looks like methanol is probably our best option from what’s available to us then. Silly Canuckistan, let me use heptane!
OP is aware of that, and specifically stated it’s NOT an option…
Turns out that denatured is no cheaper than regular ethanol so long as you do the paperwork. I’ll get a minion to do the paperwork if it means I get 190 proof for $1.70/L.
right. same in the US.
except given the current legal status, very few folks are asking for their money back.
https://www.ttb.gov/applications/manufacturer_nonbeverage_products_packet.shtml
Step 1 - hire accountant with balls of steel. Preferably one with dirt on an important politician.
Hey Wakawakalj,
I got the same problem in australia with Heptane, Did you end up going with Methanol or something else
We’re going to be using standard non-denatured ethanol for our alcohol extractions. The paperwork is a pain but makes it the best/cheapest solvent for us.
There might be a government excise exemption available to you that would make it cheaper. Or not, in which case you’re going to need to get creative.