Interaction between glass and ethanol

Abstract

The structural relationship between H2O and C2H5OH molecules suggests certain similarity in their behavior. An evaluation of pertinent publications shows that this is really the case. The chemical interaction with absolute alcohol is minimal at room temperature but esterification can take place with increasing temperature accompanied by the formation of new Si-O-C bonds. Even small amounts of water lead to a predominance of reactions associated with H2O. On the other hand, ethanol causes a dilution of the water, decreasing the reaction rate. Other phenomena are determined by the OH groups which are responsible for the formation of hydrogen bonds, e.g. by adsorption. Relationships also exist for gel layers, glass electrodes, silica gels, and the sol-gel process. Physical interactions, e.g. strength, fracture velocity, abrasion, are also influenced by the molecular properties of C2H5OH.