Ethanol 200 Proof, SDA 40B (100%)

Solvents · Specially Denatured Alcohol · SDA 40-B
The perfumer’s alcohol, built for the lab and cleared for cosmetics.
Ethanol 200 Proof, SDA 40B (100% ABV) is a USP-grade specially denatured ethyl alcohol formulated under federal formula 40-B. Less than 0.125% combined tert-butyl alcohol and denatonium benzoate. Fast-evaporating, residue-free, water-white. The version most fragrance, personal care, and topical OTC formulators ask for by name.

Formula SDA 40-B
CAS 64-17-5
UN UN1987 · PG II
Regulation 27 CFR § 21.151

200proof
100% ABV ethanol base.

<0.125% v/v
Combined denaturants. Minimal impact on formulation.

10Pt-Co
Water-white color, max. Cosmetic-grade clarity.

46.07g/mol
C₂H₅OH · molecular weight.

What you'll use it for
Find the fit for your formulation.

01 Fragrance & Personal Care Perfumes, sanitizer, sprays 02 Botanical Extraction Tincture, wash, recovery 03 Laboratory & QC Sample prep, cleaning, dilution 04 Contract Manufacturing Bulk fills, OTC topicals

Fragrance & personal care

SDA 40B is the default carrier (and the literal "perfumer's alcohol") for perfumes, colognes, body sprays, and FDA-acceptable hand sanitizer formulations. The denaturants (tert-butyl alcohol and denatonium benzoate) are present at such low concentration that they don't interfere with fragrance top notes, pH, or skin feel. The 200 proof base keeps water out of your blend so fixatives, resinoids, and essential oils dissolve clean.
Dry-down is fast and residue-free. What you smell is your formulation, not the solvent.

Typical use rate
70–95% of finished formula
Adjust with water or glycerin to dial in evaporation.

Recommended size
5 gal F-style jug or 55 gal drum
For pilot batches, start with the 1-gal HDPE.

Botanical extraction

For tinctures, washes, and solvent-recovery workflows where the final product is non-ingestible (topicals, aromatherapy bases, research samples), SDA 40B gives you the polarity profile of pure ethanol without the federal excise tax of beverage-grade alcohol. Compatible with rotovap recovery, falling-film evaporators, and standard ethanol centrifuge workflows.
Note: not appropriate for ingestible extracts. Use SDA 3C or food-grade ethanol for those.

Best paired with
Rotovaps, ethanol centrifuges, falling film evaporators

Volume consideration
270 gal totes ship freight

Laboratory & QC

A 200 proof base with a Pt-Co color spec of 10 max means SDA 40B works for glassware rinses, sample preparation, HPLC mobile-phase prep where SDA is acceptable, and instrument cleaning without introducing color or particulate. The lot-specific COA documents acidity ≤0.0025% so you can trace batch performance in your QMS.

Documentation
SDS & lot-specific COA

Storage
Cool, dry, ventilated
Keep away from oxidizers and ignition sources.

Contract manufacturing & OTC topicals

If you're filling hand sanitizer, antiseptics, soaps, detergents, or topical OTC products, SDA 40B is the de facto carrier. The FDA's hand sanitizer guidance specifically references SDA 40-B as acceptable. Lot-to-lot consistency matters…