 
© KEBS 2019 —        1   KENYA STANDARD              DKS 2838:20 21  
ICS 97.040.20   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Denatured technical alcohol for use as 
cooking and appliance fuel — Specification      
  
  
  
  
  DKS 2838:20 21  
  
2    © KEBS 2019 — All rights reserved    DKS 2838:20 21  
  
© KEBS 2019 — All rights reserved      3    
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
   © KEBS 2019   2nd  Edition, 2019  
  
  
    
  
TECHNICAL COMMITTEE REPRESENTATION  
  
The following organizations were represented on the Technical Committee:   
  
University of Nairobi  
Government Chemist's Department  
Ministry of Transport, Infrastructure, Housing, Urban Development and Public Works — Materials Division       
Agro Chemical and Food Company  
Spectre Interna tional  
Associated Battery Manufacturers  
Kenya Industrial Research and Development Institute (KIRDI) 
KOKO Networks  
Pan Africa Chemicals Ltd.  
Consumer Information Network  
Kenya Revenue Authority  
ABIB Chemicals  
Kenya Association of Manufacturers  
Petroleum Institute of East Africa  
Simba Corp Motors Limited  
Basf East Africa Ltd  
Osha Chemicals  
Eco-charcoal Ltd  
Clean Cookstoves Association of Kenya  
Koko networks  
Kenya Bureau of Standards — Secretariat  
  DKS 2838:20 21  
  
4    © KEBS 2019 — All rights reserved    
  
  
REVISION OF KENYA STANDARDS  
  
In order to keep abreast of progress in industry, Kenya Standards shall be regularly reviewed.  Suggestions 
for improvements to published standards, addressed to the Managing Director, Kenya Bureau of Standards, 
are welcome.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
© Kenya Bureau of Standards, 2019  
  
Copyright. Users are reminded that by virtue of Section 25 of the Copyright Act, Cap. 130 of 2001  of  the Laws of Kenya, copyright 
subsists in all Kenya Standards and except as provided under Section 25 of this Act, no Kenya Standard produced by Kenya Bure au of 
Standards may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system in any form or transmitted by any mea ns without prior permission in writing 
from the Managing Director.   
    
 
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 DKS 2838:20 21  
  
© KEBS 2019 — All rights reserved      5   
KENYA STANDARD                                           DKS2838:20 21  
ICS 97.040.20   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Denatured technical alcohol for use as 
cooking and appliance fuel — Specification  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
KENYA BUREAU OF STANDARDS (KEBS)  
  
Head Office: P.O. Box 54974, Nairobi -00200, Tel.: (+254  020 ) 605490, 602350, Fax: (+254 020)  604031  
E-Mail: info@kebs.org, Web:http://www.kebs.org   
  DKS 2838:20 21  
  
6    © KEBS 2019 — All rights reserved  Coast Region        
P.O. Box 99376, Mombasa -80100   
Tel.: (+254  041) 229563, 230939/40  
Fax: (+254  041) 229448     
  
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Fax: (+254 057) 21814    Rift Valley Region   
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      Tel.: (+254 051) 210553, 210555   
All rights reserved   
iii 
  
Foreword  
  
This Kenya Standard was prepared by the Industrial Solvents and Chemicals Technical Committee under 
the guidance of the Standards Projects Committee, and it is in accordance with the procedures of the Kenya 
Bureau of Standards.  
 
This second edition cancel s and replaces the first edition (KS 2838:2019), which has been technically revised. 
During the revision of this standard, Test method for the determination of Acidity (as acetic acid ) was revised  
and test for pH removed . 
  
Denatured technical alcohol offers an affordable clean cooking fuel to low income households that still rely 
on paraffin for lighting and cooking. Ethanol has no emissions thus it is a fuel that is able to mitigate carbon 
emissions.   
  
This standard will cover uses, composition, identification, test methods and marking requirements for technical 
alcohol.  
  
During the preparation of this standard, reference was made to the following sources:  
  
• ASTM E3050, Denatured ethanol for use as cooking and appliance  fuel.  
  
• ASTM D 7795 , Standard Test Method for Acidity in Ethanol and Ethanol Blends by Titration  
 
• Information gathered from the industries.   
 
 
  
Acknowledgement is hereby made for their assistance derived from these sources.  
  
  DKS 2838:20 21  
  
© KEBS 2019 — All rights reserved      7  KENYA STANDARD                     DKS 2838:20 21  
  
 
  
  
Denatured technical alcohol for use as cooking and appliance fuel — 
Specification  
  
  
  
1  Scope  
  
This Kenya Standard specifies requirements, sampling and test methods for denatured technical alcohol 
intended to be used as a cooking or appliance fuel, or both.  
  
1.1   Application  
  
This standard applies to all denatured technical alcohol depending on  denaturants used in accordance with 
the current Kenya Customs and Excise Regulations but does not apply to material for oral medical use.  
  
2  Normative references  
  
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of t heir content constitutes 
requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, 
the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.  
  
KS 608, Neutral spirit for manufacture of alcoholic beverages — Specification  
  
KS 1181, Specification for methyl isobutyl ketone (4 -methyl penta n -2-one)   
  
KS EAS 38, Labelling of pre -packaged foods — General requirements   
  
3   Terms and definitions  
  
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.  
  
3.1     
denaturant   
a completely miscible chemical substance added to alcohol to render it unpalatable and unfit for human 
consumption  
  
3.2 denatured technical 
alcohol   
technical alcohol made by the addition of denaturants   
  
4   Requirements  
  
Denatured technical alcohol for use as cooking and appliance fuel shall conform to the requirements given in 
Table 1 when tested in accordance with the test methods prescribed th erein.   
  
  
  
  
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All rights reserved  
  
Table 1 — Requirements for technical alcohol for use as cooking and appliance fuel  
  
S/N  Characteristic  Requirement  Test method  
 i.    Appearance  Clear and free from 
suspended matter  Visual  
ii.   Density g/ml, at 20 ºC, 
max.  0.81797  Densimeter/hydrometer  
  
iii.   Alcohol content/ 
strength as ethanol, % 
v/v, min.  90.0  Densimeter/hydrometer  
  
KS 608  
iv.   pH  6.5-7.5  pH meter  
v.   Colored dye  Violet/blue  Visual  
vi.   Residue on 
evaporation, %, m/v, 
max.  0.01   Annex A  
vii.   Miscibility  Miscible when mixed 
with distilled water  Annex B  
viii.   Water content, % by 
mass, max.  10.0  KS 1181  
ix.   Acidity (as acetic acid), 
Mg/Kg , max.  
  40 
  ASTM D7795   
x.   Aldehydes and 
Ketones, % by mass, 
max.  0.2  Annex D  
NOTE Denatured technical alcohol shall be denatured as per customs regulation.  
  
  
5  Workmanship   
  
The product covered in this standard shall be free of any adulterant or contaminant that can render the material 
unacceptable for its commonly used applications.  
  
6   Sampling and size sample    
  
The method of drawing representative samples of the mater ial and the containers shall be as prescribed in 
Annex E.   
  
7   Packaging   
  DKS 2838:20 21  
  
© KEBS 2019 — All rights reserved      9  7.1.1  Denatured technical alcohol shall be packaged in safe and suitable containers that shall not impart foreign 
substances and/or odours to the product.  
  
7.1.2  Bulk delivery, packaging and storage of denatured technical alcohol shall be done in containers t hat shall 
prevent contamination of the product.  
  
  
8  Labelling  
  
Labelling of denatured technical alcohol shall be done in accordance with the requirements given in KS EAS 
38 and shall include:  
  
a) name of the product;  
  
b) name and address of manufacturer;  
  
c) net contents;  
  
d) name(s) of denaturant;  
  
e) batch/lot number;  
  
f) minimum ethyl alcohol content;  
  
g) year of manufacture;  
  
h) country of origin;  
  
i) the words “highly poisonous”; and  
  
j) the words “highly flammable”.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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Annex A  
(normative)  
  
Determination of residue on evaporation A.1   Apparatus  
  
  
A.1.1  Platinum, silica or borosilicate glass basin  
  
A.1.2  Water bath  
  
A.1.3  Desiccator  
  
A.1.4  Oven  
  
A.1.5  Weighing machine  
  
A.2   Procedure  
  
Evaporate 100 ml of the denatured ethanol to dryness in a weighed basin of platinum, silica  or borosilicate 
glass on a boiling water bath. Dry the residue for 30 min in an oven at a temperature of 100 °C ± 2 °C. Cool in 
a desiccator and weigh.  
  
A.3   Calculation  
  
Percent mass by volume max (%m/v) is calculated as follows:  
  
=  W1 × 100 S 
  
where   
  
W1 is the mass, in grams of residue; and  
  
S is the volume of the sample.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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© KEBS 2019 — All rights reserved      11    
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Annex B  
(normative)  
  
Test for miscibility with water  
  
  
B.1 To 5 ml of the denatured technical alcohol contained in a 100 -ml Nessler cylinder, add 95 ml of distilled 
water, mix thoroughly.  
  
B.2 Examine vertically for opalescence against a black background with side illumination, using as a standard, 
a similar cylinder containing 100 ml of distilled water.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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12    © KEBS 2019 — All rights reserved    
  
  
Annex C  
(normative)  
  
Detection of alkalinity or determination of acidity  
  
C.1  Reagents  
  
The reagents used shall be of a recognized analytical reagent quality. Distilled water or water of at least equal 
purity shall be used throughout.  
  
a) Sodium hydroxide,  0.1 M solution.  
  
b) Phenolphthalein indicator — Dissolve 0.5 g of phenolphthalein in 100 ml of ethanol (95 % by volume) 
and make faintly pink by addition of dilute sodium hydroxide solution.  
  
C.2   Procedure  
  
Place 100 ml of water and a few p ieces of clean porous pot into a 500 -ml conical flask of borosilicate glass 
and boil gently for 5 min to eliminate carbon dioxide. Cool slightly and add 100 ml of the denatured ethanol. 
Boil gently for a further 5 min. At the end of this period, close the neck of the flask with a stopper, with soda 
lime tube to cool the content and to avoid entry of atmospheric carbon dioxide. Add 0.5 ml of the 
phenolphthalein indicator and examine for alkalinity; if not alkaline, titrate with the sodium hydroxide solution 
using a micro burette.   
  
C.3   Calculation  
  
Acidity, calculated as acetic acid, CH 3COOH per cent by mass is calculated as follows:  
  
 0.006 0T 1  
 
S 
  
where  
  
T1 is the volume, in millilitres, of 0.1 M sodium hydroxide solution used; and  
  
S is the specific gravity of the denatured spirits at 23 °C.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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© KEBS 2019 — All rights reserved      13    
Annex D  
(normative)  
  
Determination of aldehydes and ketones  
  
D.1   Reagents  
  
The reagents used shall be of a recognized, or analytical reagent quality. Distilled water, or water of at least 
equal purity, shall be used throughout.  
  
a) Sodium hydroxide,  0.1 M solution.  
  
b) Bromophenol blue indicator  — Dissolve 0.2 g of bromophenol blue  in 3.0 ml of 0.1 M sodium 
hydroxide solution and dilute to 100 ml with ethanol (95 % by volume).  
  
c) Hydroxylammonium chloride reagent   — Dissolve 4 g hydroxylammonium chloride in 20 ml of water 
and heat on a boiling water bath for 30 min, cool and add 5 m l of the bromophenol blue indicator with 
just sufficient 2 M solution hydroxide solution to impart a dichroic yellow -green colour to the liquid.  
  
  
D.2   Procedure  
  
Measure 25 ml of the denatured spirits into a 150 -ml conical flask, add 25 ml of the hydroxylammonium chloride 
reagent and after loosely stoppering, heat on a boiling water bath for 10 min.  
  
Cool and titrate with the sodium hydroxide solution until as ne ar a match as possible is obtained with a control 
made by mixing 25 ml of the reagent in a similar 150 -ml conical flask.  
  
D.3   Calculation  
  
Aldehydes and ketones, expressed as acetaldehyde, CH 3CH0, per cent by mass is calculated as follows:  
  
= 0.017   6 (T2 - 0.6)  
 
S 
  
where  
  
T2 is the volume, in millilitres, of 0.1 M sodium hydroxide solution used; and  
  
S is the  specific gravity of the denatured spirits.  
  
NOTE The correction 0.6 is subtracted from the number of millilitres of sodium hydroxide solution used to allow for the effec t on the 
indicator of the different alcohol concentrations in the experiment and control.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 DKS 2838:20 21  
  
14    © KEBS 2019 — All rights reserved    
Annex E  
(nornative)  
  
Sampling  
  
The containers shall be selected at random from a lot . In order to ensure randomness o f selection, random 
number tables shall be used . In case random number tables are not available , the following procedure may be 
followed.  
  
Arrange all the container 's in the lot in a systemat ic manner and starting from any one, count them as 1, 2, 3 
……..r . where r is the integral pa rt of N/n (N and n being the lot size and the s ample size respectivel y). Every 
rth container thus count ed shall be in cluded in the sample till the required number of containers specified in 
Table E.1 is taken out .   
  
Table E.1 — Number of containers to be selected for sampling  
  
Lot size   Number of containers t o 
be selected   
N  n  
Up to 15  2  
16 to 25   3  
26 to 50   4  
51 to 100  5  
101 to 300   6  
301 to 500  7  
501 t o 800  8  
801 to1 000   9  
1 001 and above  10  
  
   
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