(1) Different preparation materials and processes
Medical alcohol is usually produced by the saccharification enzyme method of fermenting corn or other grains. So it has few impurities.

Industrial alcohol is made by cracking raw coal or petroleum. It contains a lot of impurities such as methanol and formaldehyde, and it is not easy to separate.

(2) Different toxicity
Because of its low concentration, medical alcohol can be used to disinfect the human body.

Industrial alcohol cannot be used for human body disinfection, because methanol can cause poisoning, and part of it will be absorbed by the skin when used for skin disinfection. Serious poisoning can cause blindness and even death.

(3) Different ingredients
The main contents of medical alcohol are ethanol and purified water, which is a mixture of ethanol and purified water. But medical alcohol usually contains ether, aldehyde and other ingredients, so it cannot be drunk and can only be used for disinfection of the human body.

In addition to ethanol content, industrial alcohol often contains a small amount of impurities such as methanol, aldehydes, organic acids, etc. This is also the reason why industrial alcohol has greater toxicity.