Ethanol · C2H5OH
Ethanol (C2H5OH) is a coolant; this page gives computed density, dynamic viscosity and specific heat capacity for aqueous solutions from 10–50 wt% and -35–40 °C.
Values are computed from CoolProp's incompressible aqueous-mixture correlation (Melinder, 2010) and tabulated over 10–50 wt% and -35–40 °C.
- Also known as
- Ethyl alcohol, Grain alcohol, EtOH
- CAS number
- 64-17-5
- Tabulated range
- 10–50 wt% · -35–40 °C
- Properties
- Density · Dynamic viscosity · Specific heat capacity · Specific gravity
- Density
- 968.9kg/m³
- Density
- 0.9689g/cm³
- Specific gravity
- 0.971
- Viscosity
- 2.165cP
- Specific heat
- 4329J/kg·K
Read a value at any point
Move the sliders to interpolate between the tabulated grid points. The readout and chart never go outside the validated 10–50 wt% and -35–40 °C range, and every number is interpolated from the committed table below — nothing is computed from a chemistry model in your browser.
Values are interpolated between the tabulated grid points below — sliders stay within the validated 10–50 wt% and -35–40 °C range.
- Density
- 954.0 kg/m³
- Density
- 0.9540 g/cm³
- Specific gravity
- 0.956
- Dynamic viscosity
- 2.660 cP
- Specific heat
- 4216 J/kg·K
What the numbers tell you
At 20 wt% and 20 °C, aqueous ethanol has a density of about 969 kg/m³ (0.969 g/cm³) — roughly 0.97× the density of water. It also has a dynamic viscosity of about 2.165 cP, against roughly 1 cP for water at the same temperature, and a specific heat of about 4.33 kJ/kg·K, about 104% of water’s 4.18 kJ/kg·K. Those differences carry straight into volume-to-mass conversions, pump and pipe sizing, and the heat needed to change its temperature.
A few working strengths
Properties at 20 °C for a handful of concentrations in everyday use, read from the committed grid (interpolated between tabulated points where a grade falls between them). The full table follows below.
| wt% C2H5OH | °C | Density kg/m³ | SG | Viscosity cP | Sp. heat J/kg·K |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | 20 | 968.9 | 0.971 | 2.165 | 4329 |
| 30 | 20 | 954.0 | 0.956 | 2.660 | 4216 |
| 40 | 20 | 935.3 | 0.937 | 2.876 | 4029 |
| 50 | 20 | 913.6 | 0.915 | 2.859 | 3824 |
How low it protects
Freezing point of the aqueous solution against strength, computed from the same correlation and checked against an independently cited value. A 50 wt% ethanol solution freezes at about −37.6 °C.
| wt% C2H5OH | Freezing point °C |
|---|---|
| 10 | −4.4 |
| 15 | −7.4 |
| 20 | −11.1 |
| 25 | −15.4 |
| 30 | −20.1 |
| 35 | −24.9 |
| 40 | −29.5 |
| 45 | −33.8 |
| 50 | −37.6 |
Freeze check: 30 wt% computed −20.1 °C against a cited −20.5 °C (tolerance ±1.5 °C). CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics - Concentrative Properties of Aqueous Solutions. CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, Concentrative Properties of Aqueous Solutions, Ethanol table: 30.0 mass % ethanol at 20 degC, freezing point depression = 20.47 degC (freezing point about -20.5 degC). The check is taken at 30 wt%, where the CRC depression and the Melinder freeze curve agree closely.
Where the numbers come from
Every value on this page is computed by a deterministic model — none is entered by hand. The generating method and the references it is checked against:
- ▸Melinder, A. (2010). Properties of Secondary Working Fluids for Indirect Systems, 2nd ed. International Institute of Refrigeration - the basis of CoolProp's incompressible aqueous ethanol (INCOMP::MEA) correlation.
- ▸CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics - Concentrative Properties of Aqueous Solutions (density, freezing-point depression and viscosity at 20 degC)
Model: CoolProp==6.6.0 - incompressible aqueous MEA correlation (Melinder 2010) · Generated 2026-06-07
The committed data file for this page is published as JSON on GitHub under CC BY 4.0.
Checked against a cited value
The model is cross-checked at one independently cited reference point. The page is published only because this check passes.
| Property / point | Density · 20 wt% · 20 °C |
| Cited reference value | 968.7 kg/m3 |
| Model computed | 968.92 kg/m3 |
| Error vs reference | 0.022% (tolerance 1%) |
CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics - Concentrative Properties of Aqueous Solutions. CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, Concentrative Properties of Aqueous Solutions (all data at 20 degC), Ethanol table: 20.0 mass % ethanol at 20 degC = 0.9687 g/cm3. This measured handbook data is independent of the Melinder correlation underlying CoolProp's INCOMP::MEA.
Every tabulated point
Rows are temperature (°C); columns are concentration (wt% C2H5OH). Read the cell at the intersection. Specific gravity is density divided by the model water reference of 998.2 kg/m³ at 20 °C.
Cells left blank (—) sit below the solution's freezing point at that strength, where it is no longer liquid; those points are not tabulated and the explorer will not interpolate across them.
| °C \ wt% | 10 | 15 | 20 | 25 | 30 | 35 | 40 | 45 | 50 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| -35 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 956.6 |
| -30 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 961.4 | 952.7 |
| -25 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 965.3 | 957.9 | 948.9 |
| -20 | — | — | — | — | 973.1 | 968.5 | 962.3 | 954.4 | 945.0 |
| -15 | — | — | — | 975.2 | 971.4 | 966.1 | 959.2 | 950.8 | 941.1 |
| -10 | — | — | 977.6 | 974.0 | 969.4 | 963.5 | 956.0 | 947.2 | 937.2 |
| -5 | — | 980.7 | 976.8 | 972.6 | 967.3 | 960.7 | 952.8 | 943.6 | 933.3 |
| 0 | 985.0 | 980.2 | 975.8 | 970.8 | 965.0 | 957.8 | 949.4 | 939.9 | 929.4 |
| 5 | 984.7 | 979.4 | 974.4 | 968.9 | 962.5 | 954.8 | 946.0 | 936.1 | 925.5 |
| 10 | 984.0 | 978.4 | 972.8 | 966.8 | 959.8 | 951.7 | 942.5 | 932.4 | 921.5 |
| 15 | 983.1 | 977.0 | 971.0 | 964.4 | 957.0 | 948.5 | 938.9 | 928.5 | 917.6 |
| 20 | 981.8 | 975.4 | 968.9 | 961.9 | 954.0 | 945.1 | 935.3 | 924.7 | 913.6 |
| 25 | 980.4 | 973.5 | 966.6 | 959.2 | 950.9 | 941.7 | 931.6 | 920.8 | 909.6 |
| 30 | 978.7 | 971.5 | 964.2 | 956.4 | 947.7 | 938.2 | 927.9 | 916.9 | 905.6 |
| 35 | 976.8 | 969.2 | 961.6 | 953.4 | 944.4 | 934.6 | 924.1 | 913.0 | 901.5 |
| 40 | 974.7 | 966.8 | 958.8 | 950.3 | 941.0 | 931.0 | 920.3 | 909.0 | 897.5 |
| °C \ wt% | 10 | 15 | 20 | 25 | 30 | 35 | 40 | 45 | 50 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| -35 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 59.67 |
| -30 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 47.48 | 40.33 |
| -25 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 35.83 | 32.26 | 28.04 |
| -20 | — | — | — | — | 25.21 | 25.58 | 24.55 | 22.55 | 20.03 |
| -15 | — | — | — | 15.85 | 17.30 | 17.76 | 17.31 | 16.19 | 14.67 |
| -10 | — | — | 9.564 | 11.18 | 12.26 | 12.70 | 12.54 | 11.92 | 10.99 |
| -5 | — | 5.635 | 6.977 | 8.132 | 8.943 | 9.332 | 9.316 | 8.977 | 8.414 |
| 0 | 3.317 | 4.281 | 5.249 | 6.093 | 6.705 | 7.032 | 7.083 | 6.907 | 6.568 |
| 5 | 2.638 | 3.349 | 4.062 | 4.688 | 5.154 | 5.424 | 5.502 | 5.420 | 5.219 |
| 10 | 2.153 | 2.689 | 3.224 | 3.695 | 4.053 | 4.273 | 4.357 | 4.328 | 4.213 |
| 15 | 1.797 | 2.208 | 2.616 | 2.976 | 3.253 | 3.431 | 3.512 | 3.512 | 3.450 |
| 20 | 1.529 | 1.849 | 2.165 | 2.444 | 2.660 | 2.803 | 2.876 | 2.890 | 2.859 |
| 25 | 1.319 | 1.573 | 1.821 | 2.040 | 2.210 | 2.325 | 2.388 | 2.408 | 2.395 |
| 30 | 1.151 | 1.355 | 1.553 | 1.727 | 1.862 | 1.954 | 2.006 | 2.027 | 2.023 |
| 35 | 1.012 | 1.178 | 1.339 | 1.479 | 1.587 | 1.660 | 1.703 | 1.721 | 1.721 |
| 40 | 0.892 | 1.031 | 1.164 | 1.278 | 1.365 | 1.424 | 1.457 | 1.471 | 1.471 |
| °C \ wt% | 10 | 15 | 20 | 25 | 30 | 35 | 40 | 45 | 50 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| -35 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3148 |
| -30 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3396 | 3228 |
| -25 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3645 | 3466 | 3304 |
| -20 | — | — | — | — | 4072 | 3885 | 3702 | 3533 | 3378 |
| -15 | — | — | — | 4259 | 4100 | 3927 | 3755 | 3595 | 3447 |
| -10 | — | — | 4383 | 4270 | 4124 | 3964 | 3804 | 3654 | 3513 |
| -5 | — | 4431 | 4377 | 4277 | 4145 | 3998 | 3850 | 3709 | 3575 |
| 0 | 4402 | 4413 | 4369 | 4282 | 4163 | 4029 | 3893 | 3761 | 3634 |
| 5 | 4376 | 4393 | 4360 | 4284 | 4179 | 4057 | 3931 | 3809 | 3688 |
| 10 | 4351 | 4372 | 4349 | 4285 | 4193 | 4083 | 3967 | 3852 | 3738 |
| 15 | 4326 | 4353 | 4338 | 4286 | 4205 | 4106 | 4000 | 3892 | 3783 |
| 20 | 4303 | 4335 | 4329 | 4287 | 4216 | 4127 | 4029 | 3929 | 3824 |
| 25 | 4285 | 4320 | 4321 | 4288 | 4227 | 4147 | 4056 | 3961 | 3861 |
| 30 | 4272 | 4310 | 4316 | 4291 | 4238 | 4164 | 4080 | 3989 | 3893 |
| 35 | 4267 | 4305 | 4316 | 4296 | 4249 | 4181 | 4101 | 4014 | 3920 |
| 40 | 4270 | 4307 | 4320 | 4304 | 4261 | 4197 | 4120 | 4035 | 3942 |
Ethanol solution properties at 25 °C
At 25 °C, 20 wt% ethanol has a density of about 966.6 kg/m³, a dynamic viscosity of about 1.821 cP and a specific heat capacity of about 4321 J/kg·K. At 25 °C, 40 wt% ethanol has a density of about 931.6 kg/m³, a dynamic viscosity of about 2.388 cP and a specific heat capacity of about 4056 J/kg·K. At 25 °C, 50 wt% ethanol has a density of about 909.6 kg/m³, a dynamic viscosity of about 2.395 cP and a specific heat capacity of about 3861 J/kg·K.
Before you use these numbers
- ▸CoolProp's incompressible aqueous ethanol correlation (INCOMP::MEA), built on Melinder (2010). Tabulated for 10-50 wt% ethanol over -35 to 40 degC. Ethanol is a non-electrolyte, food-adjacent freeze-protection coolant, so it is modelled with CoolProp rather than the Laliberte electrolyte correlation. Each cell sits above the solution's freezing line; cells below it are left blank and the explorer will not interpolate across them. Ethanol is volatile and flammable, so closed handling is assumed. Values are for preliminary design; verify against vendor data for critical service.
- ▸Values are tabulated only inside the 10–50 wt% and -35–40 °C ranges shown; the correlation is not extrapolated beyond them here.
- ▸Figures are for a pure ethanol–water system. Commercial grades contain impurities (for example chloride in some caustic grades) that shift density and viscosity; check the supplier's data sheet for a specific product.
- ▸Use for preliminary design; verify for critical service.
- Acetic acid CH3COOH
- Aluminium sulfate Al2(SO4)3
- Ammonia solution NH3
- Ammonium chloride NH4Cl
- Ammonium nitrate NH4NO3
- Ammonium sulfate (NH4)2SO4
- Barium chloride BaCl2
- Calcium chloride CaCl2
- Calcium nitrate Ca(NO3)2
- Copper(II) sulfate CuSO4
- Ethylene glycol C2H6O2
- Formic acid HCOOH
- Glycerol C3H8O3
- Hydrochloric acid HCl
- Hydrogen peroxide H2O2
- Iron(II) sulfate FeSO4
- Iron(III) chloride FeCl3
- Lithium chloride LiCl
- Magnesium chloride MgCl2
- Magnesium sulfate MgSO4
- Manganese(II) sulfate MnSO4
- Methanol CH3OH
- Nickel sulfate NiSO4
- Nitric acid HNO3
- Phosphoric acid H3PO4
- Potassium carbonate K2CO3
- Potassium chloride KCl
- Potassium hydroxide KOH
- Potassium nitrate KNO3
- Propylene glycol C3H8O2
- Sodium acetate CH3COONa
- Sodium bicarbonate NaHCO3
- Sodium carbonate Na2CO3
- Sodium chloride NaCl
- Sodium hydroxide NaOH
- Sodium nitrate NaNO3
- Sodium sulfate Na2SO4
- Sucrose C12H22O11
- Sulfuric acid H2SO4
- Zinc chloride ZnCl2
- Zinc sulfate ZnSO4
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