Drinking alcoholic drinks out of Pyrex laboratory glasswear seems like
a nifty party quirk for science majors. Does it pose any concerns
related to the composition of the Pyrex? Is it safe to make mixed
drinks and take shots of alcohol from laboratory glassware?

Dear wh1771306-ga

Thank you for allowing me an opportunity to answer your interesting question.

Drinking alcohol (or anything else edible) from a Pyrex container is
completely safe as long as the container in clean and in a good state
of repair. Pyrex has been making glassware, cookware and dishes for
many, many years and is a highly reputable company of international
fame. There is no safety issue related to drinking oir eating from
these containers. Your idea would indeed make an interesting party
theme.


Best regards;
Tutuzdad ? Google Answers Researcher

I agree, since it is also used for cooking.  Just be sure to get new
glassware, not borrow from the chem lab.  I've seen how students clean
their equipment.

Before HIV and OSHA, we regularly used Pyrex flasks, beakers,
cylinders, and Petri dishes for hospital staff parties! (No alcohol
though!) Once they are autoclaved (sterilized) we considered them
safe.

I agree too!  At university we used to do all sorts to others' drinks
(i.e. tea, coffee, cold beverages), whether they be consumed from a
pyrex flask or ordinary mug).  A particular favourite was pouring
liquid nitrogen into a colleague?s drink to suddenly cool it without
their knowledge (unless they see the mist haze!).  Further filtered
crystals of potassium permanganate from a super saturated solution
make an interesting diversion when sprinkled liberally on the floor on
a colleague?s desk?

__
Dominic

If you can borrow the Pyrex from the 'chem lab', I'm afraid you might
also 'borrow' the alcohol.  Keep in mind that ethanol becomes
'azeotroptic' at 95% purity and can't be purified beyond that by
ordinary distillation (it remains at 95% - with water - until it boils
away).  To achieve the anhydrous state, another agent - benzene or
propanol etc. - must be added.

So DO NOT choose the absolute EtOH (100%) or you may be ingesting
poisonous and carcinogenic benezene... - you'll recover from the
hangover, but....

http://ptcl.chem.ox.ac.uk/MSDS/ET/ethyl_alcohol.html