CDA Formulations
Completely Denatured Alcohol (CDA)
Completely Denatured Alcohols (CDA) require the use of approved denaturants that render the alcohol completely unfit for human consumption. As it has been deemed completely denatured, a permit is not required in order to purchase these formulas.
There are both pre-approved government formulas, as well as proprietary formulas which can be created as long as it receives government approval. Those proprietary formulas are referred to as Special Industrial Solvents (SIS) or "Articles" and denoted with the specific federal regulation (i.e. Article #20-112) and are also considered completely denatured. Articles are formulas created by private parties who use alcohol for industrial applications. These formulas must use an SDA formula as a starting point and then further denature the alcohol so that it is unfit for beverage use. These formulas must be submitted to the TTB for approval. Once approved, the article can be purchased without paying Federal Excise Tax and without any permitting or special permissions.
Below is a list of some of the more typical CDA formulations we provide:
CDA 12-A §21.26 Formula No. 12-A
(a) Formula. To every 100 gallons of alcohol add: Five gallons of n-heptane, or 5 gallons of toluene.
CDA-19 § 21.33 Formula No. 19
To every 100 gallons of ethyl alcohol of not less than 160 proof add: 4.0 gallons of either methyl isobutyl ketone, mixed isomers of nitro propane, or methyln- butyl ketone; and1.0 gallon of either kerosene, deodorized kerosene, gasoline, unleaded gasoline, rubber hydrocarbon solvent, or heptane.
CDA-20 § 21.24 Formula No. 20
(a) Formula. To every 100 gallons of ethyl alcohol of not less than 195 proof add: A total of 2.0 gallons of either unleaded gasoline, rubber hydrocarbon solvent, kerosene, or deodorized kerosene; or any combination of these.
Even though the TTB has the ultimate oversight on the purchase of Alcohol, each state may have different or additional requirements. Please follow this link to help determine whether your state may require additional licensing or permitting.