From Anti-freeze to Acetaldehyde

[Elementary]

Ethylene glycol + HCl > Ethylene Chlorohydrin
Ethylene + Cl₂ and H₂0 > Ethylene Chlorohydrin

Ethylene Chlorohydrin + Alkali > Ethylene Oxide

Catalytic Isomerization to Acetaldehyde

Aluminum oxide (Al₂O₃), phosphoric acid and phosphates, iron oxides, and, under certain conditions, silver, catalyze the isomerization of EO to acetaldehyde.

https://www.thevespiary.org/rhodium/Rhodium/hive/hiveboard/picproxie_docs/000297224-file_noua.gif" title="View this image">

More Info

Post 297178

(Elementary: "Alkylene Oxides from Glycols", Novel Discourse)

http://www.ethyleneoxide.com/html/body_properties.html

Patent GB1036130

Nobodys home

[terbium]

Seems a tough route to take to make acetaldehyde. Most people would probably just oxidize ethyl alcohol.

[Elementary]

Ethylene glycol is a lot cheaper than ethanol (no duty)
Nobodys home

[PrimoPyro]

You dont have stabdard 70% EtOH as a household cleaner/antiseptic?

                                                    PrimoPyro
Vivent Longtemps La Ruche!

[Elementary]

We have vodka and methylated varieties only, not even everclear available to the common household.

(as far as I know !)
Nobodys home

[PrimoPyro]

Ok. As my last offtopic suggestion for the casual reader, I then think that it would be much easier to brew ethanol from fermentation of sugars and baker's yiest, followed by distillation, and weak oxidation to acetaldehyde.

Just my opinion on feasability. And with that, I must say that your idea is pretty clever.  

                                                   PrimoPyro
Vivent Longtemps La Ruche!

[PolytheneSam]

Could you do a pinocol rearrangement of ethylene glycol to get acetaldehyde?
http://www.geocities.com/dritte123/PSPF.html
The hardest thing to explain is the obvious

[bocuse]

From the ethylene oxide MSDS:
explosive limits: 3-100%, flash point <-18°C, boiling point 10.4°C

They use ethylene oxide as the fuel in these big fuel-air-bombs.

It's also said to be incompatible to temps above 52°C, oxidizers, ALKALIS, acids, alkohols, mercaptams, copper, SILVER, magnesium, mercury and their salts.