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Methanol, also known as methyl alcohol, wood alcohol, or wood spirit, is an organic chemical compound and the simplest aliphatic alcohol. It has the chemical formula CH3OH, which is a methyl group linked to a hydroxyl group. It is a colourless, flammable liquid with a distinctive alcoholic odour. It is highly toxic and unsuitable for drinking, and can cause blindness and even death if ingested. Methanol is used as an alternative fuel, an antifreeze, a solvent, and in the manufacturing of other chemicals.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Chemical Formula | Methanol: CH3OH |
| Methyl Alcohol: CH3OH | |
| Number of Carbon Atoms | Methanol: 1 |
| Methyl Alcohol: 1 | |
| Toxicity | Methanol: Highly toxic |
| Methyl Alcohol: Highly toxic | |
| Use as Fuel | Methanol: Used as an alternative fuel in flexible fuel vehicles |
| Methyl Alcohol: Used as a fuel | |
| Odor | Methanol: Has a characteristic odor |
| Methyl Alcohol: Has a characteristic odor | |
| Color | Methanol: Colorless |
| Methyl Alcohol: Colorless | |
| Miscibility in Water | Methanol: Miscible in water |
| Methyl Alcohol: Miscible in water | |
| Use as Denaturant | Methanol: Used as a denaturant for ethanol |
| Methyl Alcohol: N/A |
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What You'll Learn
Toxicity
Methanol, also known as methyl alcohol, wood alcohol, or wood spirit, is a highly toxic substance. It is poisonous if ingested, inhaled, or if it comes into contact with the skin. Even a small dose can be fatal, and it can also cause blindness, kidney failure, and central nervous system poisoning. It has a low vapour pressure and will volatilise into the air, so care must be taken to avoid inhaling the vapours. When handling methanol, the face, eyes, and skin should always be covered, and it should never be left open to the air.
Methanol is frequently used as a denaturant additive for ethanol, which is used recreationally. This is to make ethanol unfit for human consumption, and to avoid liquor excise taxation in the US and other countries. The consumption of methanol-denatured alcohol has resulted in several deaths.
Methanol is also used as an antifreeze, a solvent, and as a fuel. It is a colourless, flammable liquid with a distinctive alcoholic odour. It is the simplest form of alcohol and the simplest aliphatic alcohol, with the chemical formula CH3OH. It is created by combining a methyl group with a hydroxyl group.
Methyl alcohol is used as an alternative fuel in flexible-fuel vehicles, and it may be an important fuel in the future for powering fuel cells in vehicles. It is also used to make methyl-tert-butyl ether (MTBE), which is blended with gasoline to enhance octane levels and reduce pollutant emissions. Methanol is also used in the production of plastics, foams, resins, building materials, paints, and health and pharmaceutical products.
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Chemical composition
The chemical composition of methanol, also known as methyl alcohol, wood spirit, wood alcohol, or pyroxylic spirit, is expressed by the formula CH3OH. This formula represents the combination of a methyl group (CH3) with a hydroxy or hydroxyl group (OH). Methanol is a derivative of methane, with a methyl group in its carbon skeleton.
Methanol is a colourless, flammable liquid with a distinctive alcoholic odour similar to ethanol (potable alcohol). However, it is more acutely toxic than ethanol. It is also highly volatile and can easily evaporate into the air. Methanol is the simplest form of alcohol and the simplest of a series of organic compounds called alcohols. It has only one carbon atom, while ethanol has two.
The process of creating methanol involves combining carbon monoxide gas and hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst. This mixture, known as synthesis gas or syngas, is derived from biomass or the steam reforming of natural gas. Methanol is also naturally released from certain plant emissions and the degradation of organic material.
Methanol has a variety of applications, including as an alternative fuel, solvent, and feedstock for the production of other chemicals. It is used in the creation of plastics, foams, resins, building materials, paints, pharmaceuticals, and perfumes. However, due to its toxicity, it is also added to ethanol to create denatured alcohol or methylated spirit, which is unfit for consumption.
The term "methyl" was derived from "methylene," which was introduced by French chemists Jean-Baptiste Dumas and Eugene Peligot in their study of methanol. The word "methylène" is a combination of the Greek words "methy," meaning alcoholic liquid, and "hȳlē," meaning forest, wood, timber, or material.
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Uses
Methanol, also known as methyl alcohol, is an organic chemical compound with the chemical formula CH3OH. It is a colourless, volatile, flammable liquid with a distinctive odour. It is highly toxic and unsuitable for drinking.
Use as a Denaturant
Methanol is frequently used as a denaturant additive for ethanol, particularly in industrial applications. This process, known as denaturing, involves adding substances to ethanol to make it poisonous, foul-tasting, or nauseating, thereby discouraging recreational consumption. During the US Prohibition, methanol was commonly added to ethanol to prevent the drinking of bootlegged liquor, unfortunately resulting in several deaths.
Use as a Fuel
Methanol is also used as a fuel, providing environmental and economic benefits. It can serve as an alternative fuel for flexible fuel vehicles, ships, and industrial applications. It is a high-octane, clean-burning fuel that can be blended with gasoline to enhance octane and reduce pollutant emissions. Methanol has been proposed as an important substitute for gasoline in automotive vehicles, particularly with the potential to produce hydrogen for fuel cell vehicles.
Use in Chemical Synthesis
Methanol is critical in the construction of complex chemical compounds. It is used as a feedstock for the production of thousands of other chemicals, including formaldehyde, acetic acid, methyl tert-butyl ether, synthetic dyes, resins, pharmaceuticals, perfumes, plastics, foams, building materials, and paints.
Other Uses
Methanol has a variety of other applications, including:
- As an antifreeze in automobiles and pipelines.
- As a general solvent, including in wastewater treatment to provide a carbon food source for bacteria.
- In corrosion inhibition, although it may cause unexpected corrosion issues in some cases.
- As an energy carrier for storing renewable electricity.
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Production
Methanol, also known as methyl alcohol, is an organic chemical compound with the formula CH3OH. It is the simplest form of alcohol, consisting of a methyl group (CH3) linked with a hydroxy group (OH).
Methanol was historically produced through the destructive distillation of wood, which is why it is also known as wood alcohol. The ancient Egyptians used methanol in their embalming process, obtaining it from the pyrolysis of wood. In 1661, Robert Boyle isolated pure methanol through the distillation of boxwood.
Today, methanol is primarily produced industrially through the hydrogenation of carbon monoxide. This process involves combining carbon monoxide gas and hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst. Syngas, a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide derived from biomass, is also increasingly used for methanol production.
Methanol is a highly versatile chemical with a wide range of applications. It is used as a solvent, antifreeze, and in the production of biodiesel. It is also a crucial feedstock for the chemical industry, serving as a precursor to various commodity chemicals, including formaldehyde, acetic acid, methyl tert-butyl ether, and synthetic resins.
Mitsubishi Gas Chemical played a significant role in the modern production of methanol. In 1952, they became the first company in Japan to successfully synthesize natural gas into methanol. They expanded their operations globally and are now a world-leading methane provider with a fully integrated global network.
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Physical properties
Methanol, also known as methyl alcohol, is a colourless liquid with a distinctive alcoholic odour. It is a light, volatile, flammable liquid with a boiling point of 64.96 °C (148.93 °F) and a solidification point of −93.9 °C (−137 °F). It has a low vapour pressure and will volatilize into the air. It is completely miscible in water and is more soluble in water than ethanol. It is also used as an antifreeze and a solvent.
Methanol is highly toxic and unsuitable for drinking. It can cause permanent blindness, central nervous system poisoning, coma, and even death if ingested in quantities as small as 10g. It is also a skin and eye irritant and can cause corrosion problems when used as an inhibitor in pipelines.
Methyl alcohol is the simplest aliphatic alcohol, comprising a methyl group and a hydroxyl group. It has the chemical formula CH3OH, which is a methyl group (CH3) linked with a hydroxy group (OH). It is a derivative of methane and has a methyl group in its carbon skeleton.
Methyl alcohol is used as an alternative fuel in flexible-fuel vehicles and as an additive in conventional fuels. It is also an excellent energy carrier for storing renewable electricity. It is produced by combining carbon monoxide gas and hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst.
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Frequently asked questions
Methanol, also known as methyl alcohol, wood alcohol, or wood spirit, is an organic chemical compound and the simplest aliphatic alcohol. It is a light, volatile, colourless, and flammable liquid with a distinctive alcoholic odour.
Methyl alcohol, also known as methanol, is the simplest alcohol and is composed of one carbon atom. It is a highly toxic substance and unsuitable for drinking.
Methanol is used as an alternative fuel in flexible-fuel vehicles. It is also used to make methyl-tert-butyl ether (MTBE), an oxygenate blended with gasoline to enhance octane and reduce pollutant emissions. Methanol is also used as an antifreeze, solvent, and in the production of various chemicals such as formaldehyde, acetic acid, and methyl benzoate.
Methyl alcohol, or methanol, is used as a denaturant for ethanol, creating denatured alcohol or methylated spirit. It is also used as a fuel, solvent, and in the production of various chemicals.
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