What is Methanol?
What is methanol? Methanol occurs naturally in the atmosphere as a byproduct of biomass and landfill decomposition, and in our bodies as a byproduct of metabolizing certain foods. As an industrial product, methanol (CH3OH) is a liquid petrochemical that can be made from renewable and non-renewable fossil fuels containing carbon and hydrogen. Methanex makes its methanol from synthesis gas which is produced from natural gas. Methanol is also commonly called wood alcohol or methyl alcohol. Methanol is a chemical building block used to produce formaldehyde, acetic acid and a variety of other chemical intermediates. Methanol is also used to make MTBE (methyl tertiary butyl ether), an oxygenate used in cleaner-burning gasoline. There are also developing markets for using methanol in biodiesel, dimethyl ether (DME), methanol for power generation and other applications. Methanol is a clear liquid that is water soluble, readily biodegradable and can be safely transported by road, rail, barge, p
Manufactured from natural gas, Methanol is a basic building block of the petrochemical industry. What is it used for? Methanol is a chemical building block primarily used to produce formaldehyde, acetic acid, chloromethane, methyl methacrylate, methylamines, dimethyl terephthalate and fuel for fuel cells. It is also used to produce MTBE, a gasoline additive. Where do we find it in our lives? Traditionally Methanol is used in a variety of industrial applications. Methanol is primarily used as an industrial solvent for inks, resins, adhesives to wood items, and dyes. It is used as a solvent in the manufacture of cholesterol, streptomycin, vitamins, hormones, and other pharmaceuticals. Methanol is used as an antifreeze for automotive radiators, an ingredient of gasoline (as an antifreezing agent and octane booster), and as fuel for picnic stoves. Methanol is also an ingredient in paint and varnish removers. We find methanol applied in such everyday items as windshield washer fluid, fertil
Methanol is the simplest alcohol compound, comprised of one carbon atom, one oxygen atom and four hydrogen atoms (CH3OH). It is also referred to as wood alcohol, carbinol and methyl alcohol. It is poisonous, flammable and relatively volatile. It has no taste or color, but it does have a slight scent. Methanol is used as a fuel and an antifreeze, and to make formaldehyde. It is also added to ethanol to make it unpalatable so that it avoids taxes on drinkable alcohol, as ethanol without a denaturant of some sort is consumable by humans. Methanol was first discovered in 1661, though it had been used without isolation by peoples as far back as the Egyptians in their embalming processes. The name comes from methy, meaning wine, and hyle, meaning trees. Methanol is used as a fuel source by some, though its use is limited by its volatility. The main area in which one sees methanol being used is in many top-end racing engines. The vehicles in the Indy 500, for example, are all run on methanol.
