Methanol ranks among the most valuable substances due to its wide range of uses in various industries. It is used as antifreeze, solvent, fuel, and as a denaturant for ethanol. Methanol is also a high-octane, clean-burning fuel that is a potentially important substitute for gasoline in automotive vehicles. Methanol has an odour that is similar to ethyl alcohol, the intoxicant of alcoholic beverages, but is a dangerous poison; many cases of blindness or death have been caused by drinking mixtures containing it. Omissions? Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Methanol serves many uses: it comprises gasoline and fuel, facilitates energy generation and forms many chemicals and chemical products, including plastics, paint, resin film, windshield washer fluid and numerous pigments and dyes. Methanol also is a clean-burning, biodegradable fuel. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. Methanol is a polar liquid at room temperature. Large quantities are converted to dimethylaniline for dyestuffs and to formaldehyde for synthetic resins. Fact Check: What Power Does the President Really Have Over State Governors? The terms methyl alcohol and methanol are synonymous, the former being used more in Great Britain and the latter expression…, … (ethanol) and methyl alcohol (methanol). In wastewater plants, methanol helps remove nitrogen from waterways. It forms explosive mixtures with air and burns with a nonluminous flame. Today, methanol is mainly produced industrially by hydrogenation of carbon monoxide. Methanol is a colourless liquid that boils at 64.96 °C (148.93 °F) and solidifies at −93.9 °C (−137 °F). Methanol serves many uses: it comprises gasoline and fuel, facilitates energy generation and forms many chemicals and chemical products, including plastics, paint, resin film, windshield washer fluid and numerous pigments and dyes. It used in the manufacture of formaldehyde and acetic acid, in chemical synthesis, in antifreeze, and as a solvent. Municipalities and wastewater treatment plants also make use of methanol. Materials Selection for Neat Methanol Service. Pure methanol is an important material in chemical synthesis. Methanol exists in a light weight and transports easily. It is completely miscible in water. This substance transforms into other substances, including acetic acid, formaldehyde and olefins. Methanol and its derivative products such as ascetic acid and formaldehyde created via chemical reactions are used as base materials in acrylic plastic; synthetic fabrics and fibers used to make clothing; adhesives, paint, and plywood used in construction; and as … Copyright © Methanol Institute Ingestion of methanol is toxic and may cause blindness and death. These factors make it ideal for shipping and storing. ), The Secret Science of Solving Crossword Puzzles, Racist Phrases to Remove From Your Mental Lexicon. These cells appear in many consumer products, including electronics and vehicles. A look into elastomer and rubber materials which help prevent leakage of methanol liquid and vapors into the surrounding environment. It is a light, volatile, colourless, flammable liquid with a distinctive alcoholic odour similar to that of ethanol. Because methanol has toxic properties, it is frequently used as a denaturant additive for ethanol manufactured for industrial purposes. Pure methanol is an important material in chemical synthesis. Corrections? This transforming capacity makes methanol create the basic chemical building blocks for many consumer products. Methanol is used to produce other chemical derivatives, which in turn are used to produce thousands of products that touch our daily lives, such as building materials, foams, resins, plastics, paints, polyester and a variety of health and pharmaceutical products. Its derivatives are used in great quantities for building up a vast number of compounds, among them many important synthetic dyestuffs, resins, pharmaceuticals, and perfumes. Methanol ranks among the most valuable substances due to its wide range of uses in various industries. Methanol is a clear liquid chemical that is water soluble and readily biodegradable, comprising of four parts hydrogen, one-part oxygen and one-part carbon, and is the simplest member of a group of organic chemicals called alcohols. Methanol is used to produce methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE), a gasoline component that improves air quality, and dimethyl ether (DME), a clean-burning fuel with similar properties to propane. Methanol is also a key component in biodiesel, a renewable fuel that can be used in place of, or blended with, conventional diesel fuel. Methanol also … Increasingly, syngas, a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide derived from biomass, is used for methanol production. Methanol is also an energy resource used in the marine, automotive, and electricity sectors, and an emerging renewable energy resource. Festival of Sacrifice: The Past and Present of the Islamic Holiday of Eid al-Adha. Will 5G Impact Our Cell Phone Plans (or Our Health?! The methanol derived from wood is used chiefly for rendering industrial ethyl alcohol unfit to drink. A chart that demonstrates the boiling and flash points for methanol and methanol-water solutions. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). It is also used in automotive antifreezes, in rocket fuels, and as a general solvent. Methyl alcohol (CH3OH), also known as methanol or wood alcohol, is a light, colorless, flammable liquid at room temperature. Methanol Fuel Forum in Trinidad and Tobago, The International Methanol Vehicle and Fuel Applications, Methanol Institute produced a methanol technical data sheet which shows methanol's general information on properties and applications. An overall summary of material selection including information on standards, toxicity, and safety. Methanol converts triglycerides, making it suitable for producing biodiesel fuel. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/science/methanol, Royal Albert Hall - The enduring legacy of Proms co-founder Sir Henry Wood, methanol - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). Methanol, also known as methyl alcohol amongst other names, is a chemical with the formula CH3OH (a methyl group linked to a hydroxyl group, often abbreviated MeOH). A polar solvent, methanol acquired the name wood alcohol because it was once produced chiefly by the destructive distillation of wood. Methanol also forms various types of fuel cells. The chemical is also used to produce biodiesel via transesterification reaction.