Close

Create a link to this page

Copy and paste this link tag into your Web page or blog:

<a href="http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-methanol2.html" title="Facts and informations about methanol">methanol</a>

methanol

METHANOL [methanol]   methyl alcohol, or wood alcohol, CH ₃ OH, a colorless, flammable liquid that is miscible with water in all proportions. Methanol is a monohydric alcohol . It melts at -97.8°C and boils at 67°C. It reacts with certain acids to form methyl esters. Methanol is a fatal poison. Small internal doses, continued inhalation of the vapor, or prolonged exposure of the skin to the liquid may cause blindness. As a result, commercial use of methanol has sometimes been prohibited. Methanol is used as a solvent for varnishes and lacquers, as an antifreeze, and as a gasoline extender in the production of gasohol . Large amounts of it are used in the synthesis of formaldehyde . Because of its poisonous properties, methanol is also used as a denaturant for ethanol. Methanol is often called wood alcohol because it was once produced chiefly as a byproduct of the destructive distillation of wood. It is now produced synthetically by the direct combination of hydrogen and carbon monoxide gases, heated under pressure in the presence of a catalyst.

Author not available, METHANOL., The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition 2005

NOTE: Only Columbia Encyclopedia full-text articles contain links to other relevant Columbia articles.

Related newspaper, magazine, and trade journal articles from HighBeam Research

(Including press releases, facts, information, and biographies)

	Methanol sector should choose intensive production. (Market Report). Magazine article from: China Chemical Reporter; 10/26/2002; ; 700+ words ; Methanol is an extremely important organic chemical raw material...development prospects. Major capacity expansion China had 148 methanol producers in 2000. The total capacity was 3.482 million...appeared heralding the elimination of small-sized units. The methanol industry in China has been expanding fast ... Read more
	Reflections on petroleum-substitute strategy: methanol and ethanol.(Energy) Magazine article from: China Chemical Reporter; 1/6/2008; ; 700+ words ; Methanol fuel Pure methanol and pure ethanol (ethyl alcohol) can be used as vehicle fuels. Such vehicles are usually called methanol vehicles or ethanol vehicles. They can also be used as vehicle fuel... Read more
	Methanol market faces future uncertainty. (Market Report).(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included) Magazine article from: China Chemical Reporter; 6/26/2002; 620 words ; The methanol market in China this year has enjoyed...increasing on a monthly basis. The price of methanol was approximately RMB 1 300 per ton in...Association that the import volume of purified methanol showed an increasing trend since the... Read more
	Methanol Price Down by 40% in 10 Months Large Production Unit Is Needed in China. (Special Report).(Statistical Data Included) Magazine article from: China Chemical Reporter; 12/26/2001; 700+ words ; Several large methanol units will be constructed in China in...chemical industry. The total capacity of methanol will reach 3.5 - 4.0 million t/a in...small scale will be eliminated. The soft methanol market in the world led to a low operating... Read more
	Henley Group Inc. opens $300 million methanol facility. (in Chile) Magazine article from: San Diego Business Journal; 9/5/1988; ; 700+ words ; Henley Group Inc. opens $300 million methanol facility Six years after winning a bid...opened purportedly the second largest methanol production plant in the world. Although...s political future. The $300 million methanol plant, built near the icy shores of the... Read more
	Present status and analysis of methanol.(Organics) Magazine article from: China Chemical Reporter; 12/16/2004; 700+ words ; ...expansion of capacity China has more than 200 methanol producers today. The total capacity reached...previous year. Despite a great number of methanol producers in China, most of them only...After the WTO accession, the domestic methanol sector is faced with the impact from... Read more
	Methanol capacity expands rapidly.(MARKET REPORT: Organics) Magazine article from: China Chemical Reporter; 9/26/2006; 700+ words ; ...growth in the world The total capacity of methanol in the world was 41.175 million t/a in...Asia-Pacific region. The total capacity of methanol units with a capacity over 300 thousand...It is expected that the capacity of methanol in the world will reach 46.95 million... Read more
	Severe challenges for the methanol sector in China.(Organics) Magazine article from: China Chemical Reporter; 5/16/2009; ; 700+ words ; ...rapidly expanded its capacity to produce methanol in recent years, reaching 20.924 million...data show that the total capacity of new methanol projects that can start production before...crude oil in the international market, methanol downstream sectors such as formaldehyde... Read more
	Methanol capacity is expanding rapidly.(MARKET REPORT: Organics) Magazine article from: China Chemical Reporter; 10/6/2005; 700+ words ; ...capacity China already has more than 200 methanol producers today and the production capacity...medium and high-pressure process. The methanol production in China features small scale...production or reduced operating rate. Several methanol projects using coal or natural gas as... Read more
	Growth Margin of Methanol Price in the Domestic Market Lower than Surrounding Countries.(Brief Article) Magazine article from: China Chemical Reporter; 8/26/2000; 684 words ; ...of the macro economic environment, the methanol market has got out of the slackness in...year. February: The overhaul of some methanol units in Japan, Indonesia and the Middle...China and India led to a tense supply of methanol in the Asian region. A methanol unit... Read more

For more facts and information, see all related premium articles

Related entries from encyclopedias, dictionaries, and thesauruses

	Wood Alcohol (Methanol) Encyclopedia entry from: Encyclopedia of Drugs, Alcohol, and Addictive Behavior WOOD ALCOHOL (METHANOL) Methanol (methyl alcohol, CH 3 OH) is the simplest of the alcohols. It is...of producing drinking Alcohol (ethanol). Chemically synthesized methanol is a common industrial solvent found in paint remover, cleansing... Read more
	methanol maser Book article from: A Dictionary of Astronomy methanol maser A maser source in which the methanol molecule (CH 3 OH) is excited to maser action. Methanol masers are found only in star‐forming regions, where they are second only to H 2 O... Read more
	methanol Book article from: The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition ...miscible with water in all proportions. Methanol is a monohydric alcohol . It melts at...certain acids to form methyl esters. Methanol is a fatal poison. Small internal doses...blindness. As a result, commercial use of methanol has sometimes been prohibited. Methanol... Read more
	gasohol Book article from: A Dictionary of Biology ...petrol (gasoline) and alcohol (i.e. typically ethanol at 10%, or methanol at 3%), used as an alternative fuel for cars and other vehicles...can damage certain engine components, such as rubber seals. Methanol-based gasohol is more toxic and corrosive, and its emissions... Read more
	methyl alcohol Book article from: The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition see methanol . Read more

See all related entries