by Methyl alcohol, also known as methyl alcohol or wood alcohol, is a colorless, volatile, flammable liquid with a distinctive pungent odor. It is primarily used as a fuel and a precursor to other chemical manufacturing. Methyl alcohol has a wide variety of industrial uses and is found naturally in small quantities in nature.
Production of Methanol
Methyl alcohol can be produced from a variety of feedstocks including natural gas, coal, renewable biomass and even carbon dioxide. The most common industrial process for generating Methyl alcohol is called steam reforming of natural gas. This involves treating natural gas with steam under pressure in the presence of a metal catalyst, which results in a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen called “synthesis gas” or “syngas”. The syngas is then converted to Methyl alcohol in a second catalytic reaction. When produced from biomass or other renewable carbon sources, Methyl alcohol is considered a renewable fuel.
Uses of Methyl alcohol as fuel
Methanol has promising potential as an alternative vehicle fuel either on its own or blended with gasoline or other fuels. As a liquid at ambient temperature, it can use the existing gasoline fuel infrastructure for distribution and vehicles. Methyl alcohol has a higher octane rating than gasoline, providing greater performance and efficiency. Vehicles can be flex-fuel, running on Methyl alcohol, gasoline or any blend of the two. Factors holding back more widespread use include Methyl alcohol’s lower energy density by volume compared to gasoline and safety/toxicity concerns. However, rapid progress is being made on fuel cell and hybrid technologies using Methyl alcohol as an energy carrier.
Methyl alcohol as a chemical building block
Methyl alcohol is mainly used as a feedstock to produce a wide range of chemical derivatives and products. The most important of these is formaldehyde, which is converted to resins for plywood, particleboard, and plastics like urea-formaldehyde and melamine resins. Methyl alcohol is also converted to acetic acid for vinyl acetate monomers (used in paints, adhesives and fabrics) methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE), an oxygenate gasoline additive. Dimethyl ether made from Methyl alcohol is used as an aerosol propellant and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) substitute. Methyl methacrylate, another derivative, is used to make acrylic glass and surfaces. Overall, Methyl alcohol’s versatility as a chemical building block underpins many everyday products and materials.
Outlook for Methyl alcohol
With global energy and climate challenges, Methyl alcohol is attracting growing interest as both a renewable fuel and industrial chemical made from diverse feedstocks. Advances in manufacturing technology and catalysts are making Methyl alcohol production more efficient worldwide. As an efficient hydrogen carrier, Methyl alcohol promises to advance the renewables-based hydrogen economy of the future when paired with fuel cells. Looking ahead, Methyl alcohol is poised to play an expanding role in sustainable transportation, renewable materials and industrial processes, while reducing dependence on fossil resources over the long run. Continued progress in production technology and new end uses will determine how extensively Methyl alcohol is adopted.
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1. Source: Coherent Market Insights, Public sources, Desk research
2. We have leveraged AI tools to mine information and compile it
About Author - Ravina Pandya
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