Physicochemical Properties
Methanol, also known wood alcohol or methyl alcohol, is a saturated monohydric alcohol with the simplest structure, with CAS numbers of 67-56-1, 170082-17-4 and a molecular weight of 32.04. It is a colorless volatile liquid with an alcoholic odor, and is toxic, a 5~10ml of mistaken drink can cause blindness, while drinking a lot can be lethal. As an inflammable substance, its vapor with the air can generate explosive mixture, it can burn or explosive while contacted to open flame or great heat, and undergo chemical reaction or burn while contacted to oxidizing agent. At the fire scene, the heated container is at risk of explosion. The fire can be spread far away from a low-lying point, and backdraft will be caused while encountered with open flame. Through combustion it can be decomposed into carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, highly toxic.
Purposes
As a fundamental organic chemical material and premium fuel, methanol is widely used, mainly in such sectors as fine chemicals and plastics, for producing multiple organic products such as formalin, acetic acid, chloromethane, methylamine, dimethylsulfate etc., or as one of the important raw materials of pesticide and medicine. After deep processing methanol can serve as a new clean fuel, or be added into the gasoline combustion. The reaction between methanol and ammonia can generate monomethylamine.
Methanol is mainly used for producing multiple organic products such as formalin, acetic acid, chloromethane, methylamine and dimethylsulfate etc., or as a raw material of pesticide (insecticide and acaricide) and medicine medicine (sulfonamides, synthomycin etc.), or as one raw material for synthesizing DMT, MMA and methyl acrylate.
