What Are the Benefits of Methanol?
Methanol -- also known as wood alcohol -- is a light, volatile, colorless, flammable liquid used as an antifreeze, solvent, fuel and denaturant for ethanol. In addition, this alcohol is used to produce biodiesel by means of transesterification reaction. Methanol use declined dramatically since the early 1990s and automobile makers no longer manufacture vehicles that run on it.
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Benefits
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Methanol offers several benefits as an alternative fuel. First, its production cost is relatively low. There is an abundance of carbon-based feedstocks that produce methanol. Examples of these raw materials are natural gas, coal and biomass. As a result, methanol use can aid in the reduction of the United States' dependence on imported fuel sources. Other benefits include lower emissions, higher performance and lower risk of flammability compared to gasoline.
Production
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Methanol is methane with one hydrogen molecule replaced by a hydroxyl radical (OH). The process begins when steam reforms natural gas to create a synthesis gas. Next, the synthesis gas is fed into a reactor vessel. The process results in the production of methanol and water vapor.
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Methanol vs. Ethanol
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Methanol and ethanol are two alcohols that complement each other. Their performance and emissions are quite similar. Both alcohols have a single boiling point and a high latent heat of vaporization. The economics of methanol are more favorable than ethanol, which makes it a better choice for the replacement of petroleum-based fuels.
Disadvantages
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The air-to-fuel mixture of methanol is richer than gasoline. As a result, a tank of gasoline takes you about 70 percent farther than a same-sized tank of methanol. Methanol also is more corrosive than gasoline. Consequently, all parts exposed to methanol must be able to withstand its corrosive ability. Although small amounts are found naturally in the human body, methanol is a very toxic substance and can be harmful if swallowed or inhaled.
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