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Methanol
April 4, 2005
Metabolism 1
Names of Team
Members
Why Study this Topic
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One of the simplest and one of the
most important alcohols
Has multiple uses
Don’t mistake it with ethanol alcohols
which are drinkable
Can be used for industrial reasons
It eases life
Background

Definition

Methanol (methyl alcohol) is produced
from the distillation of wood and is a
clear, colorless, volatile liquid with a weak
odor that is somewhat sweeter than
ethanol
Background cont.
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The chemical property is CH3OH
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Forms a methyl group
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The carbon bonded with three hydrogen’s
creates the methyl group
H
|
H–C–O–H
|
H
Background cont.
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Uses of Methanol
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Fuel
Windshield wiper fluids and de-icers
Antifreeze
Cleaners
Canned heat
Paints, Varnishes, Paint Thinners and
Removers
History
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First used by Egyptians by pyrolysis of wood
Robert Boyle isolated pure methanol in 1661
Jean-Baptist Dumas and Eugene Peligot
determined its elemental composition in 1834
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Introduced the word methylene to organic chemistry,
from the Greek words methu, meaning "wine," and
hyle, meaning "wood"
Methyl derived in 1840 from methylene, and then
applied to describe methyl alcohol; shortened to
methanol in 1892 by the International Conference on
Chemical Nomenclature
Chemical Principles
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Melting Point
 -97.8 C
O
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Boiling Point
 64.7 C
O
Chemical Properties cont.
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Production
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Synthesis gas is usually produced from
the methane in natural gas rather than
from coal
At moderate pressures (10–20 atm) and
high temperatures (around 850°C),
methane reacts with steam on a nickel
catalyst to produce syngas
CH4 + H2O
CO + 3H2
Chemical Properties cont.
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Production cont.
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Carbon monoxide and hydrogen react on
a second catalyst to produce methanol
Most widely used catalyst is a mixture of
copper, zinc oxide, and alumina
At 50–100 atm and 250°C, it can catalyze
the production of methanol from carbon
monoxide and hydrogen
CO + 2H2
CH3OH
Chemical Principles cont.
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Combustion
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Over several days,
atmospheric methanol
is oxidized by oxygen
and sunlight to carbon
dioxide
Methanol burns in air
forming carbon
dioxide and water
2CH3OH + 3O2
2CO2 + 4H2O
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A methanol flame is
almost colorless
Health and Safety
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Methanol is toxic:
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It metabolites formic acid and formaldehyde
which causes blindness and death
Enters the body by ingestion, inhalation, or
absorption through the skin
If ingested, a doctor should be contacted
immediately.
Fatal dose: 100–125 mL (4 oz.)
Treatment:
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Injection of ethanol: it slows down the
breakdown of methanol by the liver
Heath and Safety
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Symptoms
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Poisonous by ingestion or inhalation
May cause respiratory failure, kidney
failure, and blindness
Skin contact can cause dermatitis
headache, dizziness, nausea, lack of
coordination, confusion, drowsiness,
followed by unconsciousness and death
Pros and Cons
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Pros
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Does not
contribute to air
pollution
Less toxic to
plants and animals
then conventional
gasoline or diesel
Biodegradable
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Less flammable
and safer to
handle then
gasoline
Made from
renewable
resources
Runs cooler then
gasoline in
vehicles
Pros and Cons cont.
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Cons
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Highly corrosive and has no lubricating
qualities
Expensive to produce on a large scale
Freezes at a temperature that is
reasonably reached by outside
temperature, during winter
References
Baird, Colin; Gloffke, Wendy. Chapter 6. Chemistry in
Your Life. W.H. Freeman and Company. New York,
2003
Consumer Energy Council of America. Alternative
Fuels and Fuel Additives.
http://www.cecarf.org/Programs/Fuels/Fuelfacts/Alte
rnativefuels.html. (29, March 2005)
Dictionary.Laborlaw.com. Methanol.
http://encyclopedia.laborlawtalk.com/Methanol. (29,
March 2005)
EMBBS: Bringing PhysiciansTogether Worldwide.
Methanol. http://www.embbs.com/cr/alc/alc6.html.
(29, March 2005)