Product Name : Methanol
Synonyms : Methyl Alcohol, Methyl Hydrate, Methyl Hydroxide, Wood Alcohol, Wood Naphtha or Wood Spirits
A Brief History : Ancient Egyptians used methanol along with other substances in their embalming process. In 1661, pure methanol was discovered by Robert Boyle. He produced methanol through distillation of buxus. It was in 1834 that two French chemists Jean-Baptiste Dumas and Eugene Peligot determined its elemental composition. They also introduced the word "methylene" to organic chemistry
The term "methyl" was introduced in 1840 by back-formation from "methylene", which was then applied to describe "methyl alcohol". This was shortened to "methanol" in 1892 by the International Conference on Chemical Nomenclature.
German chemists Alwin Mittasch and Mathias Pier converted synthesis gas into methanol in 1923. They used a chromium and manganese oxide catalyst. Methanol production has been made more efficient through use of catalysts capable of operating at lower pressures. ICI developed the modern low pressure methanol (LPM) in the late 1960s. This technology is now owned by Johnson Matthey, a leading licensor of methanol technology.
Methanol has now developed into a viable alternative to fuel because of its availability, environmental benefits and lower costs.
About the Product : Methanol is an alcohol in the plainest of its forms. It is generally derived from natural gas and is a hydrocarbon, which consists of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. It has a parallel odour like that of ethanol but is quite sweeter. Light in weight, colourless and equally flammable are some of its distinctive qualities. Methanol is liquid at room temperature. With an estimated global demand of around 27 to 29 million metric tons methanol is one of the most profoundly traded chemical commodities in the world. Methanol is a traditional denaturant for ethanol
Product Identification Features :
CAS Number: 67-56-1
Chemical Formula: CH4O
H.S. Code: 2905.11
Chemical Properties :
Boiling Point: 65 °C, 148 °F
Melting Point: -98 °C, -144 °F
Solubility in water: Miscible
Vapour density: 1.1
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Production Process : Methanol can be produced via a reaction between carbon monoxide and hydrogen over a catalyst such as a mixture of copper, zinc oxide and alumina.
CO + 2 H2 → CH3OH
Methanol can also be produced via direct catalytic conversion of methane using Cu-zeolites or some other catalysts. Methanol can be produced directly from carbon dioxide in solution using CuO nanorods coated by CuO2 and energy from (simulated) sunlight.
