VISVESVARAYA NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, NAGPUR.

DEPARTMENT OF
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING.

Methanol
Presented By
Pallavi Deorao Dandekar
MT18MCL011
First Year , M. Tech
 What is Methanol?
• Also called METHYL or WOOD ALCOHOL , it is the simplest of a long
series of organic compounds called alcohols; its molecular formula is
CH3OH.
• It is a colourless liquid, completely miscible with water & organic
solvents and is very hygroscopic.
• Classified under Solvent Group 2, it boils at 64.96° C & solidifies at -93.9°
C.
• It is a violent poison, drinking mixtures containing methanol has caused
many cases of blindness or death.
• Methanol has a settled odour .
• It is biodegradable, evaporates quickly & under ordinary conditions it is
stable.
• Methanol contains all three types of forces: Hydrogen Forces, Dipole-
Dipole, and London Dispersion Forces.
• It's shape is a tetrahedron.
 History
• 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, introduced the word
methylene to organic chemistry, from the Greek words
methu, meaning "wine," and hyle meaning "wood“.
• Methyl derived in 1840 from methylene & then applied to
describe methyl alcohol; shortened to methanol in 1892 by
the International Conference on Chemical Nomenclature.
Physical Properties
• Melting Point : -97.7 0C
• Boiling Point : 65 0C
• Relative Density : 0.79
• Molecular weight: 32.042 kg/ kmol
• Heat of Formation -201.3 MJ/ kmol
• Gibbs Free Energy -162.62 MJ/ kmol
• Freezing point: -97.7 °C
• Boiling point: 64.6 °C (at atmospheric pressure)
• Critical temperature 512.6 K
• Critical pressure 81 bar abs
• Critical volume 0.118 m³/kmol
• Density 791 kg/m³ at 20 °C
• Heat of Vaporization 35278 kJ/kmol
 Chemical Properties

• Hydroxyl group makes it polar, therefore can form hydrogen

bonds to one another & to other compounds.
• Hydrogen bonding means that alcohols can be used as protic
solvents. 
• Can show either acidic or basic properties at the O-H group.
• Combustion of Methanol: It burns with a pale-blue, non-luminous
flame to form carbon dioxide and steam.
• Oxidation of Methanol forms formaldehyde.
• Catalytic Oxidation of Methanol : The catalytic oxidation of
methanol using platinum wire is of interest as it is used in model
aircraft engines to replace the sparking plug arrangement of the
conventional petrol engine. The heat of reaction is sufficient to
spark the engine.
Production of Methanol
Uses of Methanol
 US methanol Trends

Source: methanolinstitute.org
World’s Largest producers and
consumers
The major market players in the global
methanol market are:

• BASF SE
• METHANEX CORPORATION: The world’s top producer of methanol,
Methanex produces about 9.4 million tons per year from its plants in
Chile, the US, Canada, Egypt, New Zealand, and Trinidad.
• MITSUBISHI CHEMICALS:Mitsubishi Chemical Holding Corporation is
a leading chemical company with its corporate headquarters in
Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan. The company is a merger of Mitsubishi
Chemical Corporation and Mitsubishi Pharma Corporation.
• MITSUI & CO., LTD.
• PETROLIAM NASIONAL BERHAD (PETRONAS)
World Consumption Data
Indian Companies Producing Methanol
• Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilizers & Chemicals Limited
• Deepak Fertilizers
• Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilizers
• Assam Petrochemicals
• National Fertilizers Limited

• Source: Ministry of Chemicals and Petrochemicals

 Indian Market analysis

• Source: Ministry of Chemicals and Petrochemicals

• Source: Ministry of Fertilizers and Petrochemicals

Methanol Institute: Serves as the global trade association for one
of the world’s most vibrant and innovative industries. Founded in 1989, MI
now serves its members in every corner of the globe from their offices in
Singapore, Washington, D.C., Brussels and Beijing.
Methanol as a fuel: Comparison with others
Source: methanolinstitute.org
Methanol Vs Hydrogen fuel
Methanol Vs Ethanol as a fuel
Recent News
Sources : methanolinstitute.org and The Economist
 Health and Safety
Methanol is toxic:
• 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:
• Injection of ethanol: it slows down the breakdown of methanol by
the liver.
Symptoms:
• 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
Disadvantages