Talk:Methanol

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--Alex 15:02, 24 July 2006 (UTC)

Contents 1 Methanol in Tequila 2 Toxicity 3 Methanol Corrosiveness? 4 Methanol-IMFs 5 Uses: Formaldehyde 6 Inconsistency: aluminum corrosion 7 Is methanol better disinfectant then ethanol

[edit] Methanol in Tequila

According to this Reuter's report: http://go.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=oddlyEnoughNews&storyID=12080476&src=rss/oddlyEnoughNews, methanol is present in greater amounts in pure tequila. Don't know if that should go in this article.

[edit] Toxicity

I see Methanol is toxic, but is it also carciogenic in small amounts in the environment? (ie: water table pollution)

Methanol is not classified as carcinogenic, mutagenic, or teratogenic. Small amounts of methanol are actually found naturally in some fruits and other foods. Maximus Rex 02:07, 29 Oct 2003 (UTC)

"Over the course of several days, atmospheric methanol is oxidized by oxygen and sunlight to carbon dioxide. " - presumably this also gives off hydrogen... is this where some/all the hydrogen in the atmosphere comes from? (I know there is very little due to its escape velocity). Need a chemist to update the article. --/Mat 15:46, 13 Mar 2004 (UTC)

When a molecule is photochemically degraded in the atmosphere, the eventual fate of its hydrogen atoms is (usually) water vapor. Shimmin

I was once told that very little hydrogen actually gets away, as ozone will oxidize it readily. Any made on the surface of the earth would probably not make it throught the stratosphere. So I'm told anyway. Vertigre

[edit] Methanol Corrosiveness?

I think methanol is also corrosive. I recall an engineer friend complaining that his engine parts don't tend to survive with methonal.

Methanol is not corrosive. When burned in an engine not designed for it, though, some of its combustion products can attack engine parts. Shimmin 11:31, Aug 21, 2004 (UTC)

I disagree. Don't have a reference off hand, but I recall reading that there have been experiments with cars which can burn either gasoline or M85 (85% methanol, 15% gasoline). They required the fuel system to be upgraded so the methanol would not corrode it. The gasoline was necessary to start the engine when cold. pstudier 20:31, 21 Aug 2004 (UTC)

Methanol does etch the more active metals (Mg, Zn, Al ...), but iron, many steels, glass, wood, and almost all plastics withstand it. Would you then call methanol corrosive? Would you call water corrosive because it promotes rust? Hydrogen gas corrosive because it weakens steel? Most fluids will adversely affect some solids. A blanket statement like X is corrosive suggests one will get a severe chemical burn if one spills it on oneself, which simply isn't the case. Now, a statement like X corrodes such-and-such a material is an entirely different discussion. Shimmin 03:32, Aug 22, 2004 (UTC)

High methanol-content fuels can attacks the seals (gaskets) in an engine, although they shouldn't attack the metalwork. Physchim62 21:04, 29 May 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Methanol-IMFs

I came here looking for information on the types of IMFs that hold Methanol molecules together. Maybe something could be added in the future.

The reason IMFs are not mentioned on this page is because they are the same in methanol as in any other alcohol. —Keenan Pepper 15:38, 13 February 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Uses: Formaldehyde

One of the major uses of methanol is in the production of Formaldehylde which is then used to produce formaldehyde-urea resin glue used to glue plywood plys together, and in chipboard. This needs to be added....

[edit] Inconsistency: aluminum corrosion

The article currently says:

• One of the drawbacks of methanol as a fuel is its corrosivity to some metals, including aluminium. Methanol, although only a weak acid, attacks the oxide coating that normally protects the aluminium from corrosion:/ 6CH₃OH + 2Al → 2Al³⁺ + 6CH₃O⁻ + 3H₂

Is it me or does that reaction have nothing to do with the oxide coating? Melchoir 22:46, 1 July 2006 (UTC)

Any seepage of methanol through the oxide coating will cause corrosion. The difference between attack by methanol and attack by water is that aluminum methoxide is soluble in methanol, whereas aluminum oxide is insoluble in water: hence the corrosion rapidly stops with water, but continues with methanol. Physchim62 (talk) 15:31, 24 July 2006 (UTC)

I believe that methanol and water both react with aluminum. With water, the reaction stops as the aluminum oxide product forms an impenetrable coating on the 'pure' aluminum. With methanol, the reaction will continue since the aluminum methoxide product is soluble in methanol (where aluminum oxide was not soluble in water). Isn't this a passivation reaction? Maybe link to that article is in order (where it does talk some about aluminum passivation). Bennybp 01:21, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Is methanol better disinfectant then ethanol

Can anybody tell me: Is methanol better disinfectant then ethanol?

Question: Can methanol be converted to ethanol and if so is it cost effecient? uses of methanol and ethanol as laboratory reagents