Monographic: Methyl Alcohol
Methyl alcohol, also known as methanol, is a colorless, fairly volatile, toxic and highly flammable liquid.
It is soluble in water in any proportion and with organic solvents. Its chemical formula is CH3OH and its main physical parameters are:
- Boiling point: 65 °C
- Melting point: -98 °C
- Relative density (water = 1): 0.79
- Totally miscible in water
- Relative vapor density (air = 1): 1,1
- Relative density of the vapor/air mixture at 20ºc (air = 1): 1.01
- Ignition temperature: 464ºC
- Explosive limits (% by volume in air): 5,5-44
At the industrial level, methyl alcohol stands out for its use in the manufacture of solvents and antifreeze. In addition, it has the following applications:
- As a raw material in the manufacture of formaldehyde
- As antifreeze in vehicles
- As solvent for inks, resins and adhesives
- As a solvent in the extraction of animal and vegetable oils
At the industrial level, methyl alcohol stands out for its use in the manufacture of solvents and antifreeze.
Methyl alcohol is a highly flammable chemical, which reacts violently with oxidants (causing danger of explosion). For this reason, the following conditions must be taken into account when handling and storing methanol:
- To ensure a safety handling is important to protect the skin and eyes with suitable equipment, gloves and goggles, as well as to use hand tools that do not generate sparks. In addition, it is essential to wash hands thoroughly after handling.
- To ensure a safety storage is important to store the product in a well-ventilated area to prevent the accumulation of vapors. In addition, it is preferable that the lighting be natural. If it is not, it must be anti-explosive.
Check here the safety data sheet.
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