Methyl alcohol (or methanol) is a colorless liquid. It mixes easily with water and various organic solvents. The taste and smell of methyl alcohol (formula CH3OH) is practically indistinguishable from ethyl alcohol, but it is toxic and can cause severe poisoning. Methanol has a low boiling point. It is 64.5 degrees Celsius. When burning, this substance has a pale blue flame and does not smoke.
In vivo it is impossible to find methanol in its free form. In nature, there are only derivatives of methyl alcohol, which are complex essential substances and oils. They are ubiquitous. Anthranilic acid methyl ester is found in jasmine oil, and salicylic acid in gaulteria oil. Methanol derivatives are found in alkaloids, natural dyes, etc.
Previously, methanol was produced using the dry distillation process of wood raw materials. Modern industrial manufacturers use synthetic methods.
Methyl alcohol is widely used as a solvent for paints and varnishes. It is used in the form of a starting element to obtain formaldehyde, dimethyl sulfate, methyl chloride and other compounds produced chemically. It is also one of the components of antifreeze and is used in the denaturation of ethyl alcohols.
Methanol is a poison whose action extends to the vascular and nervous systems. The toxicity of the substance is due to its oxidation when it enters the body and turns into a life-threatening formaldehyde.
Methyl alcohol, poisoning of which can occur after taking five to ten milliliters, causes blindness in a person. A dose exceeding thirty grams often causes a fatal outcome that occurs from a stop of the respiratory system, swelling of the lungs or brain, as well as uremia or collapse. Symptoms of mild methanol poisoning may include:
- headache;
- general malaise;
- weakness;
- nausea;
- chills;
- vomiting
Thus, the health hazard is not only pure methanol in pure form, but also mixtures with low methanol content. The intake of toxic substances in the body can occur not only through the digestive system. Vapors of alcohol penetrate the lungs. In small amounts, methanol is able to penetrate the body and through the skin.
In some countries, methyl alcohol is used as a denaturing element for ethanol. The substance obtained as a result of this chemical reaction is one of the components of the products produced in the perfume industry. The legislation of the Russian Federation prohibits the use of methanol in goods intended for wide consumption.
Methyl alcohol finds its use as an intermediate of the bulk of industrial synthesis in the chemical industry. Based on it, polymers and various organic substances are produced . Methanol is widely used as an agent in the preparation of certain types of pesticides.
Methyl alcohol is a raw material for the production of methylamine, pentaerythritol and urotropine. It is used in the production of polyvinyl chloride, ion exchange and urea resins, as well as in the manufacture of film. Without methanol, ammonia plants cannot operate. Methyl alcohol is widely used in the pharmaceutical industry in the manufacture of medicines. This liquid can serve as fuel in power plants, can be a substitute for gasoline for vehicles. Without methanol, acetic acid and synthetic rubber are not produced . This substance also finds its application in metallurgy and at oil and gas complexes.