Methanol is the common name given to methyl alcohol (CH3OH). This alcohol serves many applications — so many that it is not easy to list the most useful. Here are some of the more unusual and less well-known uses of methanol.
- Fake leather
One of methanol’s most common application is conversion to formaldehyde (CH2O). Formaldehyde has a wide range of uses in the textiles industry, including the production of synthetic leather. Animal lovers may choose to purchase items made from faux leather instead of real animal hide, and faux leather also has the advantage of being less expensive than real leather. Whatever the consumer’s reason for their purchase, the market for fake leather is large, and methanol’s part in its production is vital.
- Health and medicine
Methanol is highly toxic in its pure form and can cause blindness or even death. In spite of this, methanol is used in the production of many health and medicinal products. Vitamins, streptomycin, hormones, cholesterol drugs and many other pharmaceuticals are produced with methanol as part of the process.
- Power storage
Methanol is a powerful fuel that can be used for heating and electricity production. Power can be stored in the form of methanol instead of the more traditional use of batteries to store electricity.
- Producing and removing shellac
Shellac is a naturally produced resin with wide applications as a glue and insulator. Shellac can be difficult to manage, as it sets very hard. It requires an alcohol to be used in its removal, which works by dissolving the hard shellac material. Methanol is widely used in this process as it is such a readily available form of alcohol.
- Removing poisonous brominated flame retardants from recycled electronics
Similarly to its use in removing shellac resin, methanol is ideal in its use in gently dissolving and removing flame retardants from recycled electronics to allow them to be reconditioned for future use.
- Old film rolls
Old-style film rolls are made from thin sheets of plastic that use formaldehyde created from methanol. It is also used in the production of many other plastics and resins.
- Cigarette filters
Methanol is a vital component in cigarette filters, allowing the tightly woven material to be produced that will filter out the bulk of the cigarette’s tar and other chemicals.
- Nappies
Baby nappies also require a special type of material in order to be effective — one which will allow maximum absorbency with minimal leakage. This means that the right sort of glues must be used to keep the nappy together. Formaldehyde derived from methanol is used in the production of the special glues that are found in some brands of disposable nappies.
- Bulletproof vests
Methanol is an integral component in the production of bulletproof vests, which are required to be made from very tough synthetic materials. The acetic acid required in the manufacture of the bulletproof material, as well as in the manufacture of other polyesters and PET plastics, is produced using methanol.
- Racing car fuel
Methanol is increasingly being used as an alternative motor fuel, gaining popularity especially on the racing market. It is a readily available and cost-effective fuel for racing cars.
Methanol can not be found as a natural resource though. As it is biodegradable, any natural occurrence (e.g. from decaying fruits) is swiftly split into water and CO2 by bacteria. Alas it is relatively straightforward to produce from base resources like natural gas, making it a readily available product on our planet. The many applications of methanol, including its ability to be converted into olefins, which are increasingly used in plastic production, and our reliance on methanol fuel, make it a very important part of our daily life. This means that methanol demand is likely to rise as its popularity grows.