Product Info: Methanol

Description: Methanol (methyl alcohol or wood alcohol) is a chemical compound with ‎chemical formula CH3OH. It is the simplest alcohol, and is a light, volatile, colorless, ‎flammable, poisonous liquid with a distinctive odor.

Production: Methanol is produced naturally in the anaerobic metabolism of many ‎varieties of bacteria. When natural gas is mixed with steam and heated to 900°C (about ‎‎1650°F) over a catalyst, it is transformed to "synthesis" gas. This gas is pressurized, ‎converted to methanol, and distilled to yield pure methanol, a hydrocarbon rich in ‎hydrogen.

Use: Methanol is a great leader due to its wide range use. It provides for a diversity of ‎final applications ranging from adhesive manufacture, agricultural chemical production, ‎paint and varnish production, the manufacture of synthetic resins, synthetic fiber ‎fabrication and even for cardiac disease medications. ‎
Methanol is industrial solvent, denaturant for ethyl alcohol, raw material for ‎formaldehyde, methyl esters, acids, antifreeze, fuel, pharmaceuticals, solvents, vitamins, ‎hormones, polymers. It is also used in dehydrating pipelines as a de-icing agent, in the ‎production of methylamines and chlorine dioxide, in oil recovery packer fluid against ‎slime forming bacteria, deterioration and spoilage bacteria, sulfate-reducing bacteria. ‎Also methanol is widely used on household contents and clothing. Since Methanol is rich ‎in hydrogen and has physical characteristics similar to gasoline it also can be used as an ‎alternative fuel in flexible fuel vehicles that run on M85 (a blend of 85% methanol and ‎‎15% gasoline). Also it can be used to make methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE), which is ‎blended with gasoline to enhance octane and create cleaner burning fuel.‎

‎27 % of world Methanol are used to produce Formaldehyde, 26% - to produce MTBE ‎‎(Methyl Tert-Butyl Ether), 11% - Acetic Acid, 7 % - Chloromethanes, 7 % - Solvents, 4 ‎‎% - Methyl Halides, 4 % - Methylmethacrylates, 3 % - Methylamines, 2 % - Methylene ‎Chloride, and 9 % - Miscellaneous and Exports. ‎
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Use of Methanol

World Methanol Demand: During last five years demand on methanol had steady growth (temps of the growth were ‎about 3 % per year). It is expected that in 2008 average annual growth of demand will be ‎about 2 % and world methanol consumption will reach 36 million metric tons.‎

Global Methanol Demand

The leader in the world methanol consumption is Asian-Pacific Region (31 % of world ‎demand in 2003). It is expected that this region will create about 37 % of world demand ‎in 2008. ‎

North America is on the second place, after Asian-Pacific Region, in the world methanol ‎consumption. In 2003 it created about 27 % of world demand (it is more than a quarter of ‎world demand of methanol).‎

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World Methanol Demand 2003

Methanol demand depends from demand on the products produced from it. The leader ‎among these products is Formaldehyde (11,396,000 metric tons are consumed in 2003). ‎Total grows of demand on the products produced from methanol is expected to be about ‎‎2.4 % in 2003-2010.‎

World Methanol Demand
End Use	Demand, kTpA			Average Growth, %
End Use	2003	2007	2010	Average Growth, %
Formaldehyde	11396	13348	14788	3.8
MTBE	7062	5394	4694	-5.7
Acetic Acid	3348	4244	14763	5.2
DMT & MMA	1642	1842	1986	2.8
Fuels	1115	1327	1565	5.0
Other Uses	6226	7613	8561	4.7
Total Use	30789	33768	36357	2.4
Capacity	37195	42930	46515	3.2
Production	30789	33768	36357	2.4
Exports	16487	21904	25073
Imports	16487	21904	25073

World Methanol Demand

USA is a great importer of methanol. In 2003 it imported 4,384,000 metric tons and it is expected that in 2007 and 2010 it will import 7,343,000 and 7,817,000 metric tons of methanol relatively.

Methanol Demand in the USA
End Use	Demand, kTpA			Average Growth, %
End Use	2003	2007	2010	Average Growth, %
Formaldehyde	2260	2598	2921	3.7
MTBE	2510	1399	688	-16.9
Acetic Acid	1030	1469	1716	7.6
DMT & MMA	380	418	448	2.4
Fuels	81	87	99	2.9
Other Uses	1603	2147	2380	5.8
Total Use	7864	8018	8252	0.7
Capacity	3870	740	740	-21.0
Production	3720	675	435	26.4
Exports	240	0	0
Imports	4384	7343	7817	8.6

Methanol Demand in the USA
Methanol Demand in USA

Transportation: Methanol can be safely transported by road, rail, barge, and pipeline or ocean tanker.

Future of methanol: At present, methanol is highly valued for its capability as a clean energy of the future. Taking conventional energy resource applications as an example, methanol has been utilized for direct fuel resources and as MTBE (a gasoline additive). But, the leading-edge application attracting the most attention now is the methanol-reformed type fuel cell. In this application, methanol is resolved to extract hydrogen, and the energy generated in the course of this reaction of hydrogen with oxygen in the air is harnessed as electricity. Automobiles using this power source will have high environmental performances due to greatly reduced CO 2 and any other exhaust gas emissions. In addition, their energy efficiency will be superior to that of gasoline powered cars. In the meanwhile, all of the automobile manufacturers are making every effort to develop this technology. In the very near future, such advanced automobiles will be available to the general public.