Methanol

Names Preferred IUPAC nameOther names Identifiers Abbreviations MeOH 1098229 ChEBIChEMBLChemSpiderECHA InfoCard100.000.599EC Number449 KEGGMeSHMethanolRTECS numberUNIIUN number1230 Properties CH₃OHMolar mass32.042 g·mol Appearance Colourless liquid OdorFaint and similar to ethanol Density0.792 g/cm Melting point−97.6 Â°C (−143.7 Â°F; 175.6 K) Boiling point64.7 Â°C (148.5 Â°F; 337.8 K) misciblelog P−0.69 Vapor pressure13.02 kPa (at 20 Â°C) Acidity (pK_a) 15.5 Conjugate acidMethyloxonium Conjugate baseMethanolate−21.40·10 cm/mol 1.33141 Viscosity0.545 mPa·s (at 25 Â°C) 1.69 D Thermochemistry 725.7 kJ/mol, 173.4 kcal/mol, 5.77 kcal/g Hazards Occupational safety and health (OHS/OSH): Methanol and its vapours are flammable.
Moderately toxic for small animals – Highly toxic to large animals and humans (in high concentrations) – May be fatal/lethal or cause blindness and damage to the liver, kidneys, and heart if swallowed – Toxicity effects from repeated over exposure have an accumulative effect on the central nervous system, especially the optic nerve – Symptoms may be delayed, become severe after 12 to 18 hours, and linger for several days after exposure GHS labelling: DangerH225, H301, H302, H305, H311, H331, H370P210, P233, P235, P240, P241, P242, P243, P260, P264, P270, P271, P280, P301+P330+P331, P302+P352, P303+P361+P353, P304+P340, P305+P351+P338, P307+P311, P310, P311, P312, P337+P313, P361, P363, P370+P378, P403+P233, P405, P501NFPA 704 (fire diamond) Flash point11 to 12 Â°C (52 to 54 Â°F; 284 to 285 K) Explosive limits6–36% Lethal dose or concentration (LD, LC): 5628 mg/kg (rat, oral)
7300 mg/kg (mouse, oral)
12880 mg/kg (rat, oral)
14200 mg/kg (rabbit, oral) 64,000 ppm (rat, 4 h) 33,082 ppm (cat, 6 h)
37,594 ppm (mouse, 2 h) NIOSH (US health exposure limits): TWA 200 ppm (260 mg/m) TWA 200 ppm (260 mg/m) ST 250 ppm (325 mg/m) [skin] 6000 ppm Safety data sheet (SDS) [1]Related compounds Methanethiol
Silanol
EthanolSupplementary data page Methanol (data page)

Methanol (also called methyl alcohol, wood alcohol, and wood spirit, amongst other names) is an organic chemical compound and the simplest aliphaticalcohol, with the chemical formulaCH₃OH (a methyl group linked to a hydroxyl group, often abbreviated as MeOH). It is a light, volatile, colorless and flammable liquid with a distinctive alcoholic odor similar to that of ethanol (potable alcohol), but is more acutely toxic than the latter. Methanol acquired the name wood alcohol because it was once produced through destructive distillation of wood. Today, methanol is mainly produced industrially by hydrogenation of carbon monoxide.

Methanol consists of a methyl group linked to a polar hydroxyl group. With more than 20 million tons produced annually, it is used as a precursor to other commodity chemicals, including formaldehyde, acetic acid, methyl tert-butyl ether, methyl benzoate, anisole, peroxyacids, as well as a host of more specialized chemicals.