Methanol, also known as hydroxymethane, wood alcohol, or wood spirits, is an organic compound and the simplest saturated monohydric alcohol, with the chemical formula CH3OH/CH4O. It has a molecular weight of 32.04 and a boiling point of 64.7℃. The names "wood alcohol" and "wood spirits" originate from the fact that its primary production method was extraction from wood vinegar (a product of wood distillation or cracking).
Modern methanol is produced directly from carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen in an industrial process involving catalysis. Methanol is light, highly volatile, colorless, flammable, and has an odor very similar to ethanol (a drinking alcoholic beverage). However, unlike ethanol, methanol is highly toxic and not suitable for consumption. It is commonly used as a solvent, antifreeze, fuel, or ethanol denaturant, and can also be used in the production of biodiesel through transesterification.
