1. Methanol is a basic organic raw material used to manufacture various organic products such as chloromethane, methylamine, and dimethyl sulfate. It is also a raw material for pesticides (insecticides, acaricides) and pharmaceuticals (sulfonamides, streptomycin, etc.), and one of the raw materials for the synthesis of dimethyl terephthalate, methyl methacrylate, and methyl acrylate.
2. The main application of methanol is in the production of formaldehyde. Formaldehyde can be used to produce adhesives, primarily for the wood processing industry, and secondarily as a treatment agent for molding compounds, coatings, textiles, and paper.
3. Another major use of methanol is in the production of acetic acid. Acetic acid consumption accounts for approximately 7% of global methanol demand and can be used to produce vinyl acetate, cellulose acetate, and acetate esters, with demand closely related to the coatings, adhesives, and textiles industries.
4. Methanol can be used to manufacture methyl formate, which can be used to produce formic acid, formamide, and other fine chemical products. It can also be used as an insecticide, fungicide, fumigant, tobacco treatment agent, and gasoline additive.
5. Methanol can also be used to produce methylamine, an important fatty amine. Using liquid nitrogen and methanol as raw materials, it can be processed into monomethylamine, dimethylamine, and trimethylamine, and is one of the basic chemical raw materials.
6. Methanol can be synthesized into dimethyl carbonate, an environmentally friendly product used in pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and specialty industries.
7. Methanol can be synthesized into ethylene glycol, a petrochemical intermediate that can be used to produce polyesters and antifreeze.
8. Methanol can be used to manufacture growth promoters. It can significantly increase crop yields, keep branches and leaves fresh and vigorous, and prevent wilting in summer. It can also significantly reduce irrigation water, benefiting the growth of crops in dryland areas.
9. Methanol can be synthesized into methanol protein. Methanol protein produced by microbial fermentation using methanol as a raw material is called second-generation single-cell protein. Compared with natural protein, it has a higher nutritional value, with a much higher crude protein content than fishmeal and soybeans. It also contains abundant amino acids, minerals, and vitamins, and can replace fishmeal, soybeans, bone meal, meat, and skim milk powder.
10. Methanol is used as a cleaning and degreasing agent. MOS grade methanol is mainly used in discrete devices and medium- and large-scale integrated circuits, while BV-III grade methanol is mainly used in very large-scale integrated circuit process technology.
11. It is used as an analytical reagent, such as a solvent, methylation reagent, and chromatographic reagent. It is also used in organic synthesis.
12. Methanol is generally a better solvent than ethanol, capable of dissolving many inorganic salts. It can also be blended into gasoline as an alternative fuel. Since the 1980s, methanol has been used to produce gasoline octane additives such as methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE), methanol gasoline, methanol fuel, and methanol protein, promoting the development of methanol production and meeting market demand.
13. Methanol is not only an important chemical raw material but also a high-performance energy source and automotive fuel. The reaction of methanol with isobutylene yields MTBE, a high-octane unleaded gasoline additive, and it can also be used as a solvent. In addition, it can be used to produce olefins and propylene, addressing resource shortages.
14. Methanol can be used to produce dimethyl ether (DME). DME has wide applications in daily chemical products, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, dyes, and coatings, and also possesses advantages such as ease of use, high cetane number, good power performance, low pollution, easy pressurization into a liquid, and easy storage. A new type of liquid fuel made by blending methanol and DME in a certain proportion is called alcohol-ether fuel. Its combustion efficiency and thermal efficiency are both higher than those of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).
