MCQ Detailed View

Methyl alcohol, also known as methanol (CH₃OH), is the simplest aliphatic alcohol. It is a colorless, volatile, and highly flammable liquid with a faint alcohol-like odor. Methanol has significant industrial importance, but due to its toxicity, its uses are limited compared to ethanol.

Among its many applications, methanol is commonly used as:

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  A solvent: It dissolves a wide variety of organic and inorganic substances and is used in paints, varnishes, resins, and dyes.

  
  


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  An antifreezing agent: Methanol lowers the freezing point of water and is therefore used in antifreeze solutions and windshield washer fluids.

  
  


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  For denaturing ethyl alcohol: Methanol is added to ethanol to make it unfit for human consumption, producing “denatured spirit” which is used for industrial purposes.

  
  

However, methanol is not used as a substitute for petrol. This is because methanol is toxic to humans; ingestion of even small amounts can cause blindness, severe poisoning, or death. While it has high octane value and can technically be used as a fuel in engines, its hazardous nature prevents its use as a direct substitute for petrol in common vehicles. Moreover, methanol produces less energy per liter compared to petrol, making it an inefficient alternative.

Instead, methanol is used as a raw material in the manufacture of formaldehyde, acetic acid, methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE), and many other industrial chemicals. It is also used in the production of biodiesel and as a feedstock for various chemical reactions.

To summarize, methanol is useful in several industries but cannot replace petrol as a common fuel substitute due to safety and efficiency concerns.