USES OF METHANOL

Chemical Intermediate and Fuel
The primary uses for methanol are the production of chemical products and use as a fuel. It is also being used increasingly for waste water treatment and for producing biodiesel.
Methanol is used in the production of formaldehyde, acetic acid and a variety of other chemical intermediates which form the foundation of a large number of secondary derivatives. These secondary derivatives are used in the manufacture of a wide range of products including plywood, particleboard, foams, resins and plastics.

Much of the remaining methanol demand is in the fuel sector, principally in the production of MTBE, which is blended with gasoline to reduce the amount of harmful exhaust emissions from motor vehicles. Methanol is also being used on a small scale as a direct fuel and it is fuel for fuel cells.

Fuel Cell Applications
Methanol is widely considered to be one of the most promising fuels for fuel cell applications currently being developed for cell phones, portable computers and small scale transportation such as commuter scooters. Several distinct attributes of methanol make it an ideal hydrogen source for future fuel cell vehicles and may one day provide an alternate source of energy in homes.

Efficient and Versatile
With its low energy chemical bonds, methanol can be converted to hydrogen at relatively low temperatures (250°C to 300°C). Other hydrocarbon fuels require temperatures of 800°C to 900°C. Methanol's lower reforming temperatures ensure faster start-up, improved system efficiency, lower fuel processor costs, and a longer life for the fuel cell system.
In addition, because of methanol's low-energy chemical bonds, methanol is one of the only chemicals that can be converted directly to electricity in a Direct Methanol Fuel Cell (DMFC). DMFC systems are currently being developed as battery replacements for the portable power market.

High Quality, Readily Available
Methanol is widely distributed both globally and regionally as a commercial product. Since methanol is a liquid at normal conditions, it can therefore be handled much the same way as conventional fuels like gasoline or diesel.
Furthermore, methanol is an inherently pure product, which greatly simplifies the reforming process, reduces the capital, operating and maintenance costs of the fuel cell system, and greatly reduces the risk of fuel cell catalyst contamination.

Environmentally Friendly
Methanol fuel cell systems convert chemical energy directly into electricity with greater efficiency than combustion-based power systems, thereby reducing associated greenhouse gas and urban smog forming emissions. Methanol is more environmentally benign than conventional liquid fuels. It has fewer potential environmental impacts and offers a greater degree of environmental protection.

Waste Water Treatment
When wastewater is collected in a treatment facility, it generally contains high levels of ammonia. Through a bacterial degradation process, this ammonia is converted into nitrate. In a subsequent process called denitrification, the nitrate is removed through a combination of chemical treatment and bacterial degradation.

Methanol is a simple molecule that serves as an ideal carbon source for the bacteria used in denitrification. Accelerated by the addition of methanol, anaerobic bacteria will rapidly convert the nitrate (NO3) to harmless nitrogen gas (N2), which is vented into the atmosphere.