methyl alcohol
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun: A colorless, volatile, flammable, and toxic liquid alcohol with the chemical formula CH₃OH. It is the simplest form of alcohol, used primarily as an industrial solvent, antifreeze, fuel, and denaturant for ethanol. It is not suitable for consumption.
Usage and Examples
- As a solvent or industrial chemical:
- The laboratory uses methyl alcohol to clean precision instruments.
- Methyl alcohol is a key ingredient in the production of formaldehyde.
- As a fuel or antifreeze:
- Some racing cars use methyl alcohol as a fuel.
- A mixture containing methyl alcohol can prevent the radiator fluid from freezing.
- As a denaturant:
- Methyl alcohol is added to industrial ethanol to make it undrinkable.
Advanced Usage and Technical Context
- Toxicology: Ingestion of can cause severe poisoning, leading to blindness or death, as the body metabolizes it into formic acid and formaldehyde.
- Alternative Energy: Research explores (methanol) as a potential renewable fuel and energy carrier, often termed "wood alcohol" due to its historical production from wood distillation.
Variants and Related Words
- Methanol: The systematic IUPAC name and most common synonym for .
- Wood alcohol: A historical term for , referencing its traditional production method.
- Carbinol: An older, now rarely used name in organic chemistry for .
Synonyms
- Methanol
- Wood alcohol (historical/contextual)
- Carbinol (archaic/technical)
Related Phrases and Compounds
- Methanol poisoning: The medical condition resulting from the ingestion of .
- Methanol fuel cell: A type of fuel cell that uses as its fuel source.
Noun
- a light volatile flammable poisonous liquid alcohol; used as an antifreeze and solvent and fuel and as a denaturant for ethyl alcohol