Most people don’t typically question the many different chemicals they encounter every day. Methanol is a popular substance you’ve likely interacted with on multiple occasions throughout your daily routines. It’s a form of nondrinking alcohol that can occur naturally in the environment from natural gases. Methanol isn’t often directly included in the composition of products; rather, it’s a base component in acetic acid and formaldehyde. These two chemical substances are used in various materials.
Common Applications for Methanol
Whether it’s present in its natural state or through chemical reactions, here are a few applications of methanol you may be familiar with.
Antifreeze
Antifreeze is arguably the most common use for methanol. Methanol’s chemical properties lower the freezing point of water-based liquids, and antifreeze regulates your car engine’s temperature in extreme outdoor conditions. You can also find antifreeze in some windshield wiper fluids, as it prevents the cleaning agent from freezing to keep your windshield clean even on the coldest days.
Water Bottles
Methanol is a critical component of polyethylene terephthalate (PET). PET is a plastic resin that’s present in all sorts of plastic materials, including plastic water bottles. Single-use plastic water bottles aren’t the most environmentally friendly product, but nearly a million plastic water bottles are sold every minute around the world.
Pharmaceuticals
Believe it or not, methanol plays a significant role in the analysis and manufacturing of pharmaceutical products. Methanol is of the most common solvents the pharmaceutical industry uses to analyze solutions and compounds, especially in chromatography testing methods. Since methanol is a toxic substance, however, it’s not an active ingredient in pharmaceutical products.
Clothing
As we previously mentioned, methanol is a crucial ingredient in PET. Synthetic fibers that make fabrics such as polyester come from PET, making methanol a part of every polyester piece of clothing you own.
Methanol can be a dangerous substance in humans’ hands and in the environment, but in some instances—such as in these common applications for methanol—it creates many products we use daily.
FAQ
What is methanol used for?
Antifreeze is arguably the most common use for methanol. Methanol’s chemical properties lower the freezing point of water-based liquids, and antifreeze regulates your car engine’s temperature in extreme outdoor conditions. You can also find antifreeze in some windshield wiper fluids, as it prevents the cleaning agent from freezing to keep your windshield clean even on the coldest days.
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