Methanol

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Methanol, also known as methyl alcohol or wood alcohol, is a chemical compound with chemical formula CH3OH. It is the simplest alcohol, and is a light, volatile, colourless, flammable, poisonous liquid that is used as an antifreeze, solvent, fuel, and as a denaturant for ethyl alcohol.

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Methanol is produced naturally in the anaerobic metabolism of many varieties of bacteria. As a result, there is a small fraction of methanol vapor in the atmosphere. Over the course of several days, atmospheric methanol is oxidized by oxygen by the help of sunlight to carbon dioxide and water.

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Methanol burns in air forming carbon dioxide and water:

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:2CH3OH + 3 O2 → 2CO2 + 4H2O

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A methanol flame is almost colorless. Care should be exercised around burning methanol to avoid burning oneself on the almost invisible fire.

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Chemical compound: A chemical compound is a chemical substance formed from two or more elements, with a fixed ratio determining the composition. For example, dihydrogen monoxide (water, ) is a compound composed of two hydrogen atoms for every oxygen atom....

Chemical formula: :See also chemical symbol....

C: :This page is about the letter C itself. For other uses of C, see C (disambiguation)....