Methanol (CH3OH) and ethanol (C2H5OH) are the most basic members of the primary alcohol family, with numerous applications in the fuel industry.
Ethanol is a natural byproduct of plant fermentation that may also be created by the hydration of ethylene. Ethanol is an essential industrial chemical; it is used as a solvent, in the production of other organic compounds, and as a fuel additive.
The chemical formula for ethanol is C2H6O, which implies it contains two carbon atoms and one oxygen atom. The structural formula for ethanol, C2H5OH, adds a bit more information, noting that the 2-carbon chain ends with a hydroxyl group (-OH).
Ethanol with a melting point of 156 K and a boiling point of 351 K is liquid at room temperature. It is one of the most active components in any alcoholic beverage. Because it is an excellent solvent, it is also employed in the production of numerous medications such as cough syrups, tonics, and tincture iodine. Any amount of ethanol is completely soluble in water.
Furthermore, even a modest amount of pure ethanol can be fatal. Long-term alcohol consumption is harmful to one’s health.
Methanol is the most basic alcohol, with the molecular formula CH3OH. Because the hydroxyl group is chemically linked to the carbon atom, it is not a hydrocarbon.
It is made up of a methyl group coupled to a hydroxy group. It’s sometimes referred to as wood alcohol or methyl alcohol. It has a characteristic odour that is gentler and sweeter than that of ethanol. It has no colour and is very flammable. It is a highly flammable, light, and deadly liquid. Methanol is poisonous and can cause blindness if consumed. It is commonly used in the production of acetic acid and formaldehyde.
Methanol is a colourless liquid that boils at 64.96 degrees Celsius (148.93 degrees Fahrenheit) and solidifies at 93.9 degrees Celsius (137 degrees Fahrenheit). It burns with a nonluminous flame and generates explosive combinations with air. In water, it is totally miscible. Methanol has an odour similar to ethyl alcohol, the intoxicant in alcoholic beverages, but it is a hazardous toxin; drinking mixes containing it has resulted in numerous cases of blindness or death.
Other organic solvents that are miscible with water include acetone, carbon tetrachloride, ethylene glycol, chloroform, benzene, diethyl ether, glycerol, pyridine, nitromethane, and toluene. This chemical is frequently miscible with light aliphatic hydrocarbons such as pentane and hexane, as well as aliphatic chlorides such as tetrachloroethylene and trichloroethane.
Ethanol, commonly known as ethyl alcohol, is formed when the molecular structure of two carbon atoms breaks down. Methanol, often known as methyl alcohol, has only one carbon atom.
Methanol and its vapours are combustible. It is a colourless, heated, volatile, flammable liquid with a characteristic odour comparable to ethanol (drinking alcohol).