Метанол отыны: қозғалтқыштар үшін балама биоотын

methanol used as a fuel
Alternative biofuel for engines

Methanol fuel is an alternative biofuel for internal combustion and other engines, either in combination with gasoline or independently. Methanol (CH3OH) is less expensive to sustainably produce than ethanol fuel, although it is more toxic than ethanol and has a lower energy density than gasoline. Methanol is safer for the environment than gasoline, is an anti freeze agent, prevents dirt and grime buildup within the engine, has a higher ignition temperature, and produces horsepower equivalent to that of super high octane gasoline. It can readily be used in most modern engines. To prevent vapor lock due to being a simple, pure fuel, a small percentage of other fuel or certain additives can be included. Methanol may be made from fossil fuels or renewable resources, in particular natural gas and coal, or biomass respectively. In the case of the latter, it can be synthesized from CO (carbon dioxide) and hydrogen. The vast majority of methanol produced globally is currently made with gas and coal. Methanol fuel is currently used by racing cars in many countries and has seen increasing adoption by the maritime industry. In 2022, the worldwide biomethanol market was around 120 million USD. Most of it is currently made from biomass. Companies investing significantly in biomethanol production and research include Enerkem, Södra, Methanex, Alberta Pacific, and BASF.

During the 1973 oil crisis, methanol produced from coal was suggested as a fuel to replace gasoline. In 2005, George A. Olah proposed a "methanol economy" based on energy storage in synthetically produced methanol. In most countries, methanol is currently usually produced from syngas, obtained from steam reforming of methane (the chief constituent of natural gas). In China, which produced around 60% of the world's methanol in 2014, it is made primarily from coal. However, to be viable as an environmentally friendly fuel, it will need to be produced from renewable feedstocks, the most significant of which is biomass. Methanol produced from biomass is sometimes called biomethanol. Production methods using carbon dioxide as a feedstock have also been proposed. This method involves reacting the carbon dioxide with hydrogen gas at high temperatures and pressures in the presence of a copper based catalyst. The main drawback of this approach is the difficulty of isolating carbon dioxide and hydrogen gas in the required large volumes and high purity. or directly from the air are in development, but are to date not commercialized at scale. Carbon Recycling International, an Icelandic American company, completed the world's first commercial renewable methanol plant using carbon dioxide feedstocks in 2011.

Pure methanol is required by rule to be used in IndyCar, Monster Trucks, USAC sprint cars (as well as midgets, modifieds, etc. ), and other dirt track series, such as World of Outlaws, and Motorcycle Speedway, mainly because, in the event of an accident, methanol does not produce an opaque cloud of smoke. Since the late 1940s, Methanol is also used as the primary fuel ingredient in the powerplants of radio control, control line and free flight model aircraft (see below), cars and trucks; such engines use a platinum filament glow plug that ignites the methanol vapor through a catalytic reaction. Drag racers, mud racers, and heavily modified tractor pullers also use methanol as the primary fuel source. Methanol is required with a supercharged engine in a Top Alcohol Dragster and, until the end of the 2006 season, all vehicles in the Indianapolis 500 had to run on methanol. As a fuel for mud racers, methanol mixed with gasoline and nitrous oxide produces more power than gasoline and nitrous oxide alone. Beginning in 1965, pure methanol was used widespread in USAC Indy car competition, which at the time included the Indianapolis 500. Safety was the predominant influence for the adoption of methanol fuel in the United States open wheel racing categories. Unlike petroleum fires, methanol fires can be extinguished with plain water. A methanol based fire burns invisibly, unlike gasoline, which burns with a visible flame. If a fire occurs on the track, there is no flame or smoke to obstruct the view of fast approaching drivers, but this can also delay visual detection of the fire and the initiation of fire suppression. A seven car crash on the second lap of the 1964 Indianapolis 500 resulted in USAC's decision to encourage, and later mandate, the use of methanol. Eddie Sachs and Dave MacDonald died in the crash when their gasoline fueled cars exploded. The gasoline triggered fire created a dangerous cloud of thick black smoke that completely blocked the view of the track for oncoming cars. Johnny Rutherford, one of the other drivers involved, drove a methanol fueled car, which also leaked following the crash. While this car burned from the impact of the first fireball, it formed a much smaller inferno than the gasoline cars and one that burned invisibly. That testimony, and pressure from The Indianapolis Star writer George Moore, led to the switch to alcohol fuel in 1965. Methanol was used by the CART circuit during its entire campaign (1979–2007). It is also used by many short track organizations, especially midget, sprint cars, and speedway bikes. Pure methanol was used by the IRL from 1996 to 2006. In 2006, in partnership with the ethanol industry, the IRL used a mixture of 10% ethanol and 90% methanol as its fuel. Starting in 2007, the IRL switched to "pure" ethanol, E100. Methanol fuel is also used extensively in drag racing, primarily in the Top Alcohol category, while between 10% and 20% methanol may be used in Top Fuel classes in addition to Nitromethane. Formula One racing continues to use gasoline as its fuel, but in prewar grand prix racing methanol was often used in the fuel.

In 2020, the International Maritime Organization adopted MSC.1/Circular.1621 codifying the proper usage and provisions for methanol as a fuel, in response to its growing usage in the maritime and shipping industries. As of 2023, roughly 100 methanol burning ships have been ordered by key players in the industry including Maersk, COSCO Shipping, CMA CGM The majority of these ships contain dual fuel engines, meaning they are capable of burning both bunker fuel and methanol. Current challenges facing methanol as a fuel surround cost, availability, and emissions regulations. Retrofitting an oil barge to methanol can cost approximately $1.6M. The availability of green methanol (which is produced through zero or negative carbon resources such as biomass) is currently limited and nearly twice the price of bunker fuel. However, accelerating the production of renewable methanol has been said to not be a significant global challenge, with many in the industry speculating that production could grow naturally as orders for methanol ships continue to be made. Its stove and canister need no regulators or pipes. Ingestion of 10 mL, however, can cause blindness and 60–100 mL can be fatal if the condition is untreated. Like many volatile chemicals, including ethanol and gasoline, methanol can damage skin, eyes, and lungs if exposed to substantial quantities. Those chronically exposed to such large quantities are at risk of developing long term systemic health effects similar to low grade methanol poisoning if left untreated. US maximum allowed exposure in air (40 h/week) is 1900 mg/m3 for ethanol, 900 mg/m3 for gasoline, and 1260 mg/m3 for methanol. However, it is much less volatile than gasoline and therefore has lower evaporative emissions, producing a lower exposure risk for an equivalent spill. While methanol offers somewhat different toxicity exposure pathways, the effective toxicity is no worse than those of benzene or gasoline, and methanol poisoning is far easier to treat successfully. One substantial concern is that methanol poisoning generally must be treated while it is still asymptomatic for a full recovery. Inhalation risk is mitigated by a characteristic pungent odor. At concentrations greater than 2,000 ppm (0.2%) it is generally quite noticeable, however, lower concentrations may remain undetected while still being potentially toxic over longer exposures, and may still present a fire/explosion hazard. Again, this is similar to gasoline and ethanol; standard safety protocols exist for methanol and are very similar to those for gasoline and ethanol. The use of methanol fuel reduces the exhaust emissions of certain hydrocarbon related toxins such as benzene and 1,3 butadiene and dramatically reduces long term groundwater pollution caused by fuel spills. Unlike benzene family fuels, methanol will rapidly and non toxically biodegrade with no long term harm to the environment as long as it is sufficiently diluted.

Methanol is far more difficult to ignite than gasoline and burns about 60% slower. A methanol fire releases energy at around 20% of the rate of a gasoline fire, resulting in a much cooler flame. This results in a much less dangerous fire that is easier to contain with proper protocols. Unlike gasoline fires, water is acceptable and even preferred as a fire suppressant for methanol fires, since this both cools the fire and rapidly dilutes the fuel below the concentration where it will maintain self flammability. These facts mean that, as a vehicle fuel, methanol has great safety advantages over gasoline. Ethanol shares many of these same advantages. Since methanol vapor is heavier than air, it will linger close to the ground or in a pit unless there is good ventilation, and if the concentration of methanol is above 6.7% in the air it can be lit by a spark and will explode above 54 F / 12 C. Once ablaze, an undiluted methanol fire gives off very little visible light, making it potentially very hard to see the fire or even estimate its size in bright daylight, although, in the vast majority of cases, existing pollutants or flammables in the fire (such as tires or asphalt) will color and enhance the visibility of the fire. Ethanol, natural gas, hydrogen, and other existing fuels offer similar fire safety challenges, and standard safety and firefighting protocols exist for all such fuels. Post accident environmental damage mitigation is facilitated by the fact that low concentration methanol is biodegradable, of low toxicity, and non persistent in the environment. Post fire cleanup often merely requires large additional amounts of water to dilute the spilled methanol followed by vacuuming or absorption recovery of the fluid. Any methanol that unavoidably escapes into the environment will have little long term impact, and with sufficient dilution will rapidly biodegrade with little to no environmental damage due to toxicity. A methanol spill that combines with an existing gasoline spill can cause the mixed methanol/gasoline spill to persist about 30% to 35% longer than the gasoline alone would have done.

In 2019, nearly 100 million tonnes of methanol were used, mainly for chemicals.

The State of California ran an experimental program from 1980 to 1990 that allowed anyone to convert a gasoline vehicle to 85% methanol with 15% additives of choice. Over 500 vehicles were converted to high compression and dedicated use of the 85/15 methanol and ethanol. In 1982 the big three were each given $5,000,000 for design and contracts for 5,000 vehicles to be bought by the State. It was an early use of low compression flexible fuel vehicles. In 2005, California's Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, stopped the use of methanol to join the expanding use of ethanol driven by producers of corn. In 2007 ethanol was priced at 3 to 4 dollars per gallon (0.8 to 1.05 dollars per liter) at the pump, while methanol made from natural gas remains at 47 cents per gallon (12.5 cents per liter) in bulk, not at the pump. Presently there are no operating gas stations in California supplying methanol in their pumps. Rep. Eliot Engel [D NY17] has introduced "An Open Fuel Standard" Act in Congress: "To require automobile manufacturers to ensure that not less than 80 percent of the automobiles manufactured or sold in the United States by each such manufacturer to operate on fuel mixtures containing 85 percent ethanol, 85 percent methanol, or biodiesel."

The amended Fuel Quality Directive adopted in 2009 allows up to 3% v/v blend in of methanol in petrol.

A drive to add an appreciable percentage of methanol to gasoline got very close to implementation in Brazil, following a pilot test set up by a group of scientists involving blending gasoline with methanol between 1989 and 1992. The larger scale pilot experiment that was to be conducted in São Paulo was vetoed at the last minute by the city's mayor, out of concern for the health of gas station workers, who would not be expected to follow safety precautions. as of 2006, the idea has not resurfaced.

Niti Aayog, the central planning institute of India, announced on 3 August 2018 that if feasible, passenger vehicles will run on 15% Methanol blended petrol. At present, vehicles in India use up to 10% ethanol blended fuel. If approved by the government it will cut monthly fuel costs by 10%. In 2021, ethanol costs Rs 60 a litre, while the price of methanol has been estimated at less than Rs 25 a litre.