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Methanol Overview

While the world is focusing on ethanol as the replacement of gasoline, much attention has not been paid to Methanol, the junior brother of ethanol. The fuel burns relatively cleaner than ethanol and can be mass produced from biomass, coal, natural gas and many petroleum by products with relatively lower energy cost. With its advantage of liquid, it is safer than hydrogen, propane, natural gas and many gas state fuel. This page is dedicated to the information of methanol.

While methanol is used as solvent in industry and commercial usage, but the fuel could be manufactured from coal which becomes another alternative solution for coal liquefaction. This liquid fuel shares many characteristics of gasoline, many regular engine could be easily adopted to use this fuel just like the ethanol and bio-diesel at high concentration. At a low blend, M15 which means 15% methanol, no modification is required. For countries such as US, China and Russia rich in coal may consider it as the alternative to gasoline rather than ethanol.

American tried the methanol path opts ethanol. Since ethanol is food (starch) based feedstock, it is questionable on the motivation. With corn, wheat and sugar go up from 50% to 400% in last few years, the ethanol will become not economical. For country like China, it embraces the methanol with open arms. There are taxis using methanol and consumer car using M85 will be produced by Chery.

The following table summarizes the characteristics between methanol and ethanol.

  Methanol Ethanol
Energy content ~60K BTU/gallon ‡ 80K BTU/gallon ‡
Wholesale Price U$1.80/gallon on Jan 2007 U$2.10/gallon on Jan 2007
Estimated distribution cost U$0.50 (independent of cost) U$0.50 (independent of cost)
Feedstock Coal, natural gas, heavy oil, biomass, timber Mainly from grain and sugar which compete with food supply but can use cellulose such as timber, hay
Manufacturing process Chemical with catalyst under pressure Fermentation and distillation.
Manufacturing energy cost Lower than ethanol at front end. Higher than methanol at front end.
Potential future process In-situ at hydrocarbon mine. Cellulose process to use bio-waste using enzyme (not hydro or gasification)
Feedstock manufacture cycle Very short (from resources) to long but prolong supply (biomass) Farming cycle (months)
Future application Hydrogen source for fuel cell Enzyme based manufacturing
Gasoline Blended Fuel Vehicle Manufacturer Ford, Chrysler, Nissan, Mercedes, Toyota, Volkswagon Ford, Daimler Chrysler, GM
Adoption in US California E-85 states.
Fuel Toxicity US maximum 250mg/m3. Non-carinogenic and mutagenic.† US maximum 1900mg/m3. Non-carinogenic and mutagenic.†
Engine modification Simple Simple
Vehicle emission control Regular catalytic converter. Platinum, Palladium, Rhodium catalytic converter.
Early high concentration fuel adopter Brazil US
Safety Less volatile than gasoline and ethanol. Highly volatile
Fuel cell application Source of hydrogen in DMFC. Source of hydrogen in DEFC.
CO2 emission during manufacturing TBD TBD
SMOG contributor Investigating E-85 is a contributor but E-15 is not.
Distribution method Blending with gasoline or ethanol or in pure form using existing or new gas station. Blending with gasoline or methanol or in pure form using existing or new gas station.
Toxic emission from engine Acetylene, formaldehyde. Formaldehyde and other toxic acetaldehyde.

‡ gasoline is 118K BTU/gallon

† Benzene and toluene in gasoline makes it toxic.

Methanol Resources

  1. Methanol fuel from Wikipedia
  2. US DOE Alternative Fuels Data Center - Methanol
  3. Methanol - Governor's Ethanol Coalition in United States
  4. Direct Methanol Fuel Cell from Fuel Cell Testing and Evaulation Centre of DoD, US
  5. Methanol Fuel Cell Vehicle Lessons and Standard from Methanol Institute
  6. Fuel Cell Testing and Evaluation Centre
  7. Methanol - The Official Chinese Liquid Transportation Fuel of the Future by John Launer, 2006.11.27, Treehugger
  8. Beijing sets national standard for methanol as automotive fuel, by Richard McGregorin 2006.11.24, FT.com. Chery is the early adopter of the M85 (85% methanol blend) auto maker.
  9. Construction Begins in China on SES' First Coal Gasification Facility, SES announcement 2006.12.06. This report outlines how waste coal could be gasified to feedstock methanol production.
  10. Polygeneration Based on Coal Gasification: a strategic technology for China, by Prof. Li Zheng, Tsinghau BP Clean Energy Research & Education 2004.10.18. Although a little dated by it outline the methanol fuel direction of China and the ramification over ethanol. The requirement to produce M85/M100 vehicle has been put into plan by Chery in 2006.

Ethanol Resources

  1. Ethanol The Road to a Greener Future from Natural Resources Canada
  2. Cellulosic ethanol from Wikipedia
  3. For energy benefit of ethanol, please refer to this article: Contentious ethanol debate, Toxic beetles, Sleeping seeing fish by April Holladay 2006.07.31.
  4. Producing ethanol from corn is not worth the energy (Pimentel, Patzek) by Susan S. Lang, Cornell University News Service.
  5. Henry Ford and Fuel Ethanol, 2006.03.28, by Canadian Renewable Fuels Association
  6. China Sees Ethanol, Not Methanol, As Oil Option by Dow Jones Energy Services, 2006.12.06. This report contradicts the 7. in Methanol Resources which reports the methanol direction by the planning body NDRC and ignoring the Chinese energy industry's direction.

Additional Resources

  1. Renewable Fuels for Cross Border Transportation

 
Please send email to ck_wong@ieee.org with questions or comments about this web site. Copyrighted © 2005 - 2008 In CK's Opinion Last modified: 06/12/10.