View the methanol fuel industry scientifically
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Source: China Chemical Industry Information Network. Jin Yong, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Tsinghua University, states that methanol has low chemical toxicity and is not among the 33 substances harmful to health listed in the United States’ \"Strategies for Controlling Urban Air Pollutants\". Methanol is naturally present in the human body at a level of 0.6 milligrams per kilogram of body weight; working for long periods in an environment with a methanol concentration of 200–250 ppm is harmless to the human body ； Methanol has low volatility; when exposed to air, its volatility is only 30%–60% that of gasoline ； Methanol is also safe in the environment; its likelihood of causing fires or explosions is much lower than that of gasoline and diesel. It is soluble in water, making it easy to dilute, extinguish, and degrade. Methanol is not only a key compound in the coal chemical industry but also an important raw material for producing petrochemical products; the technology for converting methanol into olefins holds great promise for development. Its downstream products include vehicle fuels, dimethyl ether, biodiesel, formaldehyde, acetic acid, dimethyl carbonate, methyl formate, 1,4-butanediol, ethylene glycol, ethylene, propylene, benzene, xylene, fuel cells fuels, automotive fuels, MTBE, solvents, adhesives, chloromethane, silicones, and more. As the world economy enters an era of resource scarcity and high oil prices, it is an inevitable trend for coal and natural gas to replace oil, and the alcohol-ether route will also become the preferred option for replacing oil as a fuel for vehicles.
This post was last edited by fossil-zhang on 2009-8-31 at 19:06. I really don’t understand how this old man managed to become an academician. Take a look at another of his statements at http://bbs.hcbbs.com/viewthread.php?tid=121208. After reading what these experts have said, it seems that everything is in chaos right now. A couple of days ago, I read on the Petroleum and Chemical Industry Planning Institute’s website that coal-to-natural gas is superior to coal-to-oil and coal-to-alcohols and ethers, with well-reasoned arguments presented; you can find it at http://bbs.hcbbs.com/thread-532408-1-1.html. I also saw comments from a so-called “expert” in coal-to-oil, Tang Hongqing, who claimed that methanol-to-olefins is not a viable option and that caution is needed, adding that alcohols and ethers as fuels should be used with caution; this can be found at http://bbs.hcbbs.com/thread-535336-1-1.html. Now, Academician Jin claims that alcohols and ethers are non-toxic and safe, that coal-to-alcohols and ethers is better than coal-to-oil, and that it is the best choice as a substitute fuel. Hehe, such claims that \"the gut decides the brain\" can indeed mislead the public, making it difficult for them to figure out which expert is right and what should be done To clarify, Academician Lao Jin specializes in the synthesis of alcohol-ether fuels. Tang Hongqing, the so-called expert in coal-to-oil conversion, works at the Chinese Academy of Synthetic Oil Research. It seems that their motives for saying these things are not pure; even if what they say is true, the involvement of their own interests inevitably raises doubts about their intentions. These so-called “experts” have all become spokespersons for certain interest groups, turning into tools for criticizing others. The above views are merely personal opinions; everyone is welcome to share their thoughts.
The bottom decides the head. . . . Is methanol really non-toxic? Who would believe it! ! Methanol fuel is attractive, but the real key lies in the engine, not in the production of methanol! ~ As far as I know, current car engines are not very suitable for methanol fuel; problems such as coking and carbonization are quite severe. Moreover, if the engine is filled with methanol, who would dare to repair it in case something goes wrong? It is easy to produce methanol; but if there are no suitable engines to utilize this methanol fuel, then what should be done with the methanol that is produced – should it be discarded or consumed?
I’m completely speechless – whose should we listen to?
Learned * 1# gjpx