Methanol: Weekly Topic – The foul odor of pure methanol; what is this substance?...
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Methanol: Weekly Topic. In the pure methanol production process, an extremely unpleasant odor is emitted during the fusel alcohol stage. What is this substance, and how is it formed? 2015.01.11--2016.01.18
When sulfur is introduced into a gas, thiols are formed, which have a foul odor. When ammonia is mixed in, substances such as amines are easily formed, all of which have a foul odor. The most important thing is to ensure proper purification of methanol gas; if organic substances like paraffin ferment at high temperatures and interact with thiols, the foul odor becomes even stronger, causing severe harm to the surrounding environment and living organisms!
This post was last edited by kingwang81 on 2016-1-22 at 08:45. It’s probably the amines present in crude methanol; by adding an appropriate amount of base in the pre-tower, these amines can be decomposed, and thus they will no longer be present afterward.