The methanol economy is a hypothetical future economy in which methanol has replaced fossil fuels as a means of transportation of energy. As a proposal, it offers an alternative to also still hypothetical hydrogen economy and ethanol economy. In 2005, Nobel prize winner George A. Olah published an essay advocating the methanol economy.^[1] He lists arguments against the hydrogen economy and discusses the generation of methanol from carbon dioxide or methane. Methanol, also known as methyl alcohol, wood alcohol or wood spirits, is a chemical compound with chemical formula CH3OH. It is the simplest alcohol, and is a light, volatile, colourless, flammable, poisonous liquid with a distinctive odor that is somewhat milder and sweeter than ethanol (ethyl alcohol). ... Coal rail cars in Ashtabula, Ohio Fossil Fuels are hydrocarbons, primarily coal, fuel oil or natural gas, formed from the remains of dead plants and animals. ... A hydrogen economy is a hypothetical future economy in which energy, for mobile applications (vehicles, aircraft) and electrical grid load balancing (daily peak demand reserve), is stored as hydrogen (H2). ... The use of alcohol as a fuel for internal combustion engines, either alone or in combination with other fuels, has been given much attention mostly because of its possible environmental and long-term economical advantages over fossil fuel. ... Nobel Prize medal. ... George Andrew Olah (born 1927) is a U.S. (Hungarian-born) chemist. ... == // IGOR ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! == Carbon dioxide is a chemical compound composed of one carbon and two oxygen atoms. ... Methane is a significant and plentiful fuel which is the principal component of natural gas. ...

Methanol can be used directly as fuel (including in hybrid cars) or in a direct methanol fuel cell. It can be made from hydrogen in a greenhouse neutral process and used in place of hydrogen, without construction of new hydrogen infrastructure. Direct-methanol fuel cells or DMFCs are a subcategory of Proton-exchange fuel cells where, the fuel, methanol, is not reformed, but fed directly to the fuel cell. ...

A source of carbon dioxide to synthesize methanol in a recycling process could in theory be from the earth's atmosphere but given the low concentration (0.037%) it would require the development of an efficient semipermeable membrane technology. Other sources are the exhaust of fossil fuel power plants which would otherwise be released into the atmosphere, not being economically viable to retrofit into systems for carbon capture and storage. Layers of Atmosphere (NOAA) Air redirects here. ... Scheme of semipermeable membrane during hemodialysis, where red is blood, blue is the dialysing fluid, and yellow is the membrane. ... Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is an approach to mitigating climate change by capturing carbon dioxide (CO2) from large point sources such as power plants and subsequently storing it away safely instead of releasing it into the atmosphere. ...

Synthesis

In the methanol economy, methanol is synthesized:

• by carbon dioxide recycling with hydrogen or with water in an electrochemical process (this is greenhouse neutral if the carbon dioxide would have been emitted)
• by oxidation of methane (present in as yet untapped methane clathrates. Also untapped are the vast amounts of methane currently bubbling up from thawing tundra in Siberia.) with oxygen and a suitable catalyst

== // IGOR ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! == Carbon dioxide is a chemical compound composed of one carbon and two oxygen atoms. ... == // IGOR ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! == Carbon dioxide is a chemical compound composed of one carbon and two oxygen atoms. ... Methane is a significant and plentiful fuel which is the principal component of natural gas. ... Burning ice. Methane, released by heating, burns; water drips. ...

Theoretical advantages over other energy storage media

Advantages over hydrogen

Methanol economy advantages compared to hydrogen:

• efficient energy storage (by volume) and also by weight when hydrogen confinement vessel taken into account.
• required hydrogen infrastructure would be prohibitively expensive; methanol can be directly cycled into existing gasoline infrastructure
• can be blended with gasoline
• user friendly (hydrogen is volatile and requires high pressure system confinement)
• methanol serves as a raw material for the chemical industry

Methanol economy advantages compared to ethanol

• can be made from any organic material using the proven Fischer Tropsch method of synthesis gas catalysis
• can compete with and complement ethanol in a diversified energy marketplace

// The Fischer-Tropsch process is a catalyzed chemical reaction in which carbon monoxide and hydrogen are converted into liquid hydrocarbons of various forms. ...

Theoretical methanol economy disadvantages

• high energy costs associated with generating hydrogen (when needed to synthesize methanol)
• generation in itself not clean
• presently generated from syngas still dependent on fossil fuels (although in theory any energy source can be used).
• energy density (by weight or volume) one half of that of gasoline
• corrosive to aluminum, importantly aluminum parts in engine fuel-intake systems
• hydrophilic: attracts water, which can create solid jelly-like obstructions in fuel-intake systems (in cold weather), which is corrosive, and which can separate into a non-combustible component
• methanol, as an alcohol, increases the permeability of some plastics to fuel vapors (e.g. high-density polyethylene). ^[2] This property of methanol has the possibility of increasing emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from fuel, which contributes to increased tropospheric ozone and possibly human exposure.
• low volatity in cold weather: methanol-fueled engines can be difficult to start, and they run inefficiently until warmed up
• Methanol is generally considered a toxin but methanol toxicity is actively researched ^[3]
• methanol is a liquid: this creates a greater fire risk; unlike hydrogen and other gases, methanol leaks do not dissipate
• methanol accidentally released from leaking underground fuel storage tanks may undergo relatively rapid groundwater transport and contaminate well water, although this risk has not been thoroughly studied. The history of the fuel additive methyl t-butyl ether (MTBE) as a groundwater contaminant has highlighted the importance of assessing the potential impacts of fuel and fuel additives on multiple environmental media. ^[4]

It has been suggested that Town gas be merged into this article or section. ... Aluminum is a soft and lightweight metal with a dull silvery appearance, due to a thin layer of oxidation that forms quickly when it is exposed to air. ... The adjective hydrophilic describes something that likes water (from Greek hydros = water; philos = friend). ... Corrosion is the destructive reaction of a metal with another material, e. ... Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are organic chemical compounds that have high enough vapour pressures under normal conditions to significantly vaporize and enter the atmosphere. ... Ozone (O3) is a triatomic molecule, consisting of three oxygen atoms. ...

References

1. ^ Beyond Oil and Gas: The Methanol Economy George A. Olah Angewandte Chemie International Edition Volume 44, Issue 18, Pages 2636-2639, 2005
2. ^ Abstract
3. ^ Methanol is a developmental and neurological toxin, though typical dietary and occupational levels of exposure are not likely to induce significant health effects. The a National Toxicology Program panel recently concluded that blood concentrations below approx. 10 mg/L there is minimal concern for adverse health effects.[1] Other literature summaries are also available (see, for instance, Reproductive Toxicology 18 (2004) 303–390).
4. ^ Abstract

George Andrew Olah (born 1927) is a U.S. (Hungarian-born) chemist. ... Angewandte Chemie or Angewandte Chemie International Edition is the chemistry journal of the Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker (Society of German Chemists). ...

External links

• A discussion of the Methanol Economy with George Olah Recording of a program broadcast on NPR.
• Methanol Institute