methanol

Simplest of the alcohols. It can be made by the dry distillation of wood (hence it is also known as wood alcohol), but is usually made from coal or natural gas. When pure, it is a colourless, flammable liquid with a pleasant odour, and is highly poisonous.

Methanol is used to produce methanal (formaldehyde, from which resins and plastics can be made), methyl-tert-butyl ether (MTB, a replacement for lead as an octane-booster in petrol), vinyl acetate (largely used in paint manufacture), and petrol. Certain types of motor racing use methanol as a fuel, mainly for safety reasons as it does not form black clouds when it burns.