Methanol: Characteristics
Why ships need twice the tank space
What this tab covers The physical and chemical properties that set its grade, price and uses, with the commercial grades and the standards that define them.Methanol is sold as a commodity liquid to a tight purity standard. Buyers check purity, water and trace impurities that poison downstream catalysts. For fuel use, energy density matters: methanol carries about 20 MJ/kg, under half of diesel, so ships need roughly twice the tank volume.
Properties that matter commercially
| Property | Value / specification | Why it matters | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purity | at least 99.85% by weight (IMPCA reference specification; US Federal Grade AA) | acetic acid and formaldehyde catalysts are sensitive to impurities | IMPCA Methanol Reference Specifications (indicative) |
| Water | at most 0.1% by weight (indicative) | water dilutes and corrodes | IMPCA (indicative) |
| Lower heating value | about 19.9 MJ/kg | sets fuel value against diesel (about 43 MJ/kg) | physical data (indicative) |
| Boiling and flash point | boils at 64.7 C; flash point about 11 C | storage and fire safety | physical data |
| Density | 0.79 t/m3 at 20 C | tank and ship sizing | physical data |
Commercial grades
- Grade AA chemical grade (99.85%)
- Fuel grade for blending and bunkering
- Certified bio-methanol and e-methanol (ISCC, RED)
- Pharma and electronic grades (higher purity)