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Wood Alcohol

Methyl alcohol, or methanol, CH3 OH, is the simplest of all the alcohols. It was formerly made by the destructive distillation of wood; however, almost all of the methanol produced today is synthetic, made from hydrogen and carbon monoxide. Methanol is used as a denaturant for grain alcohol, as an antifreeze, as a solvent for gums and lacquers, and in the synthesis of many organic compounds, particularly formaldehyde . When taken internally, by either drinking the liquid or inhaling the vapors, methanol is extremely poisonous. Methanol melts at -97.8° C (-144.0° F), boils at 64.7° C (148.5° F), and has a specific gravity of 0.7915 at 20° C (68° F).