Methanol (CH3OH) is the simplest alcohol, a clear, colorless liquid with a molecular weight of 32.04, a boiling point of 64.7°C, and a density of 0.792 g/cm3. It is also known as methyl alcohol, wood alcohol, or wood spirit. Per Lab Alley's own safety data sheets, methanol is a Category 2 flammable liquid with GHS classifications for acute oral, dermal, and inhalation toxicity, along with organ toxicity from both single and repeated exposure. Single exposure targets the optic nerve and central nervous system, repeated exposure targets the kidney, liver, spleen, and blood, and the product also carries a reproductive harm warning. This is not a solvent to handle casually. Real ventilation and PPE matter here, at every grade.
COMMON APPLICATIONS
Methanol is used as a laboratory reagent, a solvent for extracting terpenes, tannins, alkaloids, and other compounds from plants, a precursor in the manufacture of formaldehyde and acetic acid, a component in methanol/water/acetic acid mixtures, a gasoline additive in biodiesel, and, in some formulas, a denaturant for ethanol.
GRADES EXPLAINED
Lab Grade has solid purity, around 99.85%, but is not tested to ACS, USP, or any certified standard, so it fits general research and educational use rather than food, drug, or trace analysis work. ACS Reagent/USP/NF Grade meets multiple pharmacopeial and reagent standards at once. HPLC and Preparative HPLC Grade are tested for the low UV absorbance and residue chromatography instruments need. LC/MS Grade goes further still, for mass spectrometry work where even trace contamination shows up in the data. Semiconductor Grade is formulated for electronics manufacturing, Pesticide Residue Grade is tested for the specific trace contaminants pesticide analysis screens for, and Anhydrous Reagent Grade, with or without molecular sieves, is dried to 30 ppm water or less for moisture sensitive reactions.
TYPES & GRADES AT A GLANCE
Is the general purpose entry point, for research and education.
Meets multiple certified standards at once for analytical work.
Is tested for the low residue and UV absorbance chromatography needs.
Is built for larger scale HPLC purification work.
Meets the purity level mass spectrometry work requires.
Is formulated for electronics manufacturing.
Is tested for the trace contaminants pesticide residue analysis screens for.
Is dried for moisture sensitive reactions.
WHY BUY FROM LAB ALLEY
256,000+ customers already order their chemicals from Lab Alley.
99.5% of orders ship within 1 to 2 business days, so a methanol order does not stall your production or research schedule.
98.9% inventory accuracy means the grade you see in stock is the grade that ships.
SDS and COA are available online for every methanol grade we carry.