132 Ecological Sustainability
circulatory collapse, respiratory failure, and death (Windholz 1976).
Methanol is totally soluble in water, unlike petrochemical fuels,
and would be rapidly diluted to an innocuous, low concentration at
which microorganisms can biodegrade it (Olah 2005).
Certain nonfuel, chemical uses of methanol will compete with its energy appli-
cations. Methanol can be used in processes to make the chemicals below
(Cheung and Kung 1994).
• Formaldehyde
• Urea–formaldehyde resins
• Phenolic resins
• Acetic acid
• Vinyl acetate
• Acetic anhydride
• Chloromethanes
• Methyl chloride solvent
• Methylene chloride
• Chloroform
• Methyl methacrylate
• Acrylic plastics
• DME diesel fuel
• Dimethyl terephthalate
• Polyester
•