What is the Difference Between Methane and Methanol

The key difference between methane and methanol is that methane is the simplest aliphatic hydrocarbon and is a component in natural gas, whereas methanol is the simplest aliphatic alcohol and can be produced from natural gas.

Although the terms methane and methanol sounds similar, they are completely different compounds. Methane is an alkane, while methanol is an alcohol. However, they are the simplest compounds among other members of their corresponding series. Methane is an alkane having the chemical formula CH4, whereas methanol is an organic chemical compound having the chemical formula CH3OH.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Methane  
3. What is Methanol
4. Methane vs Methanol in Tabular Form
5. Summary – Methane vs Methanol 

What is Methane?

Methane is an alkane having the chemical formula CH4. This compound is a major greenhouse gas. The production and transportation of coal, natural gas, and oil are the major sources that add methane gas to the atmosphere. Human activities such as leakages from natural gas systems and raising livestock also contribute to increasing the methane content in the atmosphere.

Figure 01: The Chemical Structure of Methane

Moreover, methane forms in natural sources such as natural wetlands, natural processes in soil and chemical reactions in the atmosphere. When comparing it with carbon dioxide (which is the other major greenhouse gas), the lifetime of methane in the atmosphere is much shorter. However, methane gas is more efficient in trapping radiation, which increases the heat. Therefore, methane is comparatively more harmful than carbon dioxide.

What is Methanol?

Methanol is an organic chemical compound having the chemical formula CH3OH. It is also known as methyl alcohol. It is the simplest alcohol in the alcohol series of compounds. It has a methyl group attached to a hydroxyl group. We can abbreviate it as MeOH.

When considering the properties of methanol, it is a light, volatile, colorless, and flammable liquid having a distinctive alcoholic odor that it similar to the odor of ethanol. Moreover, methanol is a polar solvent, and it is also known as wood alcohol because this substance was produced mainly in the past by the destructive distillation of wood. However, at present, this substance is produced from the hydrogenation of carbon monoxide.

Figure 02: The Chemical Structure of Methanol

There are many important applications of methanol; using it as a precursor for the production of formaldehyde, acetic acid, methyl tert-butyl ether, methyl benzoate, anisole, peroxy acids, etc. However, it is not included in consumables because ingestion of a very small amount of methanol can cause permanent blindness due to the destruction of the optic nerve.

What is the Difference Between Methane and Methanol?

The key difference between methane and methanol is that methane is the simplest aliphatic hydrocarbon and it is a component in natural gas, whereas methanol is the simplest aliphatic alcohol, and we can produce methanol from natural gas. Moreover, while methane occurs as a gas, methanol occurs as a liquid. In addition, methane is an alkane, while methanol is an alcohol. Besides, methane is a greenhouse gas, but methanol has no direct contribution to the greenhouse effect.

The below infographic presents the differences between methane and methanol in tabular form for side by side comparison.

Summary – Methane vs Methanol

Methane and methanol are the simplest compounds among other members of their corresponding series.  The key difference between methane and methanol is that methane is the simplest aliphatic hydrocarbon and it is a component in natural gas, whereas methanol is the simplest aliphatic alcohol, and we can produce methanol from natural gas.

Reference:

1. “What Is Methanol, Its Uses, Energies.” METHANOL INSTITUTE.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Methane-2D-dimensions” By !Original:Benjah-bmm27Vector: Jynto – Own work based on: File:Methane-CRC-MW-dimensions-2D.png (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Methanol Lewis” By NEUROtiker – Own work (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia

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