Alchohol as a Fuel Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Alchohol as a Fuel - Essay Example The burning characteristics of methanol entail bright blue flame. Methanol is also a colorless liquid, which is very volatile. The odor of methanol is unique and distinctive. The burning characteristic of methanol is bright white flame (Yant, 2012). The paper also studies the physical effects between ethanol and methanol. Ethanol is the main ingredient of fermented beverages and also distilled alcoholic drinks. People who ingest ethanol experience the intoxication feeling. However, the consumers of ethanol can vomit or suffer from alcohol poisoning after taking large volumes of the substance. On the contrary, methanol must never be inhales, ingested or contact the skin. Small doses of the substance are very harmful. Ingesting small doses can highly cause blindness, and in worse scenarios be fatal. Ethanol is used in the production of alcoholic beverages. This is due to its intoxicating effects. The substance is also utilized as a category of alternative fuel. The alternative fuel is mainly produced using sugarcane and corn by products. Specially designed cars, mostly in the United States, utilize approximately 85% ethanol fuel. Ethanol fuel is also used in rocket fuel. Antiseptic characteristics of the substance ensure its usage in the production of hand gels and antibacterial wipes. Ethanol is a god solvent, hence greatly used as a base for different categories of paints and perfumes (Smith & Snyder, 2008). On the other hand, methanol is mainly used in the generation of other chemicals like formaldehyde. The substance is very desirable as fuel for the stunt and race vehicles. This is because it is not as flammable as gasoline, and water can distinguish its flame easily. Small quantities of methanol are used in the manufacture of denatured alcohol, plus also the production of solvents. The two substances react differently with water. Ethanol and water easily combine to produce homogeneous solution; hence miscible in water. But methanol