<unk> , also known as methyl alcohol, carbinol, wood alcohol, wood naphtha or wood spirits, is a chemical compound with chemical formula CH3OH (often abbreviated MeOH).  It is the simplest alcohol, and is a light, volatile, colourless, flammable, poisonous liquid with a distinctive odor that is somewhat milder and sweeter than<unk>  (ethyl alcohol). At room temperature it is a polar liquid and is used as an antifreeze, solvent, fuel, and as a denaturant for ethyl alcohol. It is also used for producing biodiesel via transesterification reaction.<unk>  is produced naturally in the anaerobic metabolism of many varieties of bacteria.  As a result, there is a small fraction of<unk>  vapor in the atmosphere. Over the course of several days, atmospheric<unk>  is oxidized by oxygen with the help of sunlight to carbon dioxide and water.<unk>  burns in air forming carbon dioxide and water:
A<unk>  flame is almost colorless, causing an additional safety hazard around open<unk>  flames.
Because of its poisonous properties,<unk>  is frequently used as a denaturant additive for<unk>  manufactured for industrial uses— this addition of a poison economically exempts industrial<unk>  from the rather significant 'liquor' taxes that would otherwise be levied as it is the essence of all potable alcoholic beverages.<unk>  is often called wood alcohol because it was once produced chiefly as a byproduct of the destructive distillation of wood. It is now produced synthetically by a multi-step process: natural gas and steam are reformed in a furnace to produce hydrogen and carbon monoxide; then, hydrogen and carbon monoxide gases react under pressure in the presence of a catalyst.
An entire<unk>  economy, based on<unk>  as a primary energy-storage medium and fuel, has been seriously proposed.
Methanol
Trichloroethylene
Isopropyl alcohol
Cyclohexane
Vinyl chloride
Chloroethane
Toluene
Vinyl ether