In order to promote the innovative research and development of methanol fuel application in automobile products, promote the popularization and application of methanol vehicles, and expand the wider application of methanol fuel in the field of thermal combustion, combined with the "dual carbon" development goal proposed by the Party Central Committee, "methanol fuel power combustion A series of activities such as "Technical Exchange Meeting", "Methanol Fuel Thermal Combustion Technology Exchange Meeting" and "Methanol Fuel Cell Technology System Exchange Meeting" were organized and held recently. Say.

Since the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and other eight ministries and commissions jointly issued a document to promote the promotion and application of methanol vehicles in 2019, methanol fuel is being promoted from the field of power combustion to the field of thermal combustion. It is widely used in baking, winter heating, cooking and catering and other industries. However, the constant mentioning and misleading of the "highly toxic methanol theory" has indeed become a "negative wave that never goes away" in the development process of the methanol economy industry. In the process of promoting the application of methanol fuel, this topic has been brought up again and again. Based on this, I will transcribe the content of several articles and express my personal views, including knowledge and cognition, and gather here to provide reference and comparison for those who have "the theory of highly toxic methanol". I hope Able to abandon prejudice and seek truth from facts to understand methanol.


Scientific research on methanol toxicity has never been abandoned

Looking back on the history of methanol fuel application in my country, basic and applied research work on the corrosiveness and toxicity of methanol fuel has been carried out. During the "Sixth Five-Year Plan" period, Beijing Medical University and the Institute of Vocational Defense of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Chemical Industry jointly carried out the "Methanol/Gasoline Joint Toxicity Research" project. Conclusion: Using LD50 and EC50 (half lateral volume) as indicators, it is proved that there is no incremental effect between methanol and gasoline; compared with methanol and gasoline, M15 has more obvious primary skin irritation; respiratory inhalation of gasoline can cause sleep Over time, methanol and gasoline have no synergistic effect; acute inhalation of gasoline can increase brain 5-HT, methanol does not have a similar effect, and there is no toxic effect between gasoline and gasoline; acute inhalation of methanol and M15 on pulmonary surfactant All substances have no significant effect; chronic inhalation of methanol, gasoline and M15 has no significant effect on blood ALP, liver glutathione, etc.

In the national "M100 methanol vehicle" and "Seventh Five-Year" research project, Beijing Medical University has undertaken the research on the impact of methanol on human health. The study organized a control group of 30 people who had contact with M100 methanol fuel application and those who had no contact with methanol in the Beijing area to conduct follow-up health checks and dynamic observations for three consecutive years. The examination results showed that there was no significant difference between the two groups. It shows that the methanol concentration in the working environment is low, the inhalation is small, and there is no obvious impact on the human body. Among the inspected personnel, some people have been in contact with methanol fuel for more than ten years, and no health effects were found.

The comprehensive conclusion of the above two research topics is that as long as the operating procedures are followed, methanol has not been found to have abnormal effects on human health.

In the pilot work of methanol vehicles officially organized by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology in 2009, it clarified that adaptability, reliability, economy, safety, and environmental protection are the evaluation objectives of the pilot, and the two evaluation objectives of safety and environmental protection are. It is proposed for the toxicity of methanol fuel. During the five-year pilot work, the research on the impact of methanol fuel on human health was under the responsibility of the China Center for Disease Control and Prevention of the National Health Commission.

Now, in the process of implementing the "dual carbon" goal in the whole industry and intensifying the application of renewable energy methanol fuel, the "methanol hypertoxic theory" has been quietly raised, and there are even professor-level and expert-level people among the doubters. . The author believes that the problem of methanol toxicity is not only a scientific problem, but also a cognitive problem.

As early as during the acceptance of methanol vehicle pilot work in 2018, in response to the upcoming promotion and application of methanol vehicles and methanol fuel, the then Ministry of Industry and Information Technology's methanol vehicle pilot work expert group invited Mr. Xie Zhenhua, secretary-general of the Science and Technology Committee of Shanghai Coking Group, to write "The problem of methanol toxicity is not a problem." Should become an obstacle to the promotion of methanol vehicles" and "Methanol fuel is more environmentally friendly than gasoline and diesel", published on the website of China Automotive News on July 24 and September 18, 2018. The two articles responded to the doubts about the "high toxicity of methanol" from different angles. Here, the author recommends the above two articles, hoping that those who hold the "high toxicity of methanol theory" can objectively understand.

For the definition and assessment of methanol toxicity, let's take a look at how the national standard is given. In the national standard GBZ 230-2010 "Classification of the Hazard Degree of Occupational Exposure to Toxic Substances", a classification evaluation is made on the possible toxic hazards caused by occupational frequent and continuous exposure to the same toxic substance for a long time. The GBZ 230-2010 standard specifies the Toxic Hazard Index (THI), which is divided into four categories according to the hazard degree of various poisons in THI: extremely hazardous, highly hazardous, moderately hazardous, and mildly hazardous: mildly hazardous (level IV) THI <35; moderate hazard (grade III) THI≧35<50; high hazard (grade II) THI≧50<65; extreme hazard (grade I) THI≧65. Input the relevant properties and data of methanol and gasoline into the THI formula to calculate: methanol THI=20, gasoline THI=28. Although both of them are classified as mild hazard in the classification of occupational exposure to toxicants, the toxicity of methanol is lower than that of gasoline as a result of comprehensive evaluation of their toxicity performance by hazard index.

In July 1937, during the Second Revolutionary Civil War, Comrade Mao Zedong published the famous article "On Practice"—On the Relationship Between Knowledge and Practice—The Relationship Between Knowledge and Action. It is those "intellectualists" who have a little knowledge of hearsay and self-proclaimed "number one in the world", which is enough to see that they are not self-aware. The question of knowledge is a scientific question, and there is no hypocrisy and pride, but the opposite - honesty and humility. You have to have knowledge, you have to participate in the practice of changing reality. If you want to know the taste of a pear, you have to change the pear and eat it yourself. If you want to know the composition and properties of atoms, you have to carry out experiments in physics and chemistry to change the conditions of atoms.

The scientific and technological workers in our country adhere to the basic principle of practical testing that "if you want to know the taste of pears, you have to change the pears and eat them yourself", and have drawn scientific research and clear conclusions on "methanol toxicity".


What the International Energy Application Field Says About Methanol Fuel

If the person who holds the "highly toxic methanol theory" does not agree with the relevant definition given by the Chinese standard, the author hereby relays the explanations of some foreign institutions on the toxicity of methanol.

In 1999, the Global Methanol Industry Association (MI) put forward the following conclusions on the potential impact of methanol on human health and the environment in the research report "Evaluation of Methanol Transmission and Disappearance in the Environment":

A. Compared with gasoline, methanol is safer and more beneficial to the environment. The harm caused by gasoline emissions is more serious than that of methanol, and it lasts longer in the environment.

B. Methanol is neither mutagenic nor carcinogenic. Evidence shows that methanol is only toxic to humans and animals in the presence of large doses. Methanol is generally considered to be more toxic than gasoline, the threshold value (TLV) of the actual methanol vapor pressure is only slightly lower than that of gasoline, and the US Department of Energy considers all gasolines to be more harmful to health than pure methanol.

C. When methanol leaks into soil, groundwater and surface water, it will be quickly biodegraded by aerobic bacteria and anaerobic bacteria, so methanol cannot persist. Methanol is less toxic to humans and native microorganisms than commonly used gasoline. Therefore, methanol should be a more environmentally friendly fuel compared to commonly used gasoline.

In 2018, the Working Group of the International Maritime Organization Subcommittee on Cargo and Container Transport responded to the methanol vapor toxicity study submitted by France and Italy as follows: Methanol toxicity exposure poses a small risk to ship operators, and the findings indicate that in the marine ship environment, The amount of methanol vapor inhaled by the operator is not a cause for concern, so no new shipping requirements for methanol are required. Therefore, the risk profile of methanol vapor and the potential threat posed to vessel operators are negligible.

The reply also pointed out that methanol has fire safety advantages over gasoline; it is difficult to ignite, burns slowly, and releases low heat. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, methanol has many fire safety advantages over gasoline due to its various physical and chemical properties, including: 1) Lower volatility because methanol does not Evaporates or forms vapours as easily as gasoline (under the same conditions, exposed gasoline will release 2-4 times more vapour than exposed methanol; 2) Higher flammability requirements because the concentration of methanol vapour in air must be 4 times of gasoline vapor can be ignited; 3) Lower vapor density, because the density of gasoline vapor is 2-5 times that of air, while the density of methanol vapor is only slightly higher than that of air, and the diffusion rate is faster, making it non-flammable 4) The heat release rate is lower, because the combustion speed of methanol is 25% faster than that of gasoline, and the speed of methanol combustion to release heat is only one-eighth of the combustion speed of gasoline.

In January 2020, the research report "Innovation Outlook-Renewable Methanol" (Innovation Outlook-Renewable Methanol) by the Global Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and the Global Methanol Industry Association (MI) was released to the world. The Chinese version of the report will be released. It will be released globally in Beijing, China at the end of the year. The research report gives the following description of the degradation of methanol in nature: a small concentration of methanol naturally exists in the human body, food and beverages, fruits, vegetables, beer, wine and so on. Methanol is water-soluble and readily biodegradable. Methanol dissolves completely in water, and when released into water, it disperses rapidly to low concentrations, allowing naturally occurring microorganisms to degrade in a relatively short period of time.

From November 4th to 11th, 2020, the 102nd meeting of the Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) (MSC 102) officially approved the circular MSC.1/Circ.1622 "Safety of Methanol/Ethanol Fuel Ships" Guidelines, which provide internationally accepted safety standards for the design, construction, inspection and supervision of such ships.

On November 5, 2020, Mr. Daniel Sahnen of Meyer Werft, one of the most advanced shipyards in the world, German luxury cruise ship manufacturer Meyer Werft, presented a presentation entitled "Methanol as a Marine Fuel" at the Methanol Day event at Lundlund University, Sweden. "Key Aspects" research report, the report systematically introduced the experimental data of methanol as a marine fuel, the comparison of the toxicity of methanol fuel with other fuels, and put forward the requirements of safe operation rules, so as to prove that methanol is used as a luxury cruise ship (crowded, densely spaced) , Environmentally sealed) the environmental protection and safety characteristics of power fuels.

In August 2021, AP Moller-Maersk announced that it had signed an agreement with Hyundai Heavy Industries in South Korea to build eight large carbon-neutral methanol container ships, each with a capacity of approximately 16,000 TEUs (20-foot containers). ), the first of which will be put into operation on ocean routes in the first quarter of 2024. The agreement also includes an option to order four additional ships in 2025. This series of methanol container ships will replace older ships in Maersk's existing fleet and is expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 1 million tons per year. An industry first, these ships will provide Maersk's customers with a truly large-scale carbon-neutral ocean shipping solution.


Recognize that methanol fuel should be treated the same as gasoline and diesel

Methanol is toxic and originates from the formaldehyde in methanol. Gasoline is toxic and comes from the benzene in gasoline. The toxicity of both is harmful to human health, but it is only due to the different use environments, use scenarios and length of time. Nowadays, close contact with gasoline and diesel has become an unchanging routine in human life. When we are accustomed to being surrounded by gasoline and diesel, and without a comprehensive understanding of methanol, those who still adhere to the "methanol hypertoxic theory" are against methanol as a fuel or are they not fully aware of it?

Among the questions in my country's college entrance examination in 2021, carbon dioxide catalytic hydrogenation to methanol is a comprehensive test question for the college entrance examination A (B) paper. In this regard, the author once wrote: Praise for the teacher who wrote the comprehensive examination questions for the college entrance examination A (B) paper - feeling China's self-reliant methanol economy self-sustaining methanol economy).

In the National College Entrance Examination Paper A comprehensive test questions, the 28th question (14 points) is titled: Carbon dioxide catalytic hydrogenation to methanol is conducive to reducing the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide. Answer the following questions: (omitted). Question 35. [Chemistry---Elective 3: Structure and Properties of Matter] (15 points) The title is: The world's first thousand-ton solar fuel synthesis project developed by Chinese scientists is vividly called the "Liquid Sunshine" project. The project uses solar power to electrolyze water to produce hydrogen, and then uses a highly selective catalyst to hydrogenate carbon dioxide to methanol. Answer the following questions (omitted).

In the National College Entrance Examination Paper B comprehensive test questions, the seventh question is: my country proposes to achieve carbon peaks by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060, which is very important for improving the environment and achieving green development. "Carbon neutral" means that the total and reduced carbon dioxide emissions are comparable. The most direct and effective of the following measures to promote carbon neutrality are:

A. Cracking heavy oil into light oil as fuel B. Large-scale exploitation of combustible ice as new energy

C. Reduce coal combustion pollution through clean coal technology D. Research and develop catalysts to reduce carbon dioxide to methanol.

This year, more than 50% of the college students used two papers. It is believed that there will be more than one million candidates facing these three questions in the examination room; millions of candidates and their teachers, family members and relatives and friends will know the answers to these three questions; and in the next 5-8 years Among them, there are more than tens of millions of college students who will come into contact with these three questions during their preview and review. This means that in the next two five-year plans "2030 carbon emission peaking" and the eight five-year plans "2060 carbon neutralization", there will be tens of millions of students who will invest in national economic construction, knowing very clearly What are "peak carbon emissions" and "carbon neutrality"? They will play an important role in my country's economic construction and development of "carbon neutrality" by 2060. In this regard, we should applaud the teachers who created these questions, and the decision makers who decided to include such questions in the college entrance examination questions.

The source of the social dissemination of the "methanol poisonous theory" can be traced back to the middle of the last century. Lawless elements used industrial methanol to mix fake wine and sold it, causing blindness and even death of drinkers. This is a violation of laws and regulations, but the consequences It is particularly bad. The incidents of hurting people and people are disgusted by the society under the dissemination of the media. Today's "methanol hypertoxic theory" has evolved into a kind of misinformation based on false rumors and contrary to science; it has become a misunderstanding against the development of methanol fuel. Pseudo-theory; become an obstacle to the promotion of renewable energy methanol fuel and the development of methanol economy.

Methanol is a chemical product, people from the perspective of energy security and the development of renewable energy, Methanol is used as fuel, methanol has this function and can take on this important task. In fact, just as people don't drink gasoline and diesel as beverages, very few people drink methanol as beverages in daily life. By the way, I would like to present the author's signed article in the China Automobile News Expert Forum on 2021-06-07, "Some New Thoughts on the Promotion and Application of Methanol Vehicles and Methanol Fuel", please criticize and correct me.

In fact, China has already stood at the forefront of methanol energy preparation and application in the world. The development potential of renewable energy in my country is huge, and the argument of "methanol is highly toxic" should be over. In the midst of a major change unseen in a century, it is as important as national defense security to insist on reducing the external dependence of oil (including natural gas), ensure energy security, and make energy independent and controllable.

Attached with the article: Introduction to the technology of methanol production of protein, looking forward to the refreshing perception and scientific popularization of those who put forward the "Methanol Hypertoxic Theory".

Methanol protein and derivatized bioprotein regenerated cellulose fibers

Methanol protein, also known as microbial protein, is a single-cell protein extracted from the single-celled bacteria formed in the microbial fermentation process using methanol as a nutrient source. Compared with proteins used in traditional feeds such as soybean and fish meal, it has extremely high nutritional The crude protein content can reach up to 80%, and it is rich in amino acids, vitamins, biological enzymes, etc. After being added as an additive to the feed, it can greatly improve the feeding effect and improve the meat taste of pigs, sheep, chickens and other animals. Methanol protein can make up for the shortage of traditional feed, reduce costs, and promote the development of animal husbandry.

As early as 1984, the General Office of the State Council forwarded the State Economic Commission's "1984-2000 National Feed Industry Development Outline (Trial Draft)" notice (Guo Ban Fa [1984] No. 111), and put forward a request to list methanol protein as feed. It is one of the important products of industrial development, and requires the chemical sector to do a good job in construction.

In recent years, my country's methanol industry has developed rapidly, and a large amount of methanol needs to be digested by downstream products. In the production of methanol protein, the cost of raw material methanol accounts for more than 50% of the total cost. In addition, protein feed has become increasingly scarce in recent years. In today's methanol economic industry, methanol protein is a very important product with great market potential and development prospects, whether from the development and application of methanol downstream products or to meet the needs of the feed industry.

Due to the toxicity of oral methanol, methanol protein produced with methanol as a nutrient source has been greatly questioned during the promotion process. Research institutions around the world have carried out test verifications and repeatedly studied its safety. After 8 years, the British ICI company consumed 500 tons of methanol protein to feed about 300,000 rodents and livestock animals. Finally, through experimental verification and analysis, it was proved that methanol protein is a safe and non-toxic animal feed additive.

The former Shanxi Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Taiyuan Chemical Fertilizer Factory passed the acute toxicity test on rats and mice as early as 1992. The relevant data were published in the Feed Industry Journal (Feed Industry. 1992, (11) 37-40). The research results show that, Methanol protein is a non-toxic product. The measured protein benzene content is lower than that in grain. Methanol protein is a safe feed additive. The application test of feeding laying hens shows that it can be used instead of fish meal, and the egg production rate is significantly improved. The production of methanol protein does not need to rely on the traditional production mode of cultivated land. Every 10,000 tons of methanol protein can save at least 35,000 mu of cultivated land. If the production scale of methanol protein is 100,000 tons per year, 350,000 mu of cultivated land can be saved. The national conditions with little land are of great significance.

Methanol protein can also produce biological protein regenerated cellulose, forming a new industrial chain of coal-methanol-methanol protein-biological protein-regenerated cellulose fiber. Bio-protein regenerated cellulose fiber has the characteristics of natural protein fiber. Bio-protein regenerated cellulose fiber fabric is soft and smooth, breathable and comfortable, drape and elegant, acid and alkali resistance, mildew resistance similar to wool and silk, and insect resistance is better than wool. , silk, the hygroscopicity is comparable to that of cotton textiles, and the moisture conductivity and air permeability are far superior to cotton. Methanol bioprotein regenerated cellulose fiber, filament can replace silk, short filament can replace cashmere, and the production is not affected by climatic conditions, the raw materials are abundant, and the cost is low, which can meet the growing demand of the people for high-end clothing. The residue of the production process of methanol bioprotein regenerated cellulose fiber can also be used as biological bacterial fertilizer, which can increase crop yield by 20-30% and reduce the amount of chemical fertilizer by 50%. Compared with other products, the microbial fertilizer products produced by this technology have the same fertilizer efficiency, but the cost can be reduced by 30%-40%.

If we use methanol synthesized from "liquid sunlight energy" to obtain methanol bioprotein, it will produce huge social and economic benefits, and also make a significant contribution to the realization of "carbon neutrality".