Safety Related Additives for Methanol Fuel

This paper reviews the use of additives to improve safety aspects associated with the use of methanol as a motor fuel. A survey of the literature was conducted to determine candidate additives for methanol that produce one or more of the following properties: provide a visible or luminous flame, reduce the potential for skin contact, give a foul or unpleasant taste and odor, and act as an emetic. Candidate additives were reviewed to determine potential effectiveness, cost, east of production, health problems, and effects on vehicle performance. Potential additives include complex hydrocarbon mixtures such as gasoline, alcohol soluble dyes and unpalatable compounds such as denatonium benzoate.