A colourless liquid, CH3OH; r.d. 0.79; m.p. –93.9°C; b.p. 64.96°C. It is made by catalytic oxidation of methane (from natural gas) using air. Methanol is used as a solvent (see methylated spirits) and as a raw material for making methanal (mainly for urea-formaldehyde resins). It was formerly made by the dry distillation of wood (hence the name wood alcohol).