A colourless liquid, CH3C6H5; r.d. 0.9; m.p. –95°C; b.p. 111°C. Methylbenzene is derived from benzene by replacement of a hydrogen atom by a methyl group. It can be obtained from coal tar or made from methylcyclohexane (extracted from crude oil) by catalytic dehydrogenation. Its main uses are as a solvent and as a raw material for producing TNT.