About Methanol Diesel-15 Fuel:
- It is a special fuel developed by the Indian Railways’ Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO) in collaboration with the Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. (IOCL).
- It is a cost-effective blended fuel containing 15% methanol, 71% mineral diesel, and 14% indigenously developed additives by IOCL.
What are the benefits of MD-15?
- It offers superior performance, combustion, and emission characteristics compared to regular mineral diesel fuel.
- It has the potential to reduce diesel consumption by 15% and result in substantial annual savings.
- It significantly decreases harmful pollutant emissions, contributing to a cleaner and greener environment.
- The NOx emissions were significantly lower, thus reducing the harmful pollutants which cause smog and pollution.
Key facts about Methanol
- It is also called methyl alcohol, wood alcohol, or wood spirit.
- It is the simplest of a long series of organic compounds called alcohols, consisting of a methyl group (CH3) linked with a hydroxy group (OH).
- It completely mixes with water.
- Production
- This fuel is generally produced by steam-reforming natural gas to create synthesis gas.
- Feeding this synthesis gas into a reactor with a catalyst produces methanol and water vapour.
- Application: Used to make chemicals, to remove water from automotive and aviation fuels, as a solvent for paints and plastics and as an ingredient in a wide variety of products.
