Formats & logistics
Drums, IBCs and bulk
Format is usually treated as a logistics detail. It is one of the larger cost decisions in a methanol purchase, and it decides what compliance lands on you.
- IBC
- 1,000 L / ~792 kg
- Drum
- 205 L / ~160 kg
- Tanker
- ~20–28 t
Choosing a pack format is usually treated as a logistics detail and is in fact one of the larger cost decisions in a methanol purchase. The material in a drum and the material in a tanker can be identical; the price per tonne is not, and the gap is mostly the cost of the container and the handling around it.
Format also determines what compliance burden lands on you. A pallet of 25-litre cans and a 30,000-litre storage tank are different regulatory propositions, and the step between them is where most growing users get caught out.
Key points
- Format premium is real and substantial. Packed material carries container, handling and compliance costs that bulk does not.
- The move from IBCs to bulk is normally the single largest unit-cost saving available — and the largest step up in site obligations.
- Confirm whether IBCs and drums are sold, rented or exchanged, and who owns cleaning liability on return.
- Decanting from drums needs earthing and bonding. Methanol vapour ignites readily and burns almost invisibly in daylight.
- Small packs are restricted for parcel carriage — expect limited-quantity rules and surcharges, not a normal courier.
The formats
Methanol is bought in tonnes and packed in litres. At 0.792 kg per litre it is appreciably lighter than water, so a container that looks full by volume comes up short by weight — see conversions for the arithmetic.
| Format | Nominal volume | Approx. net weight | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laboratory bottle | 1–2.5 L | 0.8–2.0 kg | Analytical and pharmacopoeial grades. Parcel carriage restricted. |
| Poly can | 25 L | ~20 kg | Standard small-user pack. |
| Drum | 200–205 L | ~160 kg | UN-approved steel. Earthing and bonding required for decanting. |
| IBC | 1,000 L | ~792 kg | Mid-volume workhorse. Confirm ownership and cleaning liability. |
| Road tanker | ~25,000–36,000 L | ~20–28 t | Full-load bulk. Requires receiving tank, bunding and offloading procedure. |
Matching format to consumption
Under a few hundred litres a year
Poly cans. The premium per litre is high but irrelevant at this volume, and the compliance burden is limited to a properly specified flammables store and a sound COSHH assessment. Trialling a grade in 25-litre packs before committing to volume is normal and sensible.
Drums and IBCs
The middle of the market. IBCs at 1,000 litres are the workhorse; drums suit users who need to move material around a site or who cannot handle an IBC. Both bring container management into scope: who owns the container, who cleans it, what happens to a damaged one, and what the deposit or rental arrangement costs over a year. That last figure is frequently omitted from a headline price comparison.
Bulk
Once annual consumption justifies regular full loads, bulk is materially cheaper per tonne. It also requires a receiving tank, secondary containment, hazardous-area classification under DSEAR, a documented offloading procedure and trained people — and it may bring you into scope as an unloader for DGSA purposes. Model the total cost including that, not just the price per tonne.
Comparing an IBC price against a bulk price without including tank capital, bunding, classification work and ongoing compliance overstates the saving in year one and understates it thereafter. Run it over the expected life of the tank.
Handling, by format
- Decanting. Earthing and bonding between container and receiving vessel is not optional. Static discharge is a credible ignition source with a liquid this volatile.
- Storage location. Outdoors is often preferable for ventilation, but does not remove the need for containment, classification, security and protection from direct sun given the low flash point.
- Materials compatibility. Methanol attacks some elastomers, gaskets and coatings that are perfectly fine with water or diesel. Check hoses, seals and tank linings against the supplier's guidance rather than assuming.
- Empty containers. An empty methanol drum containing vapour is more hazardous than a full one, not less. Treat them as dangerous goods until properly cleaned.
- Segregation. Keep separated from oxidising agents and ignition sources, and do not store above or adjacent to incompatible materials.
This page is orientation, not engineering or safety advice. Storage and handling arrangements must be designed for your specific site by someone competent, and worked from the supplier's current safety data sheet and HSE published guidance.
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