Entries from August 2007 ↓

Ethanol, in its diluted and aqueous solution form has a sweet flavor while as a concentrated solution it has a burning taste. The melting point of ethanol is -114.1 degrees centigrade and the density of ethanol is 0.789 g/ml. at twenty degrees centigrade. Ethanol that is derived from the fermentation process has varied degrees of concentration that ranges from a few percent to approximately 14 percent and above this percentage it destroys the zymase enzyme and therefore there is no more fermentation possible.

Ethanol Should Not Contain Water

Producers of ethanol need to keep tabs on the density of ethanol as well as water content of the ethanol stream to ensure quality. In case the ethanol contains significant quantities of water and even five percent would qualify as a significant amount, it would, through its molecular structure, act more like water and less like ethanol especially when mixed with petrol that is a hydrocarbon solution. Wet ethanol can be mixed with petrol and upon mixing, the ethanol will split from the petrol and settle at the bottom of the container and the petrol will rise to the top.

To measure the density of ethanol one may use an alcohol monitoring system from Anton Paar which is very accurate density transducer that can measure density non-stop as well as read the percentage of water and also concentration of alcohol. This monitoring of density of ethanol system comprises of a density transducer as well as an MPDS evaluation unit and it gives highly accurate as well as reliable readings that help in ensuring quality control as well as monitoring of the product.

Ethanol has a greater energy density as compared with methanol and its density is less than that of water. The energy density of ethanol is not as much as that of gasoline and is merely 64 percent and so takes one hundred and fifty times the amount of ethanol to give the same amount of energy as would be produced by gasoline. This may result in higher prices being paid for ethanol as compared to gasoline prices. Put realistically, one would require four gallons of ethanol to conserve one gallon of gasoline. But, because the energy density of ethanol is less per gallon and one requires one hundred and fifty percent more ethanol, it actually works out to six gallons of ethanol instead of four.

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A few generations ago, people hid in the woods with their stills hiding from the feds while they made grain alcohol from corn mash. Today, they have shareholders and huge manufacturing plants turning out ethanol to use as fuel. The big differences is the product today is denatured ethanol which is purposely rendered unfit for human consumption.

Ethanol, usually referred to as ethyl alcohol or grain alcohol, is high flammable, slightly toxic clear liquid with a light perfume odor. Typically found in alcoholic beverages it is regulated and highly taxed in its original form. However, with other uses for the alcohol such as industrial and medical applications, it has been denatured to make it unfit for consumption with the addition of benzoate or methanol. Many forms of denatured ethanol can be bought without the high taxation and without regulations.

There are currently over 100 refineries in the United States producing about 5.1 billion gallons of ethanol with close to 60 more denatured ethanol plants under construction. Currently it costs about $1.50 per gallon to refine denatured ethanol with price fluctuations caused by the changing price of corn.

Other Countries Lead Ethanol Production

Used as a fuel or fuel additive, other countries, such as Brazil, has been running on a blend of denatured ethanol and gasoline, commonly called gasohol, and manufactures its ethanol from sugar. As an additive, it is not uncommon to find gasoline in Brazil to contain as much as 20 percent ethanol.

Some have blamed the refinement of sugar in Brazil into ethanol for higher sugar prices and are predicting higher costs of products made from corn in the United States to follow. However, as more denatured ethanol manufacturers are seeing the financial benefits, many are buying their own farms on which to cultivate corn.

In addition to the federal government not taxing denatured ethanol used in fuel production, ethanol also is not charged the 52 cents per gallon tax as is gasoline, keeping the refining costs lower to help spur the increase in use of this renewable fuel.

The governments renewable fuel standard will require the use of 7.5 billion gallons of denatured ethanol be used as a fuel by 2012, up from the four billion gallon requirement that existed in 2006. Additional manufacturing facilities and refineries, along with an increase in corn production will be required to enable manufacturers to meet the deadline.

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For many years, US politicians have subsidized corn production and its conversion to ethanol so that it may be added to petrol as a fuel in itself as well as help to burn petrol more efficiently as well as cleanly. The hope is that ethanol will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and also help reduce America’s dependence on Middle East oil. It is estimated that as many as ten million acres of land are needed to grow corn and make ethanol.

With most ethanol that is produced in the U.S being made from corn this has provided an economic stimulus to U.S. agriculture and has created a new market for corn and by expanding the production in the ethanol industry it may be a means of increasing farm income as well as reducing farm program payments and also lessen the dependence on imported fuels. Furthermore, there is more energy efficiency achieved through use of corn and ethanol and it also achieves a net gain in a better form of energy since converting corn and ethanol means using abundant domestic supplies of coal and natural gas and at the same time replaces petroleum imports.

Negative Aspects and Problems Concerning Usage of Corn and Ethanol

There are certain problems with using corn and ethanol since it requires fuel to make the corn in the first place and it has been found that an acre of U.S. corn can be used to make 328 gallons of ethanol which is fine but the planting as well as growing and harvesting of that amount of corn will need 140 gallons of fossil fuels that in itself amounts to $347 per acre which translates to $1.05 per gallon of ethanol being spent even before the corn leaves the farm. This may be further compounded by the crushing and fermentation of corn at processing plants, all of which consumes energy. The resultant end cost of producing ethanol and using corn works out to be more expensive than that of petrol.

Even then, there are many that argue that corn and ethanol are energy efficient and in fact, it gives up a third or slightly more percentage energy than it does to make it in the first place. Studies have even shown that the net energy value or NEV of corn and ethanol is rising with the passage of time and this may be due to advances in technology relating to converting ethanol as well as for better production of corn.

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