What is Ethanol?

Ethanol, also called ethyl alcohol, is an alcohol-based fuel. It is made by fermenting and distilling the produce from starch crops like corn or sorghum. Hydrous ethanol, which is primarily manufactured in Brazil, contains at least 5 volume percent water, and is used as a fuel in Brazil, and Anhydrous ethanol, used in U.S. as fuel contains less than 1 percent water.

Ethanol comes in different varieties - Grain ethanol is obtained from corn, sorghum, barley, and wheat; Sugar ethanol is taken from cane sugar or beets; Cellulose ethanol from plant fiber; and Synthetic ethanol is derived from ethylene in a petroleum refinery or petrochemical plant.

Production Process

Ethanol can be produced from a variety of feedstocks such as sugar cane, bagasse, miscanthus, sugar beet, sorghum, grain sorghum, switchgrass, barley, hemp, kenaf, potatoes, sweet potatoes, cassava, sunflower, fruit, molasses, corn, stover, grain, wheat, straw, cotton, and other biomass. Ethanol is also obtained from cellulose waste and harvestings.

Ethanol production, which is primarily based on corn, utilizes the corn kernels. The enzymes and yeast are used to convert the plant cellulose into ethanol. Also, in some cases, the whole plant is converted either into a liquid bio-oil or a syngas. Ethanol production on a large scale is a 3-stage process: fermentation, distillation and dehydration.

Facts about Ethanol

Ethanol's is primarily used as a fuel. It is used to power vehicles, such as farm machinery and airplanes. But to realize maximum benefits from ethanol, engines should have a much higher compression ratio. Nations of the American continent have made laws making it compulsory to run vehicles on mixtures of ethanol. For example, in Brazil cars are modified to make them suitable for a 25% ethanol blended fuel. And in United States, some states have made 10% blends as mandatory.

In 2006, the United States has emerged as the top Ethanol producer with 4.855 billion U.S. liquid gallons (bg), followed by Brazil with 4.49 bg. In the world today, Brazil and the United States accounted for 70 percent of all ethanol production. U.S. and Brazil, together account for 88 percent of fuel ethanol production. However, Brazil's sugar cane-based industry is far more efficient, and produces ethanol cheaper than the U.S. corn-based industry.

Surge in production of Ethanol in these two countries is primarily due to governmental support by way of industry development initiatives, low interest loans, guaranteed purchases by state owned oil companies at reasonable prices, and tax incentives. With the world consuming approximately 4000 million tons/yr (84 million barrels/day) of fossil fuels, ethanol is yet to make a difference in reducing the consumption of fossil fuels.

Europe also presents a supporting ground for the import, production and use of Ethanol. The consumption of bioethanol is largest in Germany, Sweden, France and Spain. By 2006, Europe's Ethanol production meets 90% of its own consumption.

Ethanol and Environment

True in letter and spirit - Energy can neither be created nor destroyed, bio-ethanol is obtained from the conversion of carbon-based feedstock. Agricultural feedstocks are renewable because they get energy from the sun using photosynthesis. Ethanol can be produced from a variety of feedstocks such as sugar cane, bagasse, miscanthus, sugar beet, sorghum, grain sorghum, switchgrass, barley, hemp, kenaf, potatoes, sweet potatoes, cassava, sunflower, fruit, molasses, corn, stover, grain, wheat, straw, cotton, other other biomass. Ethanol is totally environment friendly. Compared with any fossil fuel, ethanol is a particulate-free burning fuel source that combusts with oxygen to form carbon dioxide, water and aldehydes.

Energy Security

Extensive ethanol production in U.S. and Brazil aims to reap the benefit it offers, energy security. By way of developing domestic energy sources like ethanol production, nations could reduce importing of crude oil, and save precious foreign exchange.

As of now, ethanol is used mostly as a blending source to help lower the amount of oil consumed. The production and distribution of Ethanol on a large scale is sure to trigger off only when global oil and gasoline prices rise to unreachable levels. A global oil crisis will provide the needful push for investors and large corporations to invest in ethanol production, and thereby make ethanol a potential alternative fuel.

Role Of Universal Biofuels

The patent pending ATSH process of Aemetis, Inc. allows Universal Biofuels to produce cellulosic ethanol with lower production cost from cheaper sources like switchgrass, etc