Ethanol is a renewable fuel produced from starch or sugar-based crops and cellulosic biomass. It is a domestically produced alternative fuel that can blend with gasoline to produce more environmentally friendly vehicle fuel. Currently, the primary feedstock in the United States for ethanol is corn. However, other types of cellulosic biomass can also be converted into ethanol.
Feedstock
Ethanol, the main ingredient in alcoholic drinks such as beer and wine, is also used in various household products. It is an excellent solvent and a standard component of perfumes, colognes, liniments, aftershaves, rubbing alcohol, mouthwashes, and more.
It is produced from various feedstocks, including corn, sugar cane, and wheat. However, the most common and cheapest feedstock is corn. The first step is to mill the whole kernels into a powder or flour called a meal. The meal is mainly starch, a type of carbohydrate made up of long chains of sugar molecules.
The next step is to liquefy the meal in water, using an alpha-amylase enzyme to break the starch into smaller pieces. Then the fermenting yeast converts the sugars into ethanol. The finished product is a clear liquid.
Catalysts
One of the key ingredients to produce ethanol is catalysts. They accelerate chemical transformations, enabling faster and more efficient production of compounds that can be used in the fuel industry or to make other products.
Scientists are working to develop catalytic materials that can spin off the same chemicals needed for a specific application. They’re particularly interested in chemistry involving several reactions to form a final product, so the catalysts must be highly active and selectively generate suitable compounds.
Researchers at PNNL recently developed a new catalyst that catalyzes the conversion of ethanol to C5+ ketones in a single step. They also found the catalyst remains stable over 2,000 hours of use.
The catalyst consists of zinc oxide and zirconium dioxide, and it’s designed to catalyze the conversion of ethanol to C5+ ketone precursors that can be used in many applications. The researchers believe the catalyst could help lower greenhouse gas emissions, reduce dependence on fossil resources, and increase energy security.
Fermentation
Fermentation is a biological process that can produce many different products. People have been using it to make beer, wine, and other fermented foods for millennia.
Industrial fermentation processes use microorganisms to produce a variety of chemicals, biofuels, enzymes, proteins, and pharmaceuticals. These processes are essential to our modern society, showing us that we can develop tools that help improve how we live.
Ethanol is a type of alcohol made from a glucose molecule through an anaerobic fermentation process (without oxygen) by yeasts. This process breaks down the glucose molecule into its constituent parts, releasing ethanol and carbon dioxide.
This anaerobic process is very efficient and only requires a small amount of energy. It also helps reduce pollution and creates a sustainable energy source for the world. The process can also make non-alcoholic beverages like soda and fruit juice. In addition, ethanol is a significant ingredient in liquid biofuel.
Denaturation
Ethanol is a clear, colorless, water-soluble liquid produced from the fermentation of sugar- and starch-based feedstocks. It is also a key ingredient in the production of medicines.
Denaturation is the process of changing the structure of a protein by exposure to external stress and compounds such as a strong acid or base, a concentrated inorganic salt, an organic solvent (e.g., alcohol or chloroform), agitation, and radiation or heat. In living cells, protein denaturation results in the disruption of cell activity and possibly cell death. This is because the quaternary, tertiary, and secondary structures of proteins are lost during denaturation.