Category: ethanol

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.

One of the greatest debates concerning the future of energy use surrounds the differences between ethanol vs. gasoline. Each of these fuel substances is riddled with pros and cons, yet two of the most powerful issues surrounding these fuels are environmental concerns and politics. Regardless of how powerful the environmental argument for ethanol, gasoline wins out when it comes to politics in the ethanol vs. gasoline debate.

If you watch the gas prices fluctuate from holiday to holiday and season to season, it s easy to see that gasoline is big business. Nations have fought wars over the precious supply of oil that is difficult to find, drill, and refine. Still, there are concerns from environmentalists of the effects of reckless farming methods that may take advantage of land and labor in third world nations. In conclusion, when it come to ethanol vs. gasoline, it is important for consumers to know the way energy use is changing. Be watchful for cars that will run on mixed fuels or ethanol only.

Environmental Concerns

When it comes to environmental concerns, there are many differences between ethanol vs. gasoline. There is no question that the combustion of fossil fuels has lead way to many environmental concerns. In fact, it is proposed that transportation fuels are America s largest polluters. The burning of petroleum-based fuels produces the majority of pollutants such as carbon monoxide, reactive organic gases, and nitrogen oxides that American cities suffer with. For this reason, many fuel oxygenates have been created to counteract these emissions. While ethanol is one such oxygenate, MTBE or methyl tertiary butyl ether is another. MTBE is proven to be a water pollutant and is considered to possibly be a human carcinogen.

When comparing ethanol vs. gasoline, it is important to understand that ethanol can either be used as an additive to gasoline or on its own. The use of ethanol either mixed within gasoline or on used its own can have a powerful impact on the amount of pollutants produced. The use of ethanol can reduce the carbon monoxide emitted from the tailpipe by 30 percent. In addition, VOC exhaust emissions can be reduced by 12 percent. Ethanol use has also been used to reduce toxic emissions by 30 percent and PM emissions by more than 25 percent. Ethanol is slowly replacing the use of MTBE mentioned above. Unlike MTBE, ethanol is significantly less harmful as it is non-toxic, biodegradable and water soluble.