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Ethanol intended for industrial use is often produced from ethylene. [160] Ethanol has widespread use as a solvent of substances intended for human contact or consumption, including scents, flavorings, colorings, and medicines. In chemistry, it is both a solvent and a feedstock for the synthesis of other products.
The dominant ethanol feedstock in warmer regions is sugarcane. [8] In temperate regions, corn or sugar beets are used. [8] [9] In the United States, the main feedstock for the production of ethanol is currently corn. [8] Approximately 2.8 gallons of ethanol are produced from one bushel of corn (0.42 liter per kilogram).
Ethanol is also produced industrially from ethylene by hydration of the double bond in the presence of a catalyst and high temperature. C 2 H 4 + H 2 O → C 2 H 5 OH Most ethanol is produced by fermentation.
Methanol is the simpler molecule, and ethanol can be made from methanol. Methanol can be produced industrially from nearly any biomass, including animal waste, or from carbon dioxide and water or steam by first converting the biomass to synthesis gas in a gasifier. It can also be produced in a laboratory using electrolysis or enzymes. [1]
Since the 1970s, the U.S. has subsidized ethanol produced from food crops, especially from corn, thus providing a homegrown, alternative fuel source for our automobiles. But for multiple reasons ...
Industrial fermentation is the intentional use of fermentation in manufacturing processes. In addition to the mass production of fermented foods and drinks, industrial fermentation has widespread applications in chemical industry. Commodity chemicals, such as acetic acid, citric acid, and ethanol are made by fermentation. [1]
Biodiesel production is the process of producing the biofuel, biodiesel, through the chemical reactions of transesterification and esterification. [1] This process renders a product (chemistry) and by-products. The fats and oils react with short-chain alcohols (typically methanol or ethanol). The alcohols used should be of low molecular weight.
Alcohols have a long history of myriad uses. For simple mono-alcohols, which is the focus on this article, the following are most important industrial alcohols: [25] methanol, mainly for the production of formaldehyde and as a fuel additive; ethanol, mainly for alcoholic beverages, fuel additive, solvent, and to sterilize hospital instruments. [26]