Ethanol+1

**Definition:** Ethanol, also known as ethyl alcohol, drinking alcohol, or grain alcohol, is a flammable, colorless, slightly toxic chemical compound with a distinctive perfume-like odor, and is the alcohol found in alcoholic beverages. In common usage, it is often referred to simply as alcohol. It's the most commonly known primary alcohol. Its chemical formula is C2H5OH. It is also known for its use as an alternative to gasoline which can be made from plants such as corn and sugar cane.  **What is its source? (where does it come from or how is/was it formed?)** Ethanol is grain alcohol. In the United States, it's usually made from corn. In Brazil, it's most commonly made with sugarcane. Ethanol can be made from other grains like wheat and barley, and you can even produce it from potatoes.

**How is this source used to make energy? (is it burned, “captured,” etc)** [|Producing Ethanol] Dry-Mill Method 1. The corn (or other grain) passes through a grinding meal. It comes out as a powder. 2. A mixture made of this grain powder, water and an enzyme enters a high-heat cooker, where it is liquefied. The enzyme helps to break down the grain compound to aide in the liquefaction process. 3. The liquefied mash is cooled, and another enzyme is added to the mix. This enzyme converts the starch into sugars that can be fermented to create alcohol. 4. Yeast is added to the sugar mixture to begin the fermentation process. The sugars break down to ethanol (a form of alcohol) and carbon dioxide. 5. The fermented mixture is distilled. The ethanol separates from the solids. 6. A dehydration process removes water from the separated ethanol. 7. A small amount of gasoline is added to the ethanol in order to make it undrinkable. All ethanol used as a fuel must be made nonpotable.  **What equipment do you need to convert the “raw material” into energy?** **[|Dry-mill]** click on the link and watch how each type of equipment used corn to made Ethanol

**Give a real-life example of where it is used, and how.** Cars: Up to a 10% blend of ethanol (E10) is covered under warranty by every auto manufacturer that sells vehicles in the U.S. for every make and every model of vehicle.

Types of ethanol[[image:ethanol_fuel_pump.jpg width="186" height="139" align="right" caption="Contains up to 10% Ethanol"]]

 * Type of Ethanol || Where used ||
 * E10 || Cars, Boats ||
 * E85 || Flex Fuel Vehicles* ||
 * E20 || Flex Fuel Vehicles ||
 * E30 || Flex Fuel Vehicles ||
 * E40 || Flex Fuel Vehicles ||
 * E-diesel || Diesel engines ||
 * flex-fuel vehicles cars and boats a car that's engine is designed to run on a higher blend of ethanol

**ADVANTAGES** Ethanol reduces greenhouse emissions like carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides. Since ethanol contains a lot of oxygen in its chemical structure, it burns pretty cleanly. The addition of ethanol to the fuel mix also reduces the amount of fossil-fuel-based gasoline we consume when we drive, and any car can run on this 10-90 ethanol mix (called E10).

One acre of corn can produce enough ethanol to run a car for some 72,000 miles on E-10 Unleaded.

Unlike fossil fuels that take thousands of years to form, ethanol is completely renewable, made from crops grown right here in the United States. According to many experts, fossil-fuel sources will be depleted in 50 years. So a renewable resource like ethanol is a long-term alternative - which can help us all breathe a sigh of relief, because we know it can be available when we need it.

<span style="color: rgb(255, 165, 0)"><span style="font-size: 170%; color: rgb(254, 174, 1)">**DISADVANTAGES**

As Ethanol is used more and more for energy it has effected the price of food. Less than 20 cents of your food price dollar goes toward on-farm costs like grain; more than 80% of the real cost of food comes from off-farm costs, energy-intensive costs like processing, packaging, labor, and transportation.

With the price of corn increasing 35 cents a pound in Mexico City. With half of Mexico survive largely on tortillas and beans. the public has become outraged, President Felipe Calderon has abandoned his free-trade principles and forced producers to sign an agreement fixing prices for corn products.[|Read More]