Facts about Ethanol
We have been hearing ethanol being bandied about on the news lately. Most of us know that it is made from corn; but that is about as far as our knowledge of it goes when it comes to ethanol. Ethanol is also known by the names of grain alcohol, ethyl alcohol and EtOH. It is a clear fluid, devoid of color.
Ethanol has a chemical compound that stays the same, no matter if it is made from corn as it is in the U.S., or from sugar cane in Brazil. Ethanol can be made from materials that are cellulosic as well, but sugar and corn are the primary ingredients used for ethanol at present.
The United States Department of Energy is researching the most efficient ways to break down such cellulosic materials such as old newspapers, crop residue, wood, grapes from a vineyard and grass, down to the sugar components in order to ferment ethanol. Ethanol is considered to be a renewable source of energy that can be produced domestically, and lessens our dependence on foreign oil.
Ethanol was once thought by early automakers including Henry Ford to be the primary source of fuel around the globe. It wasn’t until gasoline became readily available to the masses that the focus shifted from ethanol. Think of what the world would be today if we had stayed on the ethanol fuel path. It is said that one gallon of ethanol has 1/3 less energy than does a gallon of gas.
Ethanol is considered to be a high octane fuel. This means that your car will run with more power using less energy. Octane is a substance that helps to prevent knocking and pinging in combustion engines. Using a mixture of gasoline and ethanol can be used for those engines deemed high performance as well.
Finding alternative energy sources to power our world should be at the top of everyone’s list all across the globe. We depend on our earth for sustenance and protection, and if we don’t begin to change the way we do things, there will be nothing left in 50 years.
