What Is The Energy Alternative For The World?


by Mohan Potukuchi - Date: 2007-03-08 - Word Count: 515 Share This!

Ethanol (commonly called "Alcohol") has assumed a very important
place in the world's economy. It is a vital raw material for a
number of chemicals. It has been a major source of revenue by way
of excise duty for the Governments.

Industrial alcohol produced from sugarcane molasses has a significant
role to play in the world's economy. Alcohol is a by-product of sugar
industry which is linked to agriculture. Sugarcane crop is a renewable
source of energy. Therefore alcohol produced from molasses deserves a
preferential place as a substitute feed stock for chemicals industry
to bridge the gap in any country's energy needs for increasing
requirement for potable purpose. Sugarcane can also be directly used
to produce ethanol.

Alcohol Based Chemicals

Ethyl Alcohol is an important feed stock for the manufacture of
chemicals. These chemicals are Acetic Acid, Acetone, Butanol,
Butadiene, Acetic Anhydride, Vinyl acetate, styrene, MEG PVC etc.
Synthetic rubber industry also requires large quantity Of Alcohol.
The main product INDUSTRIAL ALCOHOL is used in the manufacturing of
the following Alcohol based chemicals, the uses of which are also
given below.


a) Acetaldehyde : Can be used for industrial use as Chemicals
derivatives Pharmaceutical applications and
synthetic resins and for manufacture of Acetic Acid.

b) Acetic Acid : Used in Pharmaceuticals applications, Textiles,
Dyestuffs, Ethyl Acetate, and is the basic chemical
for Alcohol based chemicals via Acetaldehyde route...

c) Acetic Anhydride : Used in Bulk Drug manufacturing

d) Ethyl Acetate : Used in manufacturing of Paints, Dyestuffs
and Pharmaceuticals .

e) Substitute to : Used in manufacture of HDPE, LDPE etc. and
Chemicals other Petroleum based petroleum based chemicals
such as Ethylene Glycol.


Potable Alcohol

Manufacture of alcoholic beverages from alcohol is also an attractive
diversification. There is large demand for alcoholic beverages i.e.
Brandy, Whisky, Rum, gin , Vodka and Wine. The need for alcohol for
potable purpose is as high as the alcohol being used for industrial
purposes.

Alcohol as fuel/Ethanol Blended petrol

The trend in the world (particularly Brazil and USA) is towards the use of
alcohol as an alternative fuel. During World war II, alcohol in the
form of power alcohol was used for blending with petrol in the
proportion of 80% petrol and 20% power alcohol. Brazil has developed
a technology which has made possible large scale substitution of
petroleum derived fuel. Now Anhydrous Alcohol is exclusive fuel for
automobiles. Alcohol powered vehicles have taken the first position
in Brazil & accounting for 80% of overall sales of about 500,000
alcohol powered vehicles every year.

Anhydrous Alcohol (99.5% v/v) is being used as fuel, by mixing it
with Petrol. The blend of Anhydrous Alcohol and petrol is called
Gasohol. In Brazil 4 million Vehicles are running on Gasohol. The
content of alcohol in Gasohol varies from 10% to 85%. Alcohol works
as Oxygenate in petrol combustion and superior to other oxygenate
MTBE and ETBE. Alcohol reduces CO (Carbon Monoxide) emission and
cause less pollution compared to petrol.

It can be seen that demand for alcohol will be ever increasing &
there would not be any problem in marketing alcohol (either for
Industrial or for potable purpose ) produced by distilleries.

It is debatable whether corn should be used for producing ethanol
or for that matter any food grain.

Alternative Fuels

Related Tags: chemicals, alcohol, ethanol, fermentation, fuel ethanol, sugarcane molasses, gasohol, distilleries, ethyl

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