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 * Synthesis of Ethanol**

Ethanol is a flammable, colorless compound. It is used for many things, but the largest single use of ethanol is as a motor fuel. The largest national fuel ethanol industries exist in Brazil ,gasoline sold in Brazil contains at least 20% ethanol and anhydrous ethanol is also used as fuel. Ethanol was also commonly used as fuel in rocket vehicles. The German V-2 rocket of World War II, used ethanol, mixed with water to reduce the combustion chamber temperature. Ethanol is also used in alcoholic beverages, with depressant effects to the central nervous system. Ethanol has been used by humans since prehistory as the intoxicating ingredient in alcoholic beverages. Dried residues on 9000-year-old pottery found in China show the use of alcoholic beverages. Antoine Lavoisier described ethanol as a compound of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, and in 1808, Nicolas-Théodore de Saussure determined ethanol's chemical formula. Fifty years later Archibald Scott Couper published a structural formula for ethanol, which places ethanol among the first of chemical compounds to have its chemical structures determined. Henry Ford designed the first mass-produced automobile, The Model T Ford, to run on pure anhydrous ethanol alcoholhe said it was "the fuel of the future". Today 100 % pure ethanol is not approved as a motor vehicle fuel in the US, even though compared to gasoline, ethanol cuts poisonous gas emissions and produces fewer greenhouse gases that cause global climate change. Many people need to buy ethanol because it is used in many things. For instance Mobil, Getty, Hess and many other gas stations pay for gas which has ethanol in it. They buy the ethanol so people can use cars. Another reason people buy ethanol because it is used in many alcoholic beverages. There is alot of controversey over ethanol because it is disputed whether ethanol as an automotive fuel results in a net energy gain or loss. As reported in "The Energy Balance of Corn Ethanol" Updated that the energy returned on energy invested for ethanol made from corn in the U.S. is 1.34 it yields 34% more energy than it takes to produce it. Environmentalists, livestock farmers, say that increased ethanol production won't meet energy goals and may damage the environment as food prices soar. Some of the controversial subsidies in the past have included more than $10 billion to Archer-Daniels-Midland since 1980. Ethanol comes from one of these three raw material groups ,starchy crops, such as corn ,sugary crop, like fruit or sugarcane, cellulosic plants, such as trees or wild grasses. The process for making ethanol varies but basically the feedstock is milled or crushed, and might be treated with chemicals, yeast may be added to the prepared feedstock and the sugars are converted to alcohol.
 * //Formula for Ethanol: CH3-CH2-OH//**



Bibliography: Date Accessed February, 8th, 2008 www.indycar.com/ tech/images/ethanol.jpg www.mtfeedfuel.com/ Graphics/Ethanol.gif www.rkm.com.au/ALCOHOL/ alcohol-images/ethanol.jpg