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Reaction Wiki Project

ETHANOL MOLECULE (above)

The reaction that we choose to research is ethanol. Ethanol is a chemical compound. It is colorless and very flammable.It appears looking like a colorless liquid. The molecular formula for ethanol is C2H5OH. The melting point of ethanol is −114.3 °C. The boiling point of ethanol is 78.4 °C. Ethanol has been used by humans for hundreds of years. The main purpose of ethanol is for an alcoholic beverage. Even though it is mainly used for a beverage it can also be used for fuel.

Synthesis gas is a common gas product produced from reformed natural gas. Synthesis gas is used to produce secondary fuel products and primary alcohols. Ethanol can be produced by from synthesis gas by a proscess of fermentation, as well as being done catalytically. However, bioconversion using fermentation is more favorable in terms oft he actual proscess, as well as economic reasons. This fermentation is what makes bread dough rise, what makes ethanol produce in alcoholic beverages, and for the production of ethanol for fuel use. The fermentation process must not include oxygen. If oxygen is in the reaction, carbon dioxide and water will be produced, rather than ethanol. C6H12O6 → 2 C2H5OH + 2 CO2 In this chemical equation, we can see one hexose molecule convert into two ethanol molecules and two carbon dioxide molecules.

Although the biological production of ethanol by fermentation is a more favorable proscess, it is also produced catalytically, by the hydration of ethylene. Ethylene is hydrated indirectly by reacting it with concentrated sulfuric acid to produce ethyl sulfate which is then hydrolyzed to yield ethanol and regenerate the sulfuric acid. [|C2H4] + [|H2SO4] → [|CH3CH2SO4H] [|CH3CH2SO4H] + [|H2O] → CH3CH2OH + [|H2SO4]

Ethanol is used for fuel. In Brazil more than fifty percent of motorvehicles are run off of one-hundred percent ethanol. In the United States, pure ethanol for fuel is not allowed. Although, ethanol does produce less green house gasess then other fuels, one-hundred percent of it is illegal. In the United States, a major fuel used for cars is using ten percent of ethanol mixed with gasoline. The nick-name for this combination is gasohol. The requirement for not using one-hundred percent of ethanol as a fuel for cars was made by the Clear Air Act. In addition for ethanol to be used as a fuel for cars, it was also used for rockets. Ethanol mixed with water created an ideal fuel for rockets because of the temperature it had.



Also, ethanol is used ofr alcoholic beverages. Although it is used as a beverage, the amount of ethanol in certain beverages vary greatly. Beverages can be classified as either distilled or fermented.Distilled is where companys distill the fermented beverage. For example, you can create rum from distilling fermented molasses. Many companys do this process to create different types of beers. Also, ethanol can be used to kill bacteria. It is common in most hand sanitizers. It is effective against fungi, bacteria and even some viruses. It kills the organism by taking away its protein. Also, ethanol can be used in some paints and perfumes.

sites: http://www.che.msstate.edu/academics/faculty_staff/Zappi/consortium/production_of_ethanol_from_synth.htm http://scifun.chem.wisc.edu/chemweek/PDF/Ethanol.pdf http://www.ethanolrfa.org/resource/made/

pictures: http://www.dkimages.com/discover/previews/816/80023265.JPG http://www.personal.psu.edu/users/l/y/lyd5003/ethanol.jpg http://www.greentechmedia.com/assets/images/world-ethanol-production.gif