The largest outlet for ethanol is as a fuel, oxygenate additive to gasoline and a gasoline extender. Outlets for industrial ethanol are as a solvent and as a chemical intermediate for the manufacture of ethyl acetate, ethyl acrylate, acetic acid, glycol ethers and ethylamines.
The use of ethanol as a fuel is seeing tremendous growth driven by changes in legislation. However, this makes the forecasting of ethanol supply and demand difficult as government mandates can be changed or waivers granted.
The global ethanol industry produced a record 17.3bn gals (52m tonnes) in 2008. The US was the largest producer in 2008 at 9.2bn gals followed by Brazil at 6.47bn gals.
Synthetic ethanol is produced by direct gas phase hydration of ethylene. Fermentation ethanol processes based on starch or sugar-based feedstocks such as corn and sugar cane are being used to meet the demand for ethanol as a fuel.
Ethanol is a colourless, flammable volatile liquid, with characteristic odour and burning taste. Vapours can travel to a source of ignition and flash back.
Ethanol
Price Reports
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Ethanol
Uses and Outlook
The use of ethanol as a fuel is seeing tremendous growth driven by changes in legislation. In North America, demand for fuel ethanol is already growing rapidly, mainly driven by the replacement of methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) which has been eliminated from gasoline as an additive. In Europe, the use of bioethanol (ethanol from fermentation) in fuel has had a slow start but is still expected to grow rapidly.
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Ethanol
Process Technologies
Ethanol was first produced thousands of years ago by fermentation of carbohydrates and in some countries large volumes are still produced by this method. Synthetic alcohol was first produced industrially in the 1930s by indirect catalytic hydration of ethylene but suffered from disadvantages such as corrosion from the large volumes of sulphuric acid handled and the energy required for concentration.
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