18 Facts About Ethanol

Ethanol Fact Sheet: 18 Things To Know

Due to the price of gasoline, world tensions, and environmental issues there has been a lot in the news lately regarding alternative-fuels. One of the more talked about alternative-fuels is ethanol, what follows is a basic fact sheet on this popular biofuel.

• Ethanol is a vegetable oil based fuel as opposed to standard petroleum fuel.

• Pure ethanol is a clear, colorless liquid.

• Ethanol cuts poisonous exhaust emissions when compared to standard fuel.

• Chemically, Ethanol is a kind of alcohol.

• Ethanol melts at -114° C (-173°F) and boils at 78.5°C (173.5°F).

• Simple sugars are the raw materials that make Ethanol.

• Currently, Ethanol is use mainly by large corporations or government branches who can afford to invest in their own fueling stations, although this is changing.

• Nissan, Chrysler, Mercedes-Benz, and Ford among others make cars that run on Ethanol.

• The vegetables most often associated with the manufacture of Ethanol are corn, barley, trees, grasses, and wheat.

• Ethanol is sometimes used in combination with gasoline, the most popular mixture known as E85 which is 85% Ethanol and 15% gasoline.

• Despite it’s resurgence in popularity, Ethanol has been looked to as a fuel for decades. In fact, Henry Ford originally planned the Model T to run on alcohol.

• Almost all car manufacturers now approve of the use of ethanol in their warranty information.

• The fermentation and the distilling of crops with high sugar content is the basis for making Ethanol.

• Usually industrial grade Ethanol has been denatured, which means a small percentage of unpleasant chemicals (some poisonous) have been added, so it cannot be consumed by humans as an alcoholic beverage.

• Neither the manufacturing or the burning of ethanol adds to the greenhouse effect.

• Ethanol is 100% biodegradable.

• Ethanol is a very high octane substitute for conventional fuel.

• Ethanol can be manufactured privately on an individual level using a still, although it is a little more complex than the manufacture of Biodiesel.

Ethanol is just one of many cleaner burning, sometimes cheaper, better for the world alternative fuels. With the proper research and development, a world that depends less on oil and oil producing countries is a reality.