Ethanol
Uses
- Used in alcoholic drinks
- Disinfectants (kills microbes)
- Perfumes
- Fuels (because it as originally part of a cracked hydrocarbon that came from crude oil)
Can be made in 2 ways:
- FERMENTATION
- REACTING ETHENE (alkene) WITH STEAM (water)
Fermentation
Sugar (glucose), yeast (microorganism) are placed in a container and water is added to help them mix easily. The yeast converts the glucose into ethanol, shown in the equation below:
GLUCOSE --------- ETHANOL + CARBON DIOXIDE
(the CO2 comes from the yeast respiring)
This can be carried out on a huge scale and the ethanol can then be purified.
Hydration (reacting ethene with water)
ETHENE + WATER (in the form of steam) ------(300 degrees)------- MAKES JUST ETHANOL
The hot temperature is a catalyst and speeds up the reaction.
Comparison
Fermentation
- Much cheaper
- Happens at low temperatures (no cost of heating)
- Produces carbon dioxide which adds to the greenhouse effect
- Lots of land is needed to grow crops that produce glucose (land that could be used for something else)
Hydration
- No carbon dioxide produced
- Quicker
- Less people needed to complete the process
- Expensive - equipment, high temperatures + energy used
- Uses ethene (part of crude oil) which is running out ( non-renewable)
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