Question

Write industrial production of ethanol with two uses.

Answer 1

Ethanol is produced from biomass mostly via a fermentation process using glucose derived from sugars(sugar cane, sugar beet, molasses), starch(corn, wheat, grains) or cellulose(forest products). In this process, the feedstock is first converted into glucose.; In the case of sugar this is quite straightforward as the sugar is simply dissolved in water.; Starch, however, requires pre-processing where the starch is transformed into glucose through a process call liquefaction and saccharification; This process through the addition of enzymes frees the glucose bound in the starch and makes it available for fermenting into alcohol. $C_6{H}_6{O}_6\stackrel{zymase}{\to }2C_2{H}_{5}OH+C{O}_2$ The fractional distillation process is used to purify Ethanol solution.

Uses of ethanol-

1. It is used as a disinfectant in laboratory and hospital.

2. It is also used as a biofuel.