ethanolfrom

Ethanol from refers to the production of ethanol using various feedstocks and pathways. Ethanol is a versatile alcohol used as a fuel additive, solvent, and chemical intermediate. The most common form of production is biological fermentation, where yeast or other microorganisms convert sugars into ethanol and carbon dioxide.

In sugar- or starch-based routes, fermentable sugars such as glucose, sucrose, or starch-derived syrups are fermented by microorganisms, typically Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Under anaerobic conditions, one mole of glucose yields about 0.51 moles of ethanol (roughly 0.9 kilograms of ethanol per kilogram of sugar, depending on process conditions). Ethanol purification is achieved by distillation and dehydration to reach fuel-grade purity. This pathway is widely used in countries with abundant sugar or starch crops, such as Brazil (sugarcane) and the United States (corn).

Lignocellulosic ethanol, or cellulosic ethanol, uses non-food biomass such as agricultural residues, grasses, or wood. Pretreatment is required to disrupt lignin and make cellulose and hemicellulose accessible. Enzymatic hydrolysis releases fermentable sugars, which are then fermented to ethanol. This route aims to improve feedstock diversity and reduce food-crop competition but faces challenges related to enzyme costs, inhibitors formed during pretreatment, and higher capital requirements.

Chemical or thermochemical routes include hydration of ethylene (a petrochemical route) to produce ethanol or production from synthesis gas via catalytic processes, though these are less common for fuel ethanol today.

Ethanol from plays a significant role in renewable fuel strategies, with policy and market developments shaping its production, use, and sustainability considerations, including lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions and land-use impacts.