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Alternative Fuels - Bio Fuels: Ethanol

Ethanol, also known as ethyl alcohol or grain alcohol, is an alternative fuel used in combustion engines and is a major contender to the dominance of gasoline as an automotive fuel.

Alternative fuel ethanol is made from the distillation and fermentation of starch crops, such as corn, wheat, and barley that have been converted into simple sugars. Bio-ethanol is a type of ethanol produced from grasses, trees, sugar canes, and urban wastes, which are sources known as "cellulose biomass" materials.

Most commonly ethanol is used to increase the octane and decrease the emission quality of gasoline by blending the two fuels. Blends of 85% ethanol (E-85) or more are usually considered to be alternative fuels. E-85 can be used in flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs), which are often sport utility vehicles (SUVs), minivans, and pickup trucks and are sold by almost all major car manufacturers. These vehicles are, as is clear from the name, flexible in their use of fuels and can use blends of ethanol and gasoline in any proportions up to a maximum of 85% ethanol. However, blends of lower ethanol concentration, such as E-10 (10% ethanol and 90% gasoline) are used more often, as these blends can be used in automobiles without any modifications. In fact E10 is widely offered at fueling stations. Ethanol may also be used to produce hydrogen for fuel cells. Brazil is a major producer of ethanol and many governments are subsidizing ethanol fuels and promoting its production and use.

There are many advantages to the use of ethanol. Ethanol is more efficient than gasoline and produces less greenhouse gases, which will help impede global warming. When burned completely, ethanol only produces relatively small amounts of carbon dioxide and water. Because of the similarities of ethanol to gasoline, existing fueling and storage infrastructure may be used for ethanol after small modifications. Ethanol may be produced domestically, improving the economy and the reliance on the unreliable supply of imported fuels. FFVs are common vehicles and which prices are similar to regular automobiles. However, replacing gasoline entirely would require enormous plantations used for the production of ethanol, which may be an obstacle.