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Ethanol is a more environmentally friendly alternative to petroleum-based fuels due to its less toxic emissions. Ethanol emissions during combustion produce carbon dioxide and water, and its production involves fermentation. Ethanol can also modify emissions when used as an additive in blended fuel.
Ethyl alcohol, or ethanol, is a form of alcohol that is used as a fuel or fuel additive. There is often talk of an environmentally friendly alternative to petroleum-based products such as petrol. The reason it is considered more environmentally friendly is due to the emissions of ethanol compared to those of petroleum-based fuels. Ethanol emissions are generally less poisonous than gasoline emissions, especially when alcohol is used in its purest form.
Ethanol emissions during combustion are considered environmentally friendly. This means that when ethyl alcohol is used as a fuel, the resulting waste products do not significantly harm the environment. The ethanol used for combustion determines the production of carbon dioxide and water. Water is a beneficial substance necessary for life. Carbon dioxide is a common gas and is exhaled by animals during respiration. It should be noted that carbon dioxide is considered a greenhouse gas, meaning that large amounts of it entering the atmosphere could cause global warming. Because petroleum-based fuel emissions are both more toxic and also contain carbon dioxide, the possible environmental impacts of burning ethanol are often ignored.
Chemically, ethanol emissions from combustion are very easy to understand. Ethyl alcohol has the molecular formula of C2H5OH. It reacts with a small amount of energy and six molecules of oxygen (3O2) to produce heat (energy), two molecules of carbon dioxide (2CO2) and 3 molecules of water (3H2O).
Ethanol emissions are not limited to fuel combustion, but can also include the production of ethanol. Ethyl alcohol is mainly produced through fermentation. During the anaerobic phase of fermentation, yeast metabolizes sugar and produces ethyl alcohol and carbon dioxide. Chemically, yeast transforms sugar (C6H12O6) into two molecules of ethanol (2C2H5OH) and 2 molecules of carbon dioxide (2CO2) after various reactions. Some organizations also include the emissions emitted by agricultural equipment used to harvest the crops involved in fermentation, although these can vary depending on the machinery used.
Ethyl alcohol can also modify the emissions of petroleum fuels when used as an additive. Gasoline mixed with ethanol is called blended fuel. Blended fuel is common in the United States, where it is routinely sold in 10% to 15% ethanol blends. Ethanol acts as an oxygenant, decreasing many dangerous emissions from gasoline combustion such as carbon monoxide. However, blended fuels have been found to have slightly increased levels of nitrogen oxides and aldehydes in their emissions. However, these slightly increased levels are considered to be much less hazardous than the toxin levels in unblended fuels.
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