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State the process used to manufacture ethanol which uses a renewable resource as the reactant.

Question

State the process used to manufacture ethanol which uses a renewable resource as the reactant.

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Solution

The process used to manufacture ethanol which uses a renewable resource as the reactant is called fermentation. Here are the steps:

  1. Preparation of the Feedstock: The first step in the production of ethanol from renewable resources is the preparation of the feedstock. This usually involves the harvesting of crops such as corn or sugarcane, which are rich in sugars.

  2. Conversion to Sugar: The harvested crops are then processed to convert the complex carbohydrates into simple sugars. This is usually done by grinding the crops and then adding water and enzymes in a process called saccharification.

  3. Fermentation: The simple sugars are then fermented. This involves adding yeast to the sugar solution. The yeast consumes the sugar and produces ethanol and carbon dioxide as by-products. This process typically takes a few days to complete.

  4. Distillation: The next step is to separate the ethanol from the rest of the solution. This is done through a process called distillation, where the solution is heated and the ethanol, which has a lower boiling point than water, evaporates first. The ethanol vapor is then collected and condensed back into a liquid form.

  5. Dehydration: The distilled ethanol still contains some water, so it needs to be dehydrated. This is usually done using a molecular sieve that absorbs the water.

  6. Denaturing: Finally, the ethanol is denatured to make it unfit for human consumption. This is usually done by adding a small amount of a toxic substance.

The resulting product is a high-purity ethanol that can be used as a fuel. This process is considered sustainable because the feedstock is renewable and the carbon dioxide released during fermentation is offset by the carbon dioxide absorbed by the crops as they grow.

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