Information AboutAlcohol Fuel |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT ALCOHOL FUEL | |
| biofuels | |
| climate change | |
| fuels | |
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Rising Energy Prices and Global Warming have led to increased interest in Alternative Fuels . Alcohol has been used as a fuel in other points in history but Fossil Fuels have become the dominant Energy resource for the modern world. Generally speaking, the chemical formula for alcohol fuel is CnH2n+1OH. The larger '''''n''''' is, the higher the Energy Density . The viability of alcohol as a fuel is a debatable topic, as other energy sources are required for production. The first four Aliphatic alcohols ( Methanol , Ethanol , Propanol , and Butanol ) are of interest as fuels because they can be synthesized biologically, and they have characteristics which allow them to be used in current engines. One advantage shared by all four alcohols is Octane Rating . Biobutanol has the advantage that its Energy Density is closer to gasoline than the other alcohols (while still retaining over 25% higher octane rating) - however, these advantages are outweighed by disadvantages (compared to ethanol and methanol) concerning production, for instance. Alcohol fuels are usually of Biological rather than Petroleum sources. When obtained from biological sources, they are sometimes known as bioalcohols (e.g. '''bioethanol'''). It is important to note that there is no Chemical difference between biologically produced alcohols and those obtained from other sources. However, ethanol that is derived from petroleum should not be considered safe for consumption as this alcohol contains about 5% methanol and may cause blindness or death. This mixture may also not be purified by simple distillation, as it forms an Azeotropic mixture. Bioalcohols are still in developmental and research stages. Use of optimized crops with higher yields of energy, elimination of pesticides and fertilizers based on Petroleum , and a more rigorous accounting process will help improve the feasibility of bioalcohols as fuels. ALCOHOL IN BRAZIL See Also: Ethanol fuel in Brazil Brazil is by far the largest producer of alcohol fuel in the world, typically fermenting ethanol from Sugarcane and Sugar Beet s. The country produces a total of 18 billion liters annually, of which 3.5 billion are exported, 2 billion of them to the US 1. Alcohol cars debuted in the Brazilian market in 1978 and became quite popular because of heavy subsidy, but in the 80's prices rose and gasoline regained the leading market share. |
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