Fossil fuels have been the premiere resource for energy use for over a century. Whether it be powering our household car, fighter jets for the US air force, or a simple lawn mower, fossil fuels are prevalent everywhere. However, a new form of energy, Bio-alcohols, are new and considered a "sustainable" option due to the lack of fossil fuels we have left on our Earth. Bio-alcohols fall under the new class of fuel energy called Biofuels. Biofuels are a type of fuel energy that comes from carbon fixation. The fuels in this category include fuels derived from biomass conversion along with solid biomass, liquid fuels, and different biogases. Bio-alcohols (specifically bio-ethanol) are a small sector within biofuels and have been used throughout history.
The four major aliphatic alcohols include methanol, ethanol, propanol and butanol. These are all major players in the fuel field because they can be synthesized chemically and biologically. Not only that, but they can be used in present day engines due to their characteristics. Many other alternative fuel resources require a lot of alterations to their chemical compositions because they aren't chemically pure for fuel usage. This causes efficiency to decrease, as the compounds are not chemically pure. Bio-alcohols however do not have this issue as they also have a high octane rating. This helps to increase fuel efficiency and also offsets the lower energy density of alcohol fuels. Fuel economy in cars and other vehicles is what is affected, as the fuel economy of alcohol fuel has comparable fuel economy to regular oil and gas in terms of distance per volume metrics. Out of the four major aliphatic alcohols,
Biobutanol has the energy density closest to gasoline, yet is much more difficult to produce than ethanol or methanol. Most methanols can be produced from natural gas and can also be produced from biomass using very similar chemical processes. Ethanol can be commonly produced from biological material through fermentation processes and is considered the most popular of the four different alcohols. It is the most commonly used biofuel world wide, especially in Brazil and the United States. Ethanol can be used in petrol engines as a substitute for gas and also has the unique feature of being able to be mixed with gasoline at any percentage. Roadside gas stations have a lower octane rating than ethanol, which means that ethanol increases an engine's compression ratio for increased thermal efficiency (Lima). Propanol and butanol are considered less volatile and toxic and are made through a rather complicated fermentation process that results in a horrible odor. They can both be transferred via existing gas lines, which is why they are being considered as replacements for gasoline. Unlike Ethanol, they have a reliable gallon for gallon efficiency when compared to gasoline.
The different types of alcohol also do not have any differences whether derived from chemically or biologically. They are all considered the same, with ethanol being considered dangerous for consumption as it contains methanol and causes blindness and death (Sneller). All these alcohols are produced through the fermentation of sugars, starches, and cellulose, which is considered the hardest.
Bioethanol, as mentioned earlier, is the central focus of bio-alcohol usage in our society. It is the principle fuel substitute for road transport and can be easily mixed with gases. As it is renewable, it holds an advantage over different fossil fuels as it isn't finite and can also be grown well in areas with good soil. The greenhouse gas emission issue is perhaps the leading reason why bio-alcohols and bio-ethanol specifically have become the forefront substitute for fossil fuels. Road transportation has been seen as accounting for 22% of all greenhouse gas emissions. However, the introduction of bio-ethanol as fuel can result in the reduction of emissions as the fuel crops absorb the same carbon dioxide that they growing (Waldron 160-174). Blending ethanol is another key characteristic that makes it the forefront bio-alcohol. Blending it with petrol will help the greatly extend the life of the global diminishing supply of oil (Walker). Oil security is one of, if not the biggest, issue our world is faced with as we rely heavily on the resource along with countries that produce it. Yet bioethanol is being seen as a plausible solution as it can be mixed with petrol and thus increase the overall oil supply.
Economically, the use of bio-alcohols has been a polarizing topic among many. Whether it is for or against, the potential for bio-alcohol industries can be enormous. The US consumes about 140 billion gallons of gasoline per year. This number is equivalent to nearly 200 million gallons of ethanol as ethanol has a lower energy content (Wyman). While low in energy content, many economists argue that it is a viable substitute for fuel as replacing 25% of current gasoline would require 50 billion gallons of ethanol which can be easily produced as there is enough cellulosic biomass available (Sneller). Every major sector of the US economy can potentially benefit from the use of bio-alcohols. Technologically, new software can be provided for plant operations in the manufacturing sector. This sector provides plant components and can result in the stimulation of ethanol production. Rural America is one of the first to feel the benefits if we make the switch to Ethanol production. Since more ethanol needs to be produced to replace fuel that we use currently, rural farmers and manufacturers will definitely benefit, as they will be called on to make this new ethanol. The diversity of feedstocks will allow ethanol production to be widespread such that many different states can participate in ethanol production (Sneller). While corn is the primary feedstock for ethanol production, new technologies can derive ethanol from other sources and materials ranging from residual food to dairy processing streams. As the price of fuel continues to rise, it also has become ever more pressing for the use of new renewable energies like bio-alcohols. The high prices, along with public policy initiatives continue to stimulate this interest. Communities also recognize the economic possibilities that can come with development opportunities of ethanol refineries and the job opportunities within these refineries. Economist John Urbanchuck has estimated that producing about 10 billion gallons of ethanol would add 46 billion dollars to the economy and can potentially created 200,000 new jobs (Walker). Other studies also have proven the relationship that 2000 jobs will be created for every 100 million gallons of ethanol produced. If we were to follow this relationship, Urbanchuck explained that we would add more than 200 billion dollars to the economy along with a million new jobs (Walker).
Yet many still believe we won't be able to produce bio-alcohols in an economically feasible matter. The technologies, while being developed currently, are far from perfect and for some biofuels; we are at the point where it takes millions to produce a single ounce of jet fuel. Others also believe that we should focus more on the global food crisis rather than work at renewable food energies. This is because a lot of the land used for biofuels is taken away from farmers who initially used it as a means to grow food. Corn and other crops are allocated towards ethanol production, but many opponents believe they should be used towards food production due to the famine that is supposed to occur. Despite this, many still wish to go along with bio-alcohol production because the pros outweigh the cons.
Environmentally, the use of bio-alcohols has many obvious advantages when compared to the production of fossil fuels. The emissions of hydrocarbon, nitrogen oxide, particles, and sulfur and ground ozone are all noticeably less than the emissions from fossil fuels (Lima). In contrast with fossil fuels, biomass based alcohol also does not contribute an excessive collection of carbon dioxide. The quantity that is actually released via combustion is absorbed through photosynthesis and helps with growth of new biomass. In a sense, it's a giant circle that does not harm the environment by any means. The environmental aspect of bio-alcohols is also a tool used by many to put renewable energy at the forefront of the fossil fuel substitute list. Ethanol also creates less atmospheric reactivity and results in less ozone formation. Both ethanol and methanol also give a higher steam pressure with blends of petrol and with these blends, 20 percent is regained. Usage of ethanol can thus result in a decrease of gene toxic substances in the air (Lima). Not only that, but the absence of sulfur in alcohols along with low nitrogen oxide emissions can result in reduced pollution. Thus it is seen that environmentally, the sky is the limit with renewable bio alcohols. Their lack of sulfur and other pollutants makes them a clear favorite to be used as fuel and other energy for our society.
