Ethanol Can Be Used as an Alternative Fuel for Cars

Ethanol, or grain alcohol, is a colorless and flammable liquid derived from the fermentation of a variety of plant materials. Ethanol is the fermented component of drinking alcohol and is measured in a percentage. Beer brewing uses grain or other starches like potatoes, while wine is derived from fruits. The fermentation process is caused by yeast and the sugars in starchy material that feed the yeast. As the yeast metabolizes the sugar in anaerobic conditions (without oxygen), the by product is ethanol and carbon dioxide. If oxygen is present, the end product is vinegar, not ethanol, as well as water. Therefore, it's important during the process to make sure there is no oxygen present.

In addition to being used as an alcoholic beverage, ethanol has been used as an automobile fuel and fuel additive for a number of years, most notably in Brazil. Brazil is a progressive country and has been working diligently at converting their automobiles into ethanol burning vehicles. It's been reported that up to half of all Brazilian cars are able to use ethanol. Brazil makes its ethanol from its plentiful sugar cane crops, but ethanol can also be made from corn. Interestingly, ethanol has been used as a rocket fuel as far back as in the second world war.

Ethanol is becoming a popular fuel because it burns cleaner that fossil fuels and is a lot cheaper to manufacture. In the United States, it's generally mixed with gasoline and is called gasohol. The grain used in the processing is corn, so depending on the availability and price of corn, the price of gasohol can fluctuate. But, as good and efficient as ethanol is, there are some potential problems.

The major problem that can arise from the production of ethanol is that it can use up valuable crops that could otherwise be used as food and take up larger plots of land. In fact, if all of the cars in the United States were to run off ethanol, there wouldn't be enough corn crops to support the industry. Outside sources would need to be used, which would mean importing vast amounts of corn. Becoming dependent on imported grain would almost be the same as being dependent on foreign oil. In addition to the need for increased corn crops, there could be an increased need for pesticides and water for irrigation. On the positive side, farmers could be weaned off federal subsidies and they could return to actually growing and selling their crops.