Ethanol fuel is ethanol or ethyl alcohol as it is commonly known as is similar to the type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages. Ethanol fuel can be used as a biofuel alternative to gasoline, and is in fact very popular fuel for cars in Brazil.
It is easy to manufacture and process, and can be made from very common materials, including corn and sugar. Bio-ethanol is gradually becoming a promising alternative to gasoline throughout the world, though skeptics are not sure of how useful this bio-ethanol will be in replacing traditional fossil fuels.
To make ethanol, enzymes are used to break down the sugarcane’s cellulose into sugars.
After Hurricane Katrina the sugar industry was badly hit and increased urban development has also contributed to loss of acreage. Because sugar cane can only be grown in Florida, Louisiana, Texas and Hawaii, it is not feasible to grow it solely for ethanol purposes. The farmers will have to make a tough choice of what they want to do
Brazil is one of the few countries which get more than 30percent of its automobile fuels from sugar cane-based ethanol.
Just like Brazil, I hope more countries all over the world try to tap their resources to successfully produce bio-ethanol in the future.
