Ethyl alcohol or commonly known as ETHANOL is derived from
sugarcane, grapes and other fruits which has high sugar content.
The liquid is extracted by pressing and collected in jars or
other vessel. Yeast is added to ferment the sugar from the
liquidand is covered to prevent dust from contaminating the
liquid and also to avoid Acetobacter which attacks the alcohol
and turn it into sugar. Ethanol has been widely used as solvent
for products such as lacquers, paints, varnishes,glues,
pharmaceuticals, explosives. Methyl alcohol a.k.a. METHANOL is a
wood alcohol. It is the product of destructive distillation of
wood, but today it can be produced synthetically. Methanol has
been used in manufacturing as solvent for fats, oils, resins,
cellulose nitrate and also in the manufacture of dyes, methanol,
antifreeze solutions, special fuels, plastics. Just recently,
alcohol has been seen as a promising alternative fuel in the
future. It could be used to replace gasoline as fuel with only
minor conversion of the carburator. Some countries like Brazil,
Japan and Germany has already taken steps in using alcohol as an
alternative fuel for thier cars. In Brazil, sugane farmers has
benefited in the alchol production of the country. Approximately
60% cars and vehicles in Brazil has beed converted and used
alcohol as fuel and even airplanes. Brazil is the leading
producer and exporter of alcohol to Japan and Germany which has
also joined the bandwagon for a clean and green fuel. The future
of alcohol as an alternative to gasoline is inevitable. I
couldn't say that it could replace gasoline in a decade, but for
sure alcohol fuel is to stay.
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