Development and application of an integrated system for monitoring ethanol content of fuels.

Abstract

An automated flow injection analysis (FIA) system for quantifying ethanol was developed using alcohol oxidase, horseradish peroxidase, 4-amino-phenazone, and phenol. A colorimetric detection method was developed using two different methods of analysis, with free and immobilized enzymes. The system with free enzymes permitted analysis of standard ethanol solution in a range of 0.05-1.0 g of ethanol/L without external dilution, a sampling frequency of 15 analyses/h, and relative SD of 3.5%. A new system was designed consisting of a microreactor with a 0.91-mL internal volume filled with alcohol oxidase immobilized on glass beads and an addition of free peroxidase, adapted in an FIA line, for continued reuse. This integrated biosensor-FIA system is being used for quality control of biofuels, gasohol, and hydrated ethanol. The FIA system integrated with the microreactor showed a calibration curve in the range of 0.05-1.5 g of ethanol/L, and good results were obtained compared with the ethanol content measured by high-performance liquid chromatography and gas chromatography standard methods.