Production of Anhydrous Ethyl Alcohol from the Hydrolysis and Alcoholic Fermentation of Corn Starch

Abstract

Ethyl alcohol is an organic substance that contains a functional group, the hydroxyl, attached to the ethyl radical. It is a substance used for sterilization and as an alternative fuel to fossil fuels, especially gasoline. It is obtained by the alcoholic fermentation of biomass containing fermentable sugars, based on the use of yeasts; alternatively, microorganisms in the yeast convert the sugars into ethyl alcohol through aerobic metabolism. In this context, this research aims to produce ethyl alcohol by hydrolysis and alcoholic fermentation of corn starch and to purify the resulting products by distillation. For this, experimental tests were carried out using equipment on a laboratory scale. Alcoholic fermentation tests were carried out with strict control of ºBrix, specific mass and viscosity. After the fermentation, the resulting products with a reduced percentage of alcohol were purified by conventional and extractive distillation, ensuring increased purity and commercial value for the alcohol produced. The results obtained were satisfactory, and the phenomenological analysis of the operations ensured the understanding of the performance of each operation involved, with emphasis on hydrolysis, fermentation and fractional and extractive distillations, which involve strong interaction between the phases in each operation. With this methodology's implementation, it proved possible to produce alcohol with a high degree of purity, known as anhydrous alcohol.