Neat Ethanol Research Articles

Large-scale fuel ethanol from lignocellulose

Ethanol produced from lignocellulose is considered as a largescale transportation fuel in the United States. Five key issues are identified and considered in relation to the status of current and foreseeable technology. These are: conversion and production energy balances, suitability of ethanol as a transportation fuel, air quality impacts, raw material supply, and cost. Energy balances and fuel characteristics appear to be consistent with large-scale transportation fuel use of ethanol produced from lignocellulose. Local and global air-quality benefits are expected to accompany use of lignocellulose ethanol. Raw material availability is examined for wastes and for trees and grasses grown as energy crops. Ethanol production levels appear unlikely to be limited by raw material availability as long as economic and other factors are sufficiently favorable to justify allocation of land for this use. Projected ethanol production costs based on current directions of research would allow neat ethanol to become competitive with gasoline by the year 2000 according to current oil price predictions. Biological process steps have the largest contribution to overall costs, are among the least developed aspects of the technology, and appear to have the greatest potential for improvement. Research priorities are discussed.

Solvation structure of excess electrons in ethanol and ethanol/2-methyl tetrahydrofuran mixtures

The solvation structures of excess electrons in {gamma}-irradiated ethanol and ethanol/2-methyltetrahydrofuran mixtures at 77 K have been determined by analyzing their optical absorption spectra. In the mixed matrices, the electrons show 5 spectral components with the absorption maxima at the wavenumbers 8.3, 10.2, 13.5, 16.6, and 19.0 {times} 10{sup 3} cm{sup {minus}1}, respectively. The relative intensities of these components depend on the concentration of ethanol. The first component is the same as the absorption spectrum of excess electrons in neat 2-methyltetrahydrofuran. The second, the third, the fourth, and the fifth components are due to the excess electrons solvated by one, two, three, and four ethanol molecules, respectively, with the molecular dipoles pointing toward the electron. In neat ethanol, two-third of the excess electrons are solvated by 4 ethanol molecules, with the molecular dipoles pointing toward the electron. The remaining electrons are also surrounded by four ethanol molecules. However, the molecular dipole of one of the four ethanol molecules does not point toward the electron. The possible structure of the electron localized in water is also discussed.

The use of oxygenated hydrocarbons in gasoline and their contribution to reducing urban air pollution

Abstract

Effects of Ethanol Proof on Engine Performance

ABSTRACT ETHANOL of 200, 190 and 180 proof was burned in an engine designed to run on neat ethanol. The purpose was to determine the effect of the water in the fuel on engine performance. The water in 190 proof ethanol accounted for 5% of the fuel volume and 6.3% of the fuel mass, but contributed only 0.9% to the power producing capability of the fuel. The water in 180 proof ethanol accounted for 10% of the fuel volume and 12.4% of the fuel mass, but contributed only 1.9% to the power producing capability of the fuel.

Triplet state properties of croconate dyes in homogeneous and polymer-containing solutions

The effect of polymer microencagement on the lowest triplet excited state of croconate violet and croconate blue, members of a family of oxocarbon condensation derivatives which possess excellent electrocatalytic and photoelectrochemical dye sensitizing properties, has been investigated. These dyes, when surrounded by a poly(4-vinylpyridine) (PVP) matrix, displayed red-shifted S 0 → S 1 and T 1 → T n absorption maxima. The triplet lifetimes for these dyes were 69 μs and 24 μs respectively in neat ethanol, and 134 μs and 36 μs respectively in ethanol containing 0.01 M PVP. The specific rates of triplet energy transfer from a triplet sensitizer to the dyes were lower in the polymer-containing solutions.