Production of Ethanol
Producing Ethanol from Corn
1. The corn will be milled into a fine powder
2. The powder will be mixed with water and
an enzyme to speed chemical change
and then cooked
3. Yeast is added to ferment the sugars into
ethanol and carbon dioxide.
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Fermentation is the anaerobic process that
converts organic material from one chemical
form to another.
Accomplished with the use of enzymes that
are produced by living organisms.
The chemical formula for fermentation:
C6H12O6  2 CH3CH2OH + 2 CO2
4. Distillation is used to separate the
components. Ethanol is evaporated from
the mixture. The ethanol vapor is then
condensed back to a liquid.
5. The alcohol is denatured by adding a
product, such as gasoline, to render it
unfit for consumption.
6. Products of this process include ethanol,
carbon dioxide, and distillers grains
which may be fed to livestock.
Co-products that may be used
for livestock feed
Corn Gluten
Distillers Grain
Process of changing
corn to ethanol
Net Products
 One bushel of corn can produce about 2.5
gallons of ethanol fuel.
 This same bushel of corn can also produce
15-18 pounds of livestock feed, 16 pounds
of carbon dioxide, and 2 pounds of corn
oil.
Net Energy Production
 Argonne National Laboratory has
determined that about 1.38 BTU’s of
energy are delivered for every 1.0 BTU it
takes to produce the fuel
 British Thermal Unit (BTU)
A BTU is a standard energy term. It is the
amount of heat energy required to raise 1
pound of water 1 degree Fahrenheit.
Net Energy Comparison
 For gasoline .8 BTU is delivered for every
BTU used in the process of manufacturing
gasoline
Is corn the only choice for raw
ingredients?
 NO. It is possible to make ethanol
with many different products such as
potatoes, wheat, barley, sugar beets, or
materials containing cellulose such as
grass, trees, waste paper or even
municipal waste
 Any product that contains cellulose or
starch may be used
References
 Argonne National Laboratory
http://www.anl.gov