|
ethanol from cornstalks (is this allowed?)
Link |
by cloti4ever
on 2006-06-17 07:25:40
|
|
i'm not sure if this topic is allowed in here, i want to say i'm sorry if it isn't allowed. i'm a fourth year high school student from the phillipines and we are asked to make our own experimental research. i decided to to work with this topic. i tried looking for ethanol recipes in the net (hoping this could help me with my methodology), however, i was unable to find "free" recipes. i'm just 14 years old, can someone please help me? i apologise for my poor english |
|
Re: ethanol from cornstalks (is this allowed?)
|
|
Go Here for info on ethanol. All you have to do is ferment the corn, then distill it.
Wise Man says: "Take a dog off its leash and it will wander."
|
|
Re: ethanol from cornstalks (is this allowed?)
|
| Do alot of research on this, we might be using this " alternative " fuel in the very near future. I could not tell you a recipe, only the applications of the product. " Sorry >_< " |
|
Re: ethanol from cornstalks (is this allowed?)
|
|
According to the amazing race (ha ha) in Brazil they already use a lot of ethanol in their cars, they're also looking into it here in Australia to try to cut down of fossil fuels. Though all the ethanol I heard about comes from sugar cane. Let us know how it turns out. |
|
Re: ethanol from cornstalks (is this allowed?)
Link |
by
on 2006-06-27 11:15:26 |
|
Using photosynthesizing plants as a source for distilling alhocol for combustion in an engine will yeald at most 15% of the fuel needed to maintain the current world transportation lifestyle (don't forget, population is still growing worldwide, so is oil consumption). It is foolish to think that this be a permanent solution, but every bit helps. Ethonol can buy time while better technology is being developed. Problem is, few people have the balls to develop the new technology! 
|
|
Re: ethanol from cornstalks (is this allowed?)
|
|
ethanol is not the only alcohol that can be used as a fuel. methanol (made from coal or fermented from cellulose) will work. there is also butanol (four carbons versus methanol's one and ethanol's two). while the sugar and starch feedstocks needed to produce ethanol require specialized plants like sugar cane or corn, methanol and butanol can be fermented from almost any anonymous organic matter. the yield may not be much better, but there is a lot more cellulose available than starch. also, fermentation is performed by bacteria. since nobody seems to have tried, there is no telling how efficient bacteria can get a producing alcohols when we start breeding or engineering them for the trait. |
|
Re: ethanol from cornstalks (is this allowed?)
Link |
by
on 2006-12-01 00:21:38 |
|
wouldn't brewing methanol from rotting plant matter be a good way of keeping them carbons out of the air? just a thought.
|
|
Re: ethanol from cornstalks (is this allowed?)
|
|
Ethanol, methanol, butanol, propane..... They can all make gears turn and pistons move and are much cleaner burning than fossil fuels, but fossil fuels are still going to be used until they are completely depleted. The problem is that there are too many alternate options to fossil fuels. No fueling station wants 8 different fuel storage tanks. So until one of them is selected and made readily available to everyone, and everyone adopts it, we will continue to ruin our atmosphere by burning fossil fuels. ...and so all the hope that was left within him faded. His heart ran out of tears, and began spilling his lifeblood...
Wise Man says: "Take a dog off its leash and it will wander."
|
|
Re: ethanol from cornstalks (is this allowed?)
|
|
we can let the market decide which biosynthetic fuel becomes dominant. most likely a blend of different alcohols. the key is to discourage people from using gasoline. giving tax credits to alternate fuels isn't enough. oil has to be tariffed to death. petroleum derived fuels have to be taxed to death. |
|
Re: ethanol from cornstalks (is this allowed?)
Link |
by
on 2006-12-04 09:09:02 |
|
<sarcasm> why not just harness the limitless zero-point energy of the vacuum? </sarcasm>
|
|
Re: ethanol from cornstalks (is this allowed?)
|
ethanol...were not allowed to "ferment" things around here, not even for school. not like were gonna drink it or drink it or anything... 
|
|
Re: ethanol from cornstalks (is this allowed?)
Link |
by
on 2007-03-21 10:38:32 |
|
i think it is allowed... but i'm not sure if you can produce a significant amount from cornstalks... but definitely you'll get an ethanol from that.. if i'm not mistaken, i think they call that kind of ethanol as "cellulosic ethanol"... because cornstalks have cellulose right? and uhmm.. you can convert that cellulose to simple sugars that can be fermented to produce ethanol... that's all i know.. coz we've done a similar project.. but instead of using cornstalks, we used "Cotton from Soiled Diapers" to produce ethanol.. cotton also contains cellulose, right? i hope my explanation will help you.. btw, i'm also from the philippines.. ^___^ (guys, please correct me if there's something wrong with my post. i'll greatly appreciate it! thank you!) |
|
Re: ethanol from cornstalks (is this allowed?)
Link |
by
on 2007-03-23 00:01:17 |
|
I do not have as much knowledge as the rest have... But what i learnt in school states tat u'll need sugar, and keep it in a oxygenless container, or else it'll turn to vinegar (for the case of ethanol) and some bacteria (which i don't know which bacteria) to ferment it. The more suitable tempreture would be abt 45 (or 37?) degrees celsius since its where the enzymes in its optimal state. Any higher, the enzymes will be denatured and hence, u wont get ethanol. Sorry if the provided info is wrong T.T , my current lvl of education is quite low...  A friend of today is an enemy of tomorrow. I am an empty shell. I don't feel loved at all |