Fermentation and the production of ethanol

By Olivia Bates

Introduction

• Ethanol Fermentation• What Fermentation is used for• About Fermentation• Comparisons of making Ethanol• Fermentation to make wine.

Ethanol Fermentation is a form on anaerobic respiration which is primarily used by yeast when oxygen is not present . Ethanol Fermentation is also referred to as Alcohol Fermentation.

Ethanol is produced during the process of fermentation. Yeast is added to a sugar solution and left in the absence air for several days. This is an anaerobic exercise.

Fermentation

Fermentation is used for making food, wine, beer, tea and bread.

It is used to make products such as yoghurt, cheese and soy sauce.

fermentation can refer to the use of yeast to change sugar into alcohol or the use of bacteria to create lactic acid in certain foods.

Demijohn of wine. Make wine at home.

Fermentation has been used for thousands of years, but it is a slow process and only

produces a 15% ethanol solution. However there are other methods of producing ethanol.

A new alternative of making ethanol involves the use of genetically modified E.coli bacteria. These bacteria have had a gene introduced to them that is capable of converting all types of carbohydrates found in plant cells to ethanol.

Genetically modified E.coli can produce ethanol from waste biomass such as sugar cane residues, corn husks, wood and other

waste organic material.

Fermentation Hydration of ethane

Using E.coli Bacteria

Resources used Renewable resourcese.g. sugar cane and maize

Finite resources - ethane

Renewable resources – waste biomass such as corn husks and wood

Type of process Batch process where everything is mixed together and left for several days; the ethanol is then removed and distilled.

Continuous process where the reactants are passed over the catalyst

Batch process where the biomass and bacteria are mixed and left for several days; the ethanol formed must be distilled.

Reaction conditions

37◦C and atmosphere pressure

High temperature and pressured

30-37 ◦C and atmosphere pressure

Rate of reaction slow fast slow

Purity of product 15% pure 96% pure 5% pure

Three comparisons of making ethanol

Fermentation of wine

The process of fermentation in wine is the catalyst function that turns grape juice into an alcoholic beverage. During the fermentation process yeast interacts with sugars in the juice to create ethanol. When making wine the temperature and speed of fermentation is an important consideration as well as the amount of oxygen present at the start of the fermentation.

Bibliography

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fermentation_(wine)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fermentation21st century science (pages 104-107)