HOW IS ETHANOL

MADE?
1924–1925 Ford Model T
Upstream Process

Preparation Milling Liquification Fermentation

Distillation
Downstream
Process
Azeotrope Distillation

Azeotrope is mixture of liquids

that has a constant boiling point
because the vapor has the same
composition as the liquid mixture.

Azeotropic distillation is a process

to break azeotrope where another
volatile component, called the
entrainer is added to form a new
lower-boiling azeotrope.

Toluene is used as entrainer for

ethanol-water azeotrope.
 Molecular Sieve

When the hydrated ethanol vapors

are passed through the molecular
sieve bed, water gets adsorbed by
the pores of the adsorbent
structure.

Zeolite is used for adsorption.

 Disinfectant Personal Care Solvent
Applications

Food Additive Fuel

 1) https://ethanolrfa.org/ethanol-101/how-is-ethanol-made
2) https://letstalkscience.ca/educational-resources/backgrounders/
how-ethanol-made
3) Huang, H.-J., Ramaswamy, S., Tschirner, U. W., & Ramarao, B.
V. (2010). Separation and purification processes for
lignocellulose-to-bioalcohol production. Bioalcohol Production,
References 246–277. doi:10.1533/9781845699611.3.246
4) https://www.epa.gov/epcra/ethanol-added-food-beverages-and-
tier-ii-reporting-ie-epcra-section-312#:~:text=Ethanol%20(ethyl
%20alcohol)%20is%20regulated,184.1293Exit%20Exit%20EPA
%20website).
5) https://www.chemicalsafetyfacts.org/ethanol/
Thank you