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How is gasohol made?

How is gasohol made?

gasohol, a gasoline extender made from a mixture of gasoline (90%) and ethanol (10%; often obtained by fermenting agricultural crops or crop wastes) or gasoline (97%) and methanol, or wood alcohol (3%).

What is gasohol and how is it produced?

Gasohol, a mixture of 90 percent unleaded gasoline and 10 percent ethyl alcohol (ethanol), has gained some acceptance as a fuel for motor vehicles. The process requires the conversion of a starch into a sugar, which in turn is converted into alcohol by reaction with yeast.

What is the source of ethanol?

corn
Ethanol is a domestically produced alternative fuel most commonly made from corn. It is also made from cellulosic feedstocks, such as crop residues and wood—though this is not as common. U.S. ethanol plants are concentrated in the Midwest because of the proximity to corn production.

Where does gasoline originally come from?

Gasoline is made from crude oil, which contains hydrocarbons – organic compounds made up entirely of hydrogen and carbon atoms. Crude oil has historically been obtained through vertical wells drilled into underground and undersea reservoirs. A well is essentially a round hole lined with a metal pipe called a casing.

Is gasohol a fossil fuel?

As with gas or other liquid fossil fuels, with gasohol there would be transport vehicles, pipelines and processing or refining plants which could be of visual concern.

What plant is gasohol made from?

Ethanol blended into gasoline is produced from the fermentation of agricultural products, primarily corn and sugar cane. It was first introduced into gasoline in Nebraska in 1940 (“Argol”) without much success (Table 18.2. 1).

Where do you get ethanol?

Ethanol can be fermented from many sources of starch, including corn, wheat, grain sorghum, barley, and potatoes, and from sugar crops such as sugar cane and sweet sorghum. Because there has been has been an abundant supply of corn, most of the ethanol made in the United States is from corn.

Where does the US get most of its Gasoline?

The top five source countries of U.S. gross petroleum imports in 2020 were Canada, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Colombia.

What is a disadvantage of gasohol?

Although modern cars have seals that can handle ethanol, older vehicles may require 100 percent gasoline to avoid fuel leaks and related problems. In addition, gasohol may cause premature wear in two-stroke engines, such as those used in chainsaws and leaf blowers.

What kind of fuel is gasohol made out of?

gasohol, a gasoline extender made from a mixture of gasoline (90%) and ethanol (10%; often obtained by fermenting agricultural crops or crop wastes) or gasoline (97%) and methanol, or wood alcohol (3%).

When was gasohol introduced to the United States?

It was first introduced into gasoline in Nebraska in 1940 (“Argol ”) without much success ( Table 18.2.1). It was reintroduced nationwide in the late 1970s when it was used to “stretch” the gasoline supply during the Arab oil embargo, and in doing so introduced “ gasohol ” (also called E-10) to the nation ( Table 18.2.2).

How is gasohol used as an alternative fuel?

gasohol A mixture of petrol (gasoline) and alcohol (i.e. typically ethanol at 10%, or methanol at 3%), used as an alternative fuel for cars and other vehicles in many countries. The ethanol is obtained as a biofuel by fermentation of agricultural crops or crop residues, for example sugar cane waste.

Where does the ethanol in gasoline come from?

Ethanol blended into gasoline is produced from the fermentation of agricultural products, primarily corn and sugar cane. It was first introduced into gasoline in Nebraska in 1940 (“Argol ”) without much success ( Table 18.2.1).