Topic 6 - Production of Ethanol (Paper 2) Flashcards
how is ethene produced?
from crude oil by cracking
what happens when ethene is reacted with steam?
ethanol is produced
what type of reaction is ethene and steam?
addition reaction, as water is added to the molecule
what conditions does the reaction between ethene and steam need?
300 degree celcius heat, 60-70 atmospheres pressure and a phosphoric acid catalyst
what are the pros and cons of using ethene to make ethanol?
pro: ethene is cheap and mostly used up
con: crude oil is non-renewable
what happens in fermentation?
sugar (glucose) is converted into ethanol using yeast
what conditions does fermentation need?
a temperature of about 30 degrees celcius for the enzymes in yeast, anaerobic conditions
what happens when ethanol is exposed to oxygen?
oxygen converts the ethanol to ethanoic acid
what are the pros and cons of fermentation?
pros: all renewable resources
cons: ethanol from fermentation is unconcentrated so needs to be distilled and purified
