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Bioethanol

The New FerMac 320 Series 2L to 18L Bioreactors from Electrolab for lab scale research into bioethanol fermentation processes focused on renewable energy initiatives.

Fermac 320

Key Features for the FerMac 320

• Available in both bacteriological and cell culture versions
• Outstanding value-for-money package
• Vessel mounted motor with unique locking system
• Intuitive measurement & control system with built-in motor drive
• Fully autoclavable vessels with baffles and cooling coil attached to top plate

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What is Bioethanol?

Bioethanol is the principal fuel used as a petrol/gasoline substitute for road transport vehicles. Bioethanol fuel is mainly produced by the sugar fermentation process, although it can also be manufactured by the chemical process of reacting ethylene with steam. The main sources of sugar required to produce ethanol come from fuel or energy crops grown specifically for energy use. Ethanol is a high octane fuel and can be used to replace lead as an octane enhancer in petrol. Ethanol fuel blends are widely sold in the United States. The most common blend is 10% ethanol and 90% petrol (E10). Vehicle engines require no modifications to run on E10 and vehicle warranties are unaffected.

The Benefits of Bioethanol

Bioethanol has a number of advantages over conventional fossil fuels:-

It comes from a renewable resource, i.e. crops, and not from a finite resource. Crops grown for bioethanol production absorb some of the CO₂ component of the greenhouse gas emissions produced when fossil fuels are burned. Blending bioethanol with petrol will help extend the life of diminishing oil supplies and ensure greater fuel security, avoiding heavy reliance on oil producing nations. Bioethanol is also biodegradable and far less toxic than fossil fuels. Using bioethanol in older engines can help reduce the amount of carbon monoxide produced by the vehicle thus improving air quality. Bioethanol can be integrated easily into the existing road transport fuel system. In quantities up to 5%, bioethanol can be blended with conventional fuel without the need for engine modifications. Bioethanol is produced using familiar methods, such as fermentation, and it can be distributed using the same petrol forecourts and transportation systems as before.

Bioethanol Production

Bioreactor systems, such as the FerMac 320 from Electrolab are used to research and define optimal conditions for the production of bioethanol from biomass at laboratory scale. Biomass wastes contain a complex mixture of carbohydrate polymers from the plant cell walls known as cellulose, hemi cellulose and lignin. In order to produce sugars from the biomass, the biomass is pre-treated with acids or enzymes in order to reduce the size of the feedstock and to open up the plant structure. The cellulose and the hemi cellulose portions are broken down (hydrolysed) by enzymes or dilute acids into sucrose sugar which is then fermented into ethanol. The lignin which is also present in the biomass is normally used as a fuel for the boilers of the ethanol production plants.