Fermentation v Hydration - Advantages and disadvantages table in A Level and IB Chemistry

Skip to content

Get Revising

Created by: ava.scott
Created on: 25-05-14 12:40

Fermentation v Hydration

Advantages

Fermentation: Sustainable resource
Fermentation: Lower temperature and pressure
Fermentation: 'Carbon neutral' as when burnt, the CO2 release is used by plants which are then used as fuels again.
Hydration: Continous reaction using phosphoric acid catalyst. Also allows high percentage yield.
Hydration: 100% atom economy as only one product.

Disadvantages

Fermentation: Zymase denatures at acohol content of 14%, so has to be replaces- no continous process.
Fermentation: Risk of impure product.
Fermentation: Takes longer than hydration.
Hydration: Very high temperature (300 centigrade) and pressure (70atm) are expensive and difficult to maintain.
Hydration: Unsusatianble source- alkenes come from cude oil.

Evaluation

Hydration is probably better industrially, but Fermentation is better ecologically and is the future of ethanol production.

Comments

Report Thu 8th March, 2018 @ 12:36

missed an 'r' in 'cRude oil'

Report Mon 7th January, 2019 @ 19:03

and an l in 'aLcohol'