Making ethanol from ethene (hydration)

Created by: Sophie
Created on: 07-06-14 10:29


	Making ethanol from ethene (hydration)
	Advantages It is currently a cheap process as ethene is fairly cheap and not much of it is wasted. It is a continuous process. There are no waste products. It doesn't use crops that could be used as food. Extracting is fast and reliable. The product made is more pure than that made by fermentation.	Disadvantages Crude oil is used, which is a non-renewable resource and will one day run out. Although this method of obtaining ethanol is currently fairly cheap, as resources run out it will become more expensive. A high amount of energy is needed for the process.
	Evaluation There are many advantages to making ethanol from ethene (a hydrocarbon obtained from crude oil). It is a fairly cheap process and it is continuous, which means that more can be made for a smaller price in a smaller time. There aren't any waste products, whereas in the process of fermentation carbon dioxide is released. It is also a purer product than that obtained from fermentation. The obvious disadvantage is that it is produced from crude oil-a non-renewable resource. Crude oil will eventually begin to run out, and therefore take the prices up of ethene with it. A high amount of energy is needed to heat the gases and to generate a high pressure. At the moment, it makes sense to use ethene to make ethanol, but as resources run out fermentation will have to become more popular as it is a renewable resource.

Making ethanol from ethene (hydration)

Advantages

It is currently a cheap process as ethene is fairly cheap and not much of it is wasted.
It is a continuous process.
There are no waste products.
It doesn't use crops that could be used as food.
Extracting is fast and reliable.
The product made is more pure than that made by fermentation.

Disadvantages

Crude oil is used, which is a non-renewable resource and will one day run out. Although this method of obtaining ethanol is currently fairly cheap, as resources run out it will become more expensive.
A high amount of energy is needed for the process.

Evaluation

There are many advantages to making ethanol from ethene (a hydrocarbon obtained from crude oil). It is a fairly cheap process and it is continuous, which means that more can be made for a smaller price in a smaller time. There aren't any waste products, whereas in the process of fermentation carbon dioxide is released. It is also a purer product than that obtained from fermentation. The obvious disadvantage is that it is produced from crude oil-a non-renewable resource. Crude oil will eventually begin to run out, and therefore take the prices up of ethene with it. A high amount of energy is needed to heat the gases and to generate a high pressure. At the moment, it makes sense to use ethene to make ethanol, but as resources run out fermentation will have to become more popular as it is a renewable resource.

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Making ethanol from ethene (hydration)