Ethanol is a biofuel that can be made by an organic process that breaks down sugar and glucose within different kinds of food. There are mainly three types of foods that are used in this process, which are sugars, starch, and cellulose. These three types contain foods such as cane sugar, grains, and raw materials. Ethanol can also be made by the waste product of some foods. If ethanol is made from waste products of foods, then it doesn’t interfere with the food production of countries. Breaking down these sugars, starches and raw materials by fermentation you get ethanol alcohol, which is the same type of alcohol used in alcoholic drinks. The process that companies use to create ethanol is similar if not exactly like how companies create alcoholic beverages.

Fermenting Sugars from a Feedstock

The simple way of making ethanol is by fermenting sugars that are extracted from a feedstock.
The feedstock would consist of sugar foods such as cane sugar, sugar beet, and sweet sorghum. After the sugar is fermented, then it would be distilled and dehydrated to get the colorless alcohol liquid. Other means of creating ethanol is by starch type of foods. Starch needs to be converted into glucose first and then would be able to enter the fermentation process. Typical starch foods used for this process are grains such as corn, wheat, and barley. Both of these ways will give you the same type of ethanol alcohol used as a biofuel.

A big reason why ethanol is such a beneficial biofuel is that it is created from renewable sources. This means that ethanol is a renewable biofuel that is better for the environment. Although there are ways of making synthetic ethanol through non-renewable sources it isn’t as efficient or practical. Making ethanol with waste products from foods is far more sensible than making it from non-renewable sources. These non-renewable sources are materials we can’t make after they have been used such as coal and gas. Renewable sources are types of materials that can be made again or regrown such as crops.

An Ethanol Biofuel that Doesn’t Compete with Food Sources

There are new means of making ethanol that doesn’t require the use of foods. This advanced biofuel can be made from waste products such as timber used from dead trees, algae and different types of grasses. This type of ethanol would be beneficial to the environment and wouldn’t interfere with crops and food production. It is a new type of process used and is gaining ground quickly in the commercial market. It’s a far more complex type of process that isn’t as widely used as fermenting sugars and glucose. The new process might become the main process of creating ethanol in the future.

The technology to create this advanced biofuel isn’t set in stone and needs to be worked out some more. If perfected the new means of making ethanol would include using waste products instead of food sources. Using waste product would help the environment by clearing out dead trees and algae.