What's the byproduct(s) of burning ethanol for fuel?

Question

When we burn gasoline, one of the major byproducts is carbon-monoxide - the deadly gas being blamed for global warming.

What is the byproduct given off when we burn ethanol?

Answer 1

When you burn gasoline, CO is a minor byproduct which evidences incomplete/inefficient combustion and is accompanied by soot, C (carbon). Most of emissions is CO2. Impurities cause other pollutions, thus the presence of Nitrogen produces NOx (in small quantities) and the presence of Sulfur (mostly in very impure hydrocarbons like coal) produces Sox. Modern cars are equipped with advanced technology, including converters which breakdown NOx into N2 and O2, and convert CO at very high temperatures and pressures into the more stable CO2.

The alcohol, ethanol is a short-chained, very simple hydrocarbon usually derived from corn, whereas gasoline is a moderately long-chained hydrocarbon usually refined from crude oil. As a hydrocarbon, the chief by-products are H2O from the alcohol part, and CO2 from the carbon. Like Ethane, H3-C-C-H3, ethanol, H3-C-C-(H2,OH), burns similarly but produces much less CO (carbon monoxide) and soot (C) because the combustion is more efficient.

BTW, CO is more dangerous when inhaled than as an agent of global warming. Typically, global warming has been blamed on CO2 (carbon dioxide) generated from petroleum combustion, H2O (water) in the atmosphere as clouds, Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) from aerosol cans catalyzing as free radicals the breaking down of the ozone layer which blocks high energy radiation and protects us from melting the glaciers, especially at the poles, and other chemicals which are not coming to my mind right now.

Answer 2

Roughly the same hydrocarbons are expended with ethanol since it's mixed with the petroleum. The same gases are released, just diluted somewhat. Ethanol actually causes more pollution during production. Costs more too, so it's not really a solution.

CO, carbon monoxide is very poisonous, but it rarely stays in that form when oxygen is around. That's why it's a poison - if breathed in it will rob your blood of it's oxygen as it turns into CO2, carbon dioxide. CO2 is what the plants live on, so it's a good gas for the trees.

Many gases are blamed to keep the "global warming" myth alive, but there is no such thing as a "green house gas." The current gas blamed for "global warming" is Methane. It changes all the time as people find out they're being lied to. I'm always amazed to find there are people who still believe the whole "man-made global warming" hype.

If you believe that these gases make the planet warmer than you need to start reading some science books. You can learn a lot that way.

Answer 3

The main products of efficently burning ethanol (or gas) is CO2 and Water. Some carbon Monoxide is produced by burning either but it is mor of a localized problem.

The advantage of ethanol is that when a plant makes the sugar that is eventually converted into ethanol, it pulls CO2 out of the air and combines it with water to make the sugar. Man then coverts the sugar (or starch or cellulose etc from the plant) into ethanol to burn it.

The advantage of ethanol is that it is a closed system in principle because the CO2 released is equal to the CO2 taken in by the plant in it's production.

In reality it is not quite as simple as a lot of fuel is used to run the tractors, factories and make the fertilizer that ends up making the ethanol. Those steps add CO2 to the air, but the basic process of ethanol fuel removes as much CO2 from the air as it adds.

As we learn to become more efficeint in making the ethanol the benefit is greater. Initially corn based ethanol used as much fuel in it's production as it provided but the process is now better and it is environmentally a benefit. Future technology of cellulose based ethanol can be very efficient in terms of generation of CO2 neutral energy.

Answer 4

Carbon dioxide & water (water is also a greenhouse gas). I think ethanol is a more efficent conversion to CO2 & water. I am guessing that more CO2 comes from gas because it is a fairly long hydrocarbon, so lots of carbons to turn into CO2....

Answer 5

Corn. Bushels of corn. Check out my Associated Content article on alternative fuels from December.

Answer 6

If I am not mistaken it is water and carbon dioxide. Water being non harmful, and carbon dioxide being easier to clean from the atmosphere.