I am wondering why we don't simply use sugar cane or sugar beets for ethanol production instead of corn?

Question

My impression is that corn and other cellulose containing sources for ethanol fermentation must first be broken down into sugars before they can be fermented. Why not start with sugar beets or sugar cane and begin the fermentation immediately since the product is already sugar? Then after fermentation to ethanol, place the solids in an anaerobic environment and let anaerobes convert the remaining solids to methane gas. After methane extraction is complete, use the remaining solids for mulch or burn in a power plant. Locate all of these steps near the power plant to avoid transportation issues. Excess ethanol and methane can also be burned to generate electricity at the nearby powerplant.

Answer 1

Iowa doesn't grow sugar cane.

It does have the first primary. Politicians give money to the Iowa farmers as a way to buy votes.

It's not their money, so it makes no difference how inefficient corn is.

Answer 2

You wouldn't want to make ethanol. That's very, very inefficient because distillation takes a LOT of heat energy. Four pounds of coal goes into making six pounds of ethanol. (but it's American coal, and the farm lobby loves the corn subsidies, which is why the government supports it. It's not for the environment, they just say that to sound pro-environment.)

If you were going to run a power plant, you would just burn sugarcane directly. Boilers can run on it, and so can diesels. (Really! Ingersoll Rand built em, for sugar plantations where they had plenty of the stuff.)

However the smart play would be to grow tropical oil crops and squeeze oil out of em, and use it straight or make biodiesel. (which is much simpler than the other fellow said, and takes very little energy.) Ships can run on vegetable oil as-is, and locomotives could with a little modification. Be good for their engines too. Cars, make biodiesel.

Answer 3

Sugar Cane is much more efficient than the corn-based ethanol that is heavily subsidized in the Midwest. Unfortunately we have high tariffs on Brazilian Ethanol and sugar cane is hard to come by here. Check out this interesting article that breaks down the various bio/alternative fuels and their costs vs. emissions output I learned quite a bit.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/40a71f96-8702-11dc-a3ff-0000779fd2ac.html?nclick_check=1

This last link shows the trends in import/exports of Ethanol which I found interesting as well.

http://gog2g.com/2007/06/19/ethanol-facts.aspx

One day our government will realize that corn-based ethanol is a joke compared the real carbon friendly source but until then they will continue to line the farmers pockets with these subsidies. As a result we use our grains for a less efficient fuel and we also get higher food prices, its a lose/lose situation in my opinion.

Answer 4

Good question is call BIODIESEL you take vegetable oil, peanuts, sugar cane, and other products. In a cone shape plastic tank mix with water, hen mix is complete boil the water at 200 degrees C, mix with Methanol and Naoh wait 24 hours and you'll have BIODIESEL.

1 acre of seaweed can create about 20 thousand gallons of Biodiesel.

There's no difference in miles to the gallon but is an easy process and the air in the mix reduces CO2 emissions about 400 ppm.

Biodiesel is a natural lubricant and keeps your engine life lasting longer.

The difference between diesel and Biodiesel is that Biodisel has oxygen and therefore the smoke is clear where diesel smoke is dark.

Answer 5

Sadly, Dr. Jello is right. It has to do more with politics than solving an fuel problem.

The corn growing states (Iowa, Ohio, Pennsylvania, etc) are considered "swing states". Politically, these states are believed to be able to either sway the other states or shift the balance of the vote to one side or the other.

Corn based fuel is not as efficient as they would have us all believe - not to mention the impact it will have on the rest of the economy.

Did you know that the cost of eggs, beer, bread, soy, milk, etc will go up as a result of this change in fuel? Farmers who used to plant wheat, soy, barley, etc are now planting corn to keep up with the demand (and because they will now be paid a premium for their corn crops).

As part of a global economy, I'd rather we create sugar cane crops in Mexico that we depend on (and hopefully slow down our immigration problems), rather than continue to be beholden to the Middle East.

Answer 6

Biodiesel is a diesel alternative and cannot be added to petrol. Sugarcane does not take 14 years to grow thats wrong information given in one answer.

Sugarcane would be a much better option but it needs more of tropical climate and lots of water. Sweet sorghum could be a better alternative too as per the link below.

People need to experiment a bit especially the farmers and find out what works best, it will get them more money too.

Answer 7

Politics

Answer 8

The corn lobby is more powerful. Big companies like Cargill, ConAgra and Archer,Daniels, Midland (ADM) have big investments and vast profits tied to the corn industry. Everything in this country is tied to lobbyists and their big business patrons. It's way over due that Americans realize that.

Answer 9

Good question, answer, because there are a lot of very rich farmers in the corn belt giving lots of money to our "elected Representatives", because thought if anyone actually thought about it, why in heavens name would you use food for fuel when there are other things we can use which are actually better at producing what we need.

Answer 10

It takes a lot more fossil fuel to MAKE the ethonol than it saves in green house gasses to use it. It is all a joke, money in certain peoples pockets, that have come from under a table.