In: Chemistry
Ethanol (C2H5OH) is a very important chemical.in
addition to being widely used as an industrial solvent,a gasoline
additive,and an alternative fuel,it is well known as the alcoholic
beverages.A common name for ethanol is grain alcohol because it is
formed by the fermentation of glucose (C6H12O6) and other sugars in
grains such as corn,wheat and barley:
C6H12O6---'C2H5OH + CO2
The previous reaction has been carried out for many centuries and
is one of the oldest manufacturing processes.In a more recent
development,ethanol can be prepared by reacting ethylene (found in
petroleum) with water:
C2H4 +H2O ---C2H5OH
a.write the balanced equation for each of the two reactions
above
b.Calcute the % A.E ( for the product ethanol) for the two
reactions.
c.Explain how you can determine which reaction has the higher atom
economy without doing the calculation in part (b) above .
d.Is either method sustainable?Which one? justify your
answer.
e.Given the result from parts (b) and (d) above ,select one of the
two methods as the better candidate overall for preparing
ethanol.justify your selection.