Encouraging New Biofriendly Developments in Ethanol Production

                                                                                         

While the potential benefits of ethanol are hotly disputed, there have been some recent developments that can make it more attractive and biofriendly as a fuel. Researchers at Iowa State University have developed a new technology to produce ethanol from corn, involving a fungus. They estimate that, using this process, ethanol plants collectively can save as much as 10 billion gallons of water and $800 million a year.

Traditionally, ethanol is produced by grinding up corn, then adding water and enzymes, causing starches to turn into sugar, which is then fermented to produce ethanol by distillation. This process uses about six gallons of water for every gallon of ethanol. While about half of the leftover liquid can be recycled, it contains organic solids that are expensive to remove. However, by adding the fungus Rhizopus microsporus to the liquid, up to 80% of the solids can be extracted, making the remaining liquid available for recycling.

"The process could change ethanol production in dry-grind plants so much that energy costs can be reduced by as much as one-third," said professor Hans van Leeuwen, leader of the Iowa State research project.

Another benefit of this process is that the extracted solids are nutrient-rich and can be used as a livestock food supplement. While implementing this process in existing ethanol plants is fairly expensive at this time, it is estimated that the savings in energy costs would amortize the investment in six months.

In Georgia, meanwhile, professor Joy Peterson and fellow researchers at the University of Georgia have developed a method to increase ethanol yields from non-food biomass sources, such as grasses and waste from corn and sugar cane. “Producing ethanol from renewable biomass sources such as grasses is desirable because they are potentially available in large quantities,” said Peterson. While traditional methods use harsh chemicals and expensive equipment to break down the cell walls of the plants, the new method uses a biofriendly process that is claimed to yield a ten-fold increase in fuel.

These new developments in the direction of more effective and biofriendly energy production are most encouraging. Utilizing new technologies and energy conservation will accomplish a great deal in improving the environment and the quality of life.

One company that is doing its part in forwarding a greener planet is Biofriendly Corporation, whose Green Plus® liquid fuel catalyst provides a cleaner, more linear fuel burn in internal combustion engines, resulting in fewer harmful emissions, increased torque and better fuel economy.

For more information about Green Plus visit the Biofriendly website at www.biofriendly.com.

About the author:
Peter Verhoeff is a freelance writer who contributes articles on environmental issues for Biofriendly Corporation. More information about environmental issues can be found at http://www.biofriendly.com.

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