Fermentation ethyl alcohol.

Ethyl alcohol is produced in the United States by two major procedures, fermentation and chemical synthesis. Practically all current industrial ethyl alcohol is manufactured synthetically from petroleum and natural gas. All beverage alcohol is produced through the fermentation of cereal grains, molasses. and other materials with high starch and sugar content. Chemically, both alcohols are essentially the same and may be used interchangeably. It is technically feasible to produce fermentation alcohol from practically any raw material high in carbohydrates and from high cellulose materials such as wood, crop residues. and cultivated fiber crops. Competitive economics have determined the basic raw material. For decades, cereal grains, molasses, and other materials high in starch or sugars have been raw materials for the production of ethyl alcohol through fermentation. Costs for alcohol production based on corn and wheat versus production from ethylene are shown in Tables I-III. The effects of grain prices and ethylene prices on alcohol cost is also shown (Tables IV-VI). These costs have been calculated from previous studies to reflect the inflation rate of the past few years. It is shocking to note the substantial increases in costs which have occurred. The future prices of both grains and ethylene remain to be resolved. There are some predictions that ethylene prices will go to at least 15c/ Ib relatively soon and could increase to as much as 50.20/lb within the next five years. Corn has varied from about 51.00 per bushel to over 54.00. The current price is in the 52.50 to 53.00 per bushel range. The use of food and feed grains for the production of such industrial products as ethyl alcohol may be controversial, but that subject is outside the scope of this report. The United States can normally produce