Making Alcohols By Fermentation & From Ethane | Organic Chemistry | Chemistry | FuseSchool

Summary

This video explores the fascinating science behind alcohol production. It explains how fermentation, using plant sugars like those from barley and grapes, transforms sugar into ethanol and carbon dioxide. The process is catalyzed by yeast enzymes, though it’s slow for industrial use. The script also covers an alternative method for ethanol production, which involves reacting ethene with water in the presence of phosphoric acid. While fermentation is renewable and energy-efficient, the ethene method, though faster, is dependent on non-renewable resources like crude oil. The video provides insights into both methods and their advantages and challenges.

Takeaways

• 😀 Alcohol is in high demand and is used in industries such as antifreeze, antiseptics, and alcoholic beverages.
• 😀 The process of making alcoholic drinks like beer and wine is called fermentation, where sugar is converted into ethanol and carbon dioxide.
• 😀 The reactant in fermentation is sugar, which comes from natural plant extracts like barley in beer and grapes in wine.
• 😀 The molecular formula for sugar in fermentation is C6H12O6, and it is converted into ethanol (C2H5OH) and CO2 during the process.
• 😀 The fermentation equation can be balanced with some effort, and the reaction happens slowly unless catalyzed by yeast enzymes.
• 😀 Yeast, a naturally occurring fungus, speeds up the fermentation process by acting as a catalyst.
• 😀 Another method for producing ethanol involves reacting ethene (C2H4) with water (H2O) in the presence of phosphoric acid as a catalyst.
• 😀 The ethene method is faster and more efficient than fermentation because there are no waste products, whereas fermentation yields CO2.
• 😀 Ethene is derived from crude oil, a non-renewable resource, making the process unsustainable in the long term.
• 😀 Plant sugars used in fermentation are a renewable resource, making this process more sustainable than the ethene method.
• 😀 The ethene method requires high temperatures to crack crude oil and create steam, whereas fermentation only requires heating to 37°C.

Q & A

What are some common uses of alcohol in industry?

Alcohol is used in industry to make antifreeze for engines, as an antiseptic to disinfect the skin (e.g., in hand sanitizers), and as an ingredient in alcoholic drinks.

What is fermentation, and what role does it play in making alcoholic drinks?

Fermentation is the process of converting sugars (like those from barley in beer or grapes in wine) into ethanol and carbon dioxide. This process is essential for producing alcoholic drinks like beer and wine.

What is the molecular formula of the sugar used in fermentation?

The molecular formula of the sugar used in fermentation is C6H12O6.

Why is fermentation a slow process for producing alcohol, and how can this be addressed?

Fermentation happens slowly, but it can be sped up by catalyzing the process with enzymes from yeast, a naturally occurring fungus.

What is the second method of producing ethanol mentioned in the script?

The second method of producing ethanol involves the reaction of ethene (ethene) with water (H2O) in the presence of phosphoric acid as a catalyst.

How does the reaction between ethene and water produce ethanol?

When ethene is reacted with steam (water vapor), the double bond in ethene breaks, allowing water molecules to bond with the carbon atoms, forming ethanol.

What is the major advantage of the ethene route compared to fermentation?

The ethene route is faster and more efficient because it does not produce any waste products, unlike fermentation, which also produces carbon dioxide.

What are the environmental concerns associated with the ethene method of producing ethanol?

The ethene method relies on ethene derived from crude oil, a non-renewable resource. As crude oil is finite, this method is not sustainable in the long term.

Why is fermentation considered a more sustainable method for producing ethanol?

Fermentation is more sustainable because it uses plant sugars, which are renewable resources, rather than relying on finite crude oil.

What is the required temperature for fermentation to occur efficiently?

Fermentation occurs efficiently at a temperature of around 37°C.