Developing Biofuel in the Teaching Laboratory: Ethanol from Various Sources

In this series of experiments, we mimic a small-scale ethanol plant. Students discover that the practical aspects of ethanol production are determined by the quantity of biomass produced per unit land, rather than the volume of ethanol produced per unit of biomass. These experiments explore the production of ethanol from different sources: fruits, corn, potato starch, and grass. Students have the opportunity to ferment and distill ethanol from these sources and explore the advantages and disadvantages of each. We designed these experiments for the first-semester organic chemistry laboratory where students are introduced to a series of new techniques designed to build laboratory skills. Students can apply newly learned skills to the development of renewable energy.