Ethanol production

• Made industrially by reacting ethene with steam and using a catalyst of phosphoric acid.
• Ethene is produced when crude oil fractions are cracked, ethene is hydrated (+H2O)
• Fermentation

  Carbohydrates from plants are broken down into sugars and converted into ethanol by enzymes of yeast.

  Rate is affected by temperature (35oC optimum)

  Air is kept out to prevent oxidation

  At 15% the enzymes denature and it's distilled (its b/p its lower than water)