Denatured Ethanol - article about Denatured Ethanol

Denatured Ethanol Takes Fun From Alcohol

Ethanol, usually referred to as ethyl alcohol or grain alcohol, is high flammable, slightly toxic clear liquid with a light perfume odor. Typically found in alcoholic beverages it is regulated and highly taxed in its original form. However, with other uses for the alcohol such as industrial and medical applications, it has been denatured to make it unfit for consumption with the addition of benzoate or methanol. Many forms of denatured ethanol can be bought without the high taxation and without regulations.

There are currently over 100 refineries in the United States producing about 5.1 billion gallons of ethanol with close to 60 more denatured ethanol plants under construction. Currently it costs about $1.50 per gallon to refine denatured ethanol with price fluctuations caused by the changing price of corn.

Other Countries Lead Ethanol Production

Used as a fuel or fuel additive, other countries, such as Brazil, has been running on a blend of denatured ethanol and gasoline, commonly called gasohol, and manufactures its ethanol from sugar. As an additive, it is not uncommon to find gasoline in Brazil to contain as much as 20 percent ethanol.

Some have blamed the refinement of sugar in Brazil into ethanol for higher sugar prices and are predicting higher costs of products made from corn in the United States to follow. However, as more denatured ethanol manufacturers are seeing the financial benefits, many are buying their own farms on which to cultivate corn.

In addition to the federal government not taxing denatured ethanol used in fuel production, ethanol also is not charged the 52 cents per gallon tax as is gasoline, keeping the refining costs lower to help spur the increase in use of this renewable fuel.

The governments renewable fuel standard will require the use of 7.5 billion gallons of denatured ethanol be used as a fuel by 2012, up from the four billion gallon requirement that existed in 2006. Additional manufacturing facilities and refineries, along with an increase in corn production will be required to enable manufacturers to meet the deadline.

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