GC: n

CT: Bioethanol has a number of advantages over conventional fuels. It comes from a renewable resource i.e. crops and not from a finite resource and the crops it derives from can grow well in the UK (like cereals, sugar beet and maize). Another benefit over fossil fuels is the greenhouse gas emissions. The road transport network accounts for 22% (www.foodfen.org.uk) of all greenhouse gas emissions and through the use of bioethanol, some of these emissions will be reduced as the fuel crops absorb the CO2 they emit through growing. Also, blending bioethanol with petrol will help extend the life of the UK’s diminishing oil supplies and ensure greater fuel security, avoiding heavy reliance on oil producing nations. By encouraging bioethanol’s use, the rural economy would also receive a boost from growing the necessary crops. Bioethanol is also biodegradable and far less toxic that fossil fuels. In addition, by using bioethanol in older engines can help reduce the amount of carbon monoxide produced by the vehicle thus improving air quality. Another advantage of bioethanol is the ease with which it can be easily integrated into the existing road transport fuel system. In quantities up to 5%, bioethanol can be blended with conventional fuel without the need of engine modifications. Bioethanol is produced using familiar methods, such as fermentation, and it can be distributed using the same petrol forecourts and transportation systems as before.

S: ESRU – http://www.esru.strath.ac.uk/EandE/Web_sites/02-03/biofuels/what_bioethanol.htm (last access: 26 November 2014)

N: 1. bio (prefix): word-forming element, from Greek bio-, comb. form of bios “one’s life, course or way of living, lifetime” (as opposed to zoe “animal life, organic life”), from PIE root gweie- “to live”.
The correct usage is that in biography, but in modern science it has been extended to mean “organic life.”
ethanol (n): “ethyl alcohol,” 1900, contracted from ethane, to which it is the corresponding alcohol, + -ol, here indicating alcohol.

2. The ethanol produced by the fermentation and distillation of sugars and starches.

3. The plants that are usually used for this conversion process are beets, sugar cane, wheat and corn.

4. There are two types of ethanol produced in the United States – fermentation ethanol and synthetic ethanol. Fermentation ethanol (or bioethanol) is produced from corn or other biomass feedstocks and is by far the most common type of ethanol produced, accounting for more than 90% of all ethanol production. Fermentation ethanol is mainly produced for fuel, though a small share is used by the beverage industry and the industrial industry. Synthetic ethanol is produced from ethylene, a petroleum by-product, and is used mainly in industrial applications. A small amount of synthetic ethanol is exported to other countries.
5. Bioethanol from cellulosic biomass materials (such as agricultural residues, trees and grasses) is made by first using pretreatment and hydrolysis processes to extract sugars, followed by fermentation of the sugars.

S: OED – http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?allowed_in_frame=0&search=ethanol&searchmode=none (last access: 26 November 2014). 2 & 3. TERMIUM PLUS (last access: 26 November 2014). 4 & 5. EERE – http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?allowed_in_frame=0&search=ethanol&searchmode=none (last access: 26 November 2014).

GV: bio-ethanol

S: TERMIUM PLUS (last access: 26 November 2014)

SYN:
S:

CR: biofuel, biomass, biomass energy, biomass fuel, [cavitation ], ethanol, fermentation