Alcohol continued prices

Because of high oil prices, Brazil (most of whose sugars are produced from sugarcane) took the dramatic step of shifting to a much greater use of fuel alcohol. One wood hydrolysis plant was constructed, but it was uneconomical to operate and was shut down. However, Brazilian experience has demonstrated that fermentation ethanol (95 percent ethanol and 5 percent water) is a perfectly satisfactory motor fuel. At least 500,000 Brazilian automobiles operate on undried alcohol continuously, and most of the rest of their fleet operates on this fuel on weekends when only alcohol is available at the gas stations.36 A number of methods can be used for the production of ethanol from wood, as described below. 

Environmental profile has been and will continue to be an important determinant of a market acceptability of surfactants, but will not guarantee its success (111—113). Price and availability have been primary determinants of hydrophobe choice for alcohol-based feedstocks (114). 

There is curently a government-sponsored program to increase fermentation alcohol capacity to provide material for gasohol. The issues here are numerous and complex, and emotionally-colored evaluations are clearly evident even among those who profess to have purely scientific or technical interests. Barring a drastic rise in grain prices the program is likely to continue. 

Several processes for making acrylic acid have been developed.72 Since the 1980s manufacturers have almost exclusively used a two-step, vapor-phase oxidation of propylene that proceeds through acrolein. The acrylic acid then can be esterified with the appropriate alcohols. If current shifts in petroleum prices continue, one of the alternative routes to acrylic acid may become economically preferable. 

In contrast to the Western economy, the Russia continued expansion of wood hydrolysis facilities, and about 40 such plants are presently in operation. All the Russian plants are based on dilute sulfuric acid in percolation towers. In the West interest in producing alcohols from wood was revitalized by the dramatic increase in the price of petroleum in the 1970s and the push to decrease oil imports by substituting gasohol, which is one part alcohol in nine parts gasoline, for 100 percent gasoline at gas pumps. Both ethanol and methanol can be used in gasohol blends. 

If one accepts, however, that the long range price of oil and energy will continue to increase, then ethyl alcohol as a liquid fuel, especially for internal combustion spark ignition engines, will continue to be a potentially viable alternative fuel source. The fact that alcohol may be profitably manufactured from a variety of crop and forest residues, as well as from grains themselves, enhances its appeal to farm producers. 

Predominantly ecological aspects will have a decisive influence on the continuance and development in the surfactant field, whilst the price, availability and technological properties have, in recent decades, been the main factors in the development of new surfactants and in the optimisation of the types presently known. About 80% of the surfactants used today are based on crude oil. The remainder is provided by natural alcohols and fatty acids. In the long term, major changes can be caused by new aspects with regard to raw material bases. 

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