Fermentation.... Help!!! (1 Viewer)

[Weirdo111]

i've just completed the "fermentation process to produce ethanol", does anybody know whats the purpoes of distillation?

 

[minijumbuk]

To separate remaining glucose and some water from ethanol.

 

[Weirdo111]

Thankyou!!! =)

 

[Continuum]

i've just completed the "fermentation process to produce ethanol", does anybody know whats the purpoes of distillation?

Ethanol production can only continue to 15% because after that, the ethanol produced actually kills the yeast and thus enzyme required for continued production. This is simply because ethanol is actually a poison, though it is the least poisonous of all the alkanols. Solutions of 15% ethanol are utterly useless for purposes such as fuel or as a reagant, which basically requires 100% ethanol. Thus, ethanol is needed to increase the concentration of ethanol until it is of a usable concentration.

 

[minijumbuk]

Ethanol production can only continue to 15% because after that, the ethanol produced actually kills the yeast and thus enzyme required for continued production. This is simply because ethanol is actually a poison, though it is the least poisonous of all the alkanols. Solutions of 15% ethanol are utterly useless for purposes such as fuel or as a reagant, which basically requires 100% ethanol. Thus, ethanol (distillation?) is needed to increase the concentration of ethanol until it is of a usable concentration.

Just to avoid confusions.

 

[Pwnage101]

yeh, u can see that the ethanol product is (aq) if u write the chemical equation, so distillation is needed to spearate it from water (i think it has bp about 149, not sure though)

 

[minijumbuk]

Actually, if my memory doesn't fail me, ethanol has a boiling point of ~78 degrees Celcius. But yes, the general idea is to separate the mixture.

 

[Pwnage101]

Actually, if my memory doesn't fail me, ethanol has a boiling point of ~78 degrees Celcius. But yes, the general idea is to separate the mixture.

oh yes, what was i thinkin of?.... AH, 1-pentyl ethanoate (product of esterification) has a 149 BP, my bad!