Uses of Ethanol (WJEC GCSE Chemistry)

Alcoholic drinks

• Ethanol has been used in alcoholic drinks for thousands of years
• Current alcohol consumption by the population is becoming as issue as it is readily available 
• The impacts fall into the following categories

Health

• There are health issues associated with 'binge drinking' and misuse of alcohol over a long period
• Over time excessive alcohol consumption can cause the following:
  • High blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, liver disease, and digestive problems
  • Cancer of the breast, mouth, throat, esophagus, voice box, liver, colon, and rectum
  • Weakened of the immune system
  • Learning and memory problems, including dementia
  • Mental health concerns
  • Alcohol dependence

Economic

• Recent figures from the office of budget and responsibility state that duties from alcohol will raise £13.1 billion in 2023 - 2024
• The exportation of alcoholic beverages also contributes £6 billion to the economy
• The industry employs 650,000 people directly, and supports over 1 million more jobs in the wider economy
• Despite the vast amount of money raised, alcohol misuse in the UK is estimated to cost over £21 billion per year as a result of healthcare costs, police costs and lost productivity due to missing work

Social

• 20 % of reports of violence take place close to pubs or clubs showing that alcohol has most likely played a part in these crimes
• in the UK the annual cost of alcohol related crimes is between £8 billion and £13 billion

Alcoholic drinks

Is drinking too much alcohol bad for health?

Photo by NHS Better Health

Other uses of ethanol

Solvents

• A solvent is a substance which dissolves solutes 

Diagram to show the process of dissolving

Using a solvent which dissolves the solute forms a solution

• Ethanol can be used as a solvent to dissolve substances, including some that are insoluble in water
• Methanol can also be be used as a solvent in the pharmaceutical industry and as antifreeze
  • Methanol is poisonous when ingested

Bioethanol

• Bioethanol is a type of biofuel
• Green plants absorb atmospheric carbon dioxide and convert it into glucose via photosynthesis:

carbon dioxide + water → glucose + oxygen

6CO₂ (g) + 6H₂O (l) → C₆H₁₂O₆ (aq) + 6O₂ (g)

• The glucose is then further converted into ethanol by fermentation
  • The name bioethanol is simply identifying how the ethanol has been produced

The production of biofuel

The production of biofuels such as bioethanol is renewable

• When biofuels are produced this way, they can be considered carbon neutral
  • This is because the carbon dioxide absorbed during photosynthesis equals the carbon dioxide produced by the combustion of the bioethanol

Table showing some advantages and disadvantages for use of bioethanol

Advantages of bioethanol	Disadvantages of bioethanol
Carbon neutral	Bioethanol typically has lower specific energy than fossil fuels
Renewable and sustainable if crops / trees are replanted	Many developed countries don't have the space to be able to produce enough plants to make bioethanol because the land is needed for food production
Reduces greenhouse emissions / pollution	Conversion of engines and machinery to run on bioethanol instead of petrol / diesel
Bioethanol production could provide money for less developed countries as they have the space to grow the crops required	Climate dependent to grow crops

• The production and use of bioethanol is considered to be carbon neutral 
  • This does not take into account the carbon dioxide emissions from harvesting and transporting crops as well as the energy costs of producing the ethanol
    • Overall, more carbon dioxide is emitted than absorbed meaning this process contributes to global warming