Uses of Ethanol (WJEC GCSE Chemistry)

Alcoholic Drinks

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

Solvents & Fuels

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

• 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