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Definition: ethanol from Philip's Encyclopedia

(ethyl alcohol) Colourless, volatile alcohol (C2H5OH), produced by the fermentation of sugars, molasses and grains, or by the catalytic hydration of ethylene. Also known as grain alcohol, its uses include alcoholic beverages, cleaning solutions, antifreeze, rocket fuels, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. Properties: r.d. 0.789; b.p. 78.5°C (173.3°F).

ethanol

From The Columbia Encyclopedia
(ĕth'Әnōl´´) or ethyl alcohol, CH 3 CH 2 OH, a colorless liquid with characteristic odor and taste; commonly called grain alcohol or simply alcohol . Ethanol is a monohydric primary alcohol. It melts at −117.3 degrees Celsius and boils at 78.5 degrees Celsius. It is miscible (i.e., mixes without separation) with water in all proportions and is separated from water only with difficulty; ethanol that is completely free of water is called absolute ethanol. Ethanol forms a constant-boiling mixture, or azeotrope, with water that contains 95% ethanol and 5% water and that boils at 78.15 degrees Celsius; since the boiling point of this binary azeotrope is below that of pure ethanol, absolute ethanol cannot be obtained by simple distillation. However, if benzene is added to 95% ethanol, a ternary azeotrope of benzene, ethanol, and water, with boiling point 64.9 degrees Celsius, can form; since the proportion of water to ethanol in this azeotrope is greater than that in 95% ethanol, the water…
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Full text Article ethanol

From The Columbia Encyclopedia
(ĕth'Әnōl´´) or ethyl alcohol, CH 3 CH 2 OH, a colorless liquid with characteristic odor and taste; commonly called grain alcohol or simply alcohol . Ethanol is a monohydric primary alcohol. It melts at −117.3 degrees Celsius and boils at 78.5 degrees Celsius. It is miscible (i.e., mixes without…
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Full text Article ethanol

From Britannica Concise Encyclopedia
Organic compound, most important of the alcohol s, chemical formula CH 3 CH 2 OH. Produced by fermentation , it is the intoxicating ingredient in alcoholic beverage s. Ethanol for industrial purposes is made by either fermentation or chemical synthesis, then purified by distillation and, to avoid…
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Full text Article ethanol

From The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia with Atlas and Weather Guide
Alcohol found in beer, wine, cider, spirits, and other alcoholic drinks. When pure, it is a colourless liquid with a pleasant odour, miscible with water or ether; it burns in air with a pale blue flame. The vapour forms an explosive mixture with air and may be used in high-compression internal…
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Annual production of fuel ethanol in...
1. Use as a Fuel 2. Ethanol Production Approaches 3. Production from Sugar Crops 4. Production from Starch Crops 5. Production from Cellulosic Biomass 6. Directions and Opportunities for World Ethanol Production 7. Conclusions Glossary anhy... …
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Full text Article Ethanol: an Alcohol

From The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia with Atlas and Weather Guide
Introduction Ethanol is an example of an alcohol – a group of substances with the general formula C n H 2n+1 OH. They form a homologous series of compounds – they all have similar properties. The most important alcohol, ethanol C 2 H 5 OH, is widely used in industry and for recreational purposes. It…
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Full text Article ethanol

From The Macquarie Dictionary
ethyl alcohol produced from crops and used as a biofuel. Plural: ethanols Etymology: ethan(e) + -ol1 Ethanol is the alcoholic component of beer, wine, etc., and the fluid used in some thermometers and in antifreeze. It is increasingly being used as a biofuel. Since ancient times ethanol has been…
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Full text Article ethanol (ethyl alcohol, alcohol)

From The Penguin Dictionary of Science
ethanol Its reaction with sulfuric acid.
CH 3 CH 2 OH The alcohol with two carbon atoms, which is the archetypal alcohol; in common usage the word ‘alcohol’ means this specific chemical. It is a colourless liquid with a relatively high boiling point of 78°C (the molecule methoxymethane, CH 3 OCH 3 , which has the same mass boils at -23°C, …
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Full text Article alcoholic fermentation (ethanol fermentation)

From Dictionary of Microbiology & Molecular Biology
A type of FERMENTATION (sense 1), carried out by various yeasts and other fungi (e.g. species of Saccharomyces , Pichia , Aspergillus , Fusarium , Mucor ) and by certain bacteria (e.g. Zymomonas ), in which ethanol is formed from D -glucose (or certain other sugars, depending e.g. on organism). In…
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Ethanol is a simple molecule that freely enters the brain and interacts with many cellular or subcellular systems. Ethanol's well-known ability to cause acute intoxication qualifies it as a central nervous system (CNS) intoxicant, a word that implies a toxic action on the CNS. However, toxic actions…
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Full text Article ethanol

From Dictionary of Energy
ethanol Municipal bus powered by ethanol fuel...
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