Feeding the Chemical Market

Ethanol Producer Magazine
By Erin Voegele March 05, 2012

Ethanol serves as not only a liquid transportation fuel but also as a feedstock for biobased chemical production

Although ethanol is generally associated with the transportation fuel market, it is in no way limited to use as a liquid fuel. It can also be converted—via known technology—into biobased chemicals, the most predominant being the common platform chemical ethylene. Once an ethanol molecule is processed into ethylene, it can be further refined into a plastic material known as polyethylene.

While using ethanol as a feedstock to produce ethylene is relatively new, the finished chemical itself is not new, as it has traditionally been derived from crude oil. In fact, recent statistics show it is the most produced organic compound in the world. Information published by the National Petrochemicals and Refiners Association notes that the colorless, flammable gas is one of the most important olefin chemicals on the market. It is used extensively in chemical synthesis and in the production of plastics.

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