Ethanol fuel, an applied use of ethanol (which is also known as ethyl
alcohol — the same alcohol found in alcoholic beverages) is one of four common
alcohol fuels. It is often made from agricultural products. It can be
mass-produced by sugar fermentation or from cellulose (bioethanol), or by
hydration of ethylene from petroleum and other sources.
Ethanol is a clear, colorless liquid with a characteristic, agreeable odor. Alcohol originally referred to any fine powder, but medieval alchemists later applied the term to the refined products of distillation, and this led to the current usage.
Much ethanol not intended for drinking is now made synthetically, either from acetaldehyde made from acetylene, or from ethylene made from petroleum. Ethanol can be oxidized to form first acetaldehyde and then acetic acid. It can be dehydrated to form ether. Butadiene, used in making synthetic rubber, may be made from ethanol, as can chloroform and many other organic chemicals. Ethanol is used as an automotive fuel by itself and can be mixed with gasoline to form gasohol. Ethanol is miscible (mixable) in all proportions with water and with most organic solvents. It is useful as a solvent for many substances and in making perfumes, paints, lacquer, and explosives. Alcoholic solutions of nonvolatile substances are called tinctures; if the solute is volatile, the solution is called a spirit.
