Ethanol is a common chemical that is found in many products today. However, it has only been used recently in its purest form in high amounts for industrial and commercial use to such a large degree. Ethanol itself is a highly volatile, flammable liquid that if consumed can affect both the mind and body. Commonly it is found in products such as beer and other distilled products and is referred to as alcohol, though ethanol in its strongest form is typically used industrial purposes and is not suitable for human consumption. Ethanol that is not consumable by humans is also useful in a number of applications, including the production of biodiesel and other useful alternative fuels for use as an energy source.

Ethanol is the byproduct of the fermentation of various sugars and is one of the earliest chemical reactions that is been used by human beings. This can be seen throughout thousands of years of Earth’s history where fermentation of sugars in the processing of beer and other consumable liquids has been used for both social and ceremonial purposes. This is due the fact that the breaking down of the sugar into a molecular chain that contains high numbers of hydrogen molecules per carbon with an additional oxygen molecule can affect a number of our bodily functions, as most people are commonly aware.

In social application to date, ethanol is applied in a number of different ways both in solvents, as treatments for food to increase both scent and flavor and overall enjoyment as well as medicines, such as cough syrup. In past years it has also served as a light and heat source for people and has been the foundation for internal combustion engines, however nowadays the primary function most people are seeking to use a for is industrial application as an alternative fuel source.

Because it is the byproduct of a sugar compound ethanol requires a substance that is high in starches and sugars begin with in order to be produced in sufficient quantities to be distributed and used appropriately. Most common food stock used to produce ethanol today is corn due to its high natural starch and sugar yield without needing any other additional manipulation. With the growing ethanol market affecting the United States and other countries around the world corn values have skyrocketed in recent years and has allowed some farmers to see substantial increases in revenues while consumers may be having a difficult time purchasing such a previously common old staple food.

In chemical terms ethanol can be described as C2H6O or C2H5OH. This highly unstable bond of large numbers of hydrogen atoms to carbon and oxygen molecules allows it to be easily combusted and more susceptible to heat changes than water, allowing it to boil at a mere 78.4°C (or 173.1°F) compared to water which boils at 100°C (or 212°F). The carbon molecules also allowed it to become combustible unlike water, though both are a clear liquid and during the production of ethanol a large amount of water is also produced as a byproduct.

Ethanol can also be solidified using a gelatin-like substance in order to create what can be described as “rock alcohol”, a semi hard substance that is both flammable and useful the number different applications due to its ability to be carried and applied for cooking or heating purposes. Most often this can be found in both restaurants as well as camping trips due to the fact that it is easy to carry, easy to use and produces little emissions when burned.