Biofuels
By: Micki & Kelly
General Description
Two main types:
• Ethanol:
• Alcohol made of oxygen, hydrogen and
carbon.
• Obtained from fermentation of cellulose
(sugars) of plants

.. Continued
 Biodiesel:
 Vegetable oils (canola, corn, sunflower, etc.)
and recycled grease
 Non-toxic and biodegradable
 Obtained from transesterification, where oils
react with an alcohol (ex: ethanol) mixed
with a catalyst (ex: sodium hydroxide)
Ethanol
 Is produced and consumed in U.S. more
than any other countries in the world
 Produced from a variety of crops such as:
Sugar cane bagasse miscathus sugar beet
sorghum
barley
potatoes
grain sorghum
hemp
kenaf
cassava
switchgrass
potatoes
sweet
sunflower
fruit
molasses corn stover grain wheat straw
cotton and more
Ethanol again…
 Energy balance- energy used to produce fuel
is comparable to energy released when
burned.
 Corn is the most preferred source in the U.S.
 Fossil fuels are used to also use ethanol
 Ethanol is mixed in with petrol to power cars
How it can be used
• Ethanol:
• Blended with petrol for transportation
• Biodiesel:
• Can replace diesel fuels or use in
combination with traditional diesel
fuels.
• Can be used in any diesel engine
Advantages




Reduce Greenhouse Gas
Potential to be CO2 efficient
Readily Available
Doesn’t require changes to current
fueling ways
 Gives new opportunities
to farmers
Disadvantages
 Biodiversity- taking land to produce crop,
loses land used by animals and wild
plants
 Example: Asian countries replacing
rainforests with oil plantations
 Food vs. Fuel Debate- if biofuels become
profitable to farmers they might reduce
the of crops they produce. Less food =
higher prices and inflation
 (may be countered by 2nd Gen. biofuels which
use waste biomass but this may also impact
Disadvantages Continued..
 Carbon emissions- machinery used to
cultivate crops and plants emit hefty
amount of emissions
 Water use- Enormous quantities are
required to properly irrigate crops as well
as manufacture fuel strains local and
regional water sources
Carbon Neutral?
 Companies try to offset carbon output by
planting trees but this only helps for a
little time; to be truly carbon neutral they
would have to be locked in for millions of
years.
 With biofuels there is a cycle- plants are
used, which release CO2  converted
into biofuel  CO2 stored in plants
(removed from atmosphere)
SOURCES
 http://greenliving.lovetoknow.com/Advant
ages_and_Disadvantages_of_Biofuels
 http://www.thegreencarwebsite.co.uk/biof
uels.asp#disadvantages
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethanol_fuel#
United_States
 http://ezinearticles.com/?Carbon-Neutral--What-Does-It-Mean?&id=339090
Sources
 http://biofuels.croplife.org/index.php?pag
e=biofuel-basics
 http://www.thegreencarwebsite.co.uk/biof
uels
 http://biofuelguide.net