Ethanol blending: to innovation and beyond

January 31, 2024 iSolvents Chemicals

FEBRUARY, 2024 | @Chris Nell

If you’ve heard of the term “ethanol blending” you would know it as the theoretical solution to countries battling the fuel energy crisis. Simply add pure ethanol to petrol. Brazil is a common example of how well it is going with their alcohol gasoline. Their successful fuel range with ethanol concentrations of 25%-100% proves that ethanol blending is economically viable.

Ethanol is a remarkable chemical that has found its place as a commodity decades ago, and it continues to hold its position at the forefront of industrial innovation to this day. This is because ethanol is a simple organic molecule that is produced cleanly and easily, and it offers powerful solvency due its characteristic chemical polarity. This polar structure allows it to blend well with compounds that would otherwise stubbornly mix and not react the way we intend them to.

This is why there has been success with its powerful applications as a fuel enhancer. But this is only the beginning of ethanol’s blending potential. Already, there is a market call to blend ethanol with more chemicals. With secondary alcohols to manufacture cleaning agents. With food esters to develop new organic flavours. With cellulose polymers to produce moisturizing lotion. And with pharmaceutical ingredients to make medicine.

Ethanol offers protection

A secondary alcohol has the alcoholic functional group (-OH) that is bound to the second carbon in its chemical structure. When a secondary alcohol is mixed with ethanol they do not react since they are both alcohols. However, together they act on the outer proteins of microorganisms and break them down. A secondary alcohol known as isopropyl alcohol, when blended with ethanol, creates a mixture that offers a wide range of antimicrobial activity. Where isopropyl alcohol kills some pathogens, ethanol will kill others. This lets us tailor industrial cleaning solutions for specific protection in particular settings (Nzekwe et al., 2021).

Ethanol adds flavour
Esters are a group of chemical compounds present in food. They are volatile compounds as they readily evaporate in the air and spread in the mouth when food is eaten. Because they are volatile compounds their concentration in food can alter the perception of flavour – giving food the specific flavours of citrus, apricot, caramel, pear, walnut and even cabbage – depending on the concentration of each kind of ester in the food. Here is where ethanol can make a difference. Flavours can be enhanced by the addition of ethanol that induces a chemical reaction called transes-terification – where more of one type of ester is produced to bring out a specific desirable flavour (Richoux et al., 2008).

Ethanol brings comfort

Cellulose polymer is a natural plant derivative that has a waxy or oily consistency. When it is blended with ethanol it produces a moisturizing balm. In the cosmetic industry this is called an emollient. Applying an emollient on the skin stimulates the intracellular layers of our skin. This improves the feeling of it by filling the spaces between skin cells, giving the sense of softness and plasticity. Using this emollient to make cosmetic products is desirable for its cooling effect that reduces itchiness of the skin. The ethanol in the emollient also provides the rapid evaporation of fragrances should they be added to the lotion (Barnes et al., 2021).

Ethanol elevates health

Controlled release of active compounds in drugs is important to determine the recommended dose of medicines to patients. Ethanol opens pores in the gut for the absorption of compounds into the bloodstream.

When ethanol interacts with a controlled release product the delivery rate of a drug to the rest of the body increases. By adding ethanol to medicinal drugs for oral administration, the rate of drug absorption by the body can be tweaked to reach the intended therapeutic dose of the medication. By blending active medicinal compounds with ethanol, pharmacists and drug developers can optimize the use of medicines with the highest care for their patients’ health (Lennernas, 2009).

Enhancing the energy efficiency of fuel with ethanol blending is only the beginning. iSolvents has been successfully blending ethanol for various industrial applications for the past 22 years. Join us in meeting your need with the multi-dimensional solutions that ethanol offers. Let’s prospect the future together.

References

Barnes, Tanya M., Dalibor Mijaljica, Joshua P. Townley, Fabrizio Spada, and Ian P. Harrison. Vehicles for Drug Delivery and Cosmetic Moisturizers: Review and Comparison Pharmaceutics 13, (2021) no. 12: 2012.

Lennernas, H. Ethanol-Drug Absorption Interaction: Potential for a Significant Effect on the Plasma Pharmacokinetics of Ethanol Vulnerable Formulations. Department of Pharmacy, Uppsala University. Sweden (2009). Molecular pharmaceutics vol.6 no. 5-1440

Nzekwe, I.T., Agwuka, O.I., Okezie, M.U. et al. Designing an ideal alcohol-based hand sanitizer: in vitro antibacterial responses of ethanol and isopropyl alcohol solutions to changing composition. AAPS Open 7, 5 (2021).

Richoux, R., Maillard, M.B., Kerjean, J.R., Lortal, S., Thierry, A., Enhancement of ethyl ester flavour formation in Swiss cheese by ethanol addition. International Dairy Journal 18 (2008) 1140-1145.

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