Alternative Fuels: E85

Did you know that E85 gasoline is made out of 85% ethanol and only 15% gasoline?   Ethanol is a completely renewable resource; it is also a very useful natural resource.   Ethanol is produced by a fermenting biomass, commonly corn.   E85 stations are commonly found in the Midwest (Indiana).
The process of turning corn into ethanol is called dry grinding.   Dry grinding begins by putting the corn through a hammer mill that smashes it into flour. The flour then runs through a set of screens to create a fine powder called meal.   The meal is placed into tanks where it is mixed with water. This mixture, now called mash, passes through steamers that help break apart the molecules. Then, the mash enters the liquefaction process. This is where enzymes -- proteins that help break down the mash -- are introduced to begin fermentation.   During fermentation, yeast is added. The yeast turns the sugars into carbon dioxide and a product called beer, which consists of 12-15 percent ethanol.   The beer then enters the distillation process. This is where it will pass through a series of towers heated to 170 degrees. This purifies the mixture, leaving only water and distiller’s grain as by-products. The grain is sold as feed for livestock. The ethanol factory reuses the water.   After this process, the mixture passes though what are called molecular sieves. These sieves resemble little BB pellets with holes in the middle. Any remaining water in the mixture is absorbed by the sieves, allowing only pure ethanol to pass though. The result is 100% ethanol.   Finally, the ethanol that will be used for fuel must be denatured, or poisoned, by adding a small amount of gasoline. The denatured ethanol is then transported to a fuel factory. There it is blended with gasoline to create the fuel needed for your vehicle — E85 ethanol.
E85 gasoline is an alternative fuel that is great for the environment. This fuel burns cleaner than gasoline so it releases less greenhouse gases.   E 85 is also 100%...