Ethanol: A Piece of cake

INtroduction

             This project aims at using the Jatropha cake to produce ethanol.  Ethanol fermentation is an organic process by which certain sugars such as glucose, fructose, and sucrose are converted into ethanol.  Yeasts carry out ethanol fermentation on sugars in the absence of oxygen. Because the process does not require oxygen, ethanol fermentation is classified as an anaerobic method of fermentation. Ethanol fermentation is responsible for the rising of bread dough, the production of ethanol in alcoholic beverages, and for much of the production of ethanol that is used as fuel. Below is an example of the fermentation process from wheat.

             Jatropha Caucus is becoming more popular worldwide. The Jatropha plant can be found in many tropical or sub-tropical areas, such as Africa, India, Asia and the Caribbean. The Jatropha caucus is drought and pest resistance, it can grow effectively and relatively quickly in poor soil as well as produce seeds for up to 40 years.

 

             The Jatropha Caucus produces seeds that have up to 37% oil content. This oil is extracted by either solvent extraction or a screw press.  After extraction, the Jatropha seed cake has been used as manure in the farms.

http://img1.tradeget.com/taomedia/X1A4NMFF1jatropha.jpg

 

http://www.supplierlist.com/product_view/sunrise/122039/101031/Jatropha_Jatropha_seeds_Jatropha_crude_oil_etc.htm

http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roads/environment/research/cqvcf/coll_internationalresourcecostso/dft_roads_024054-3.jpg