After all of the years of being subjected to the information regarding the production of ethanol we have learned that it is derived from grains and grasses. Such grains as corn and grasses such as switchgrass, although it is not confined to these grains and grasses alone. We use these two examples for the purpose of explanation only. Basically, these grains and grasses either have sugar in them or have some component that can be converted to sugar: i.e. some plants contain cellulose which can be converted to sugar. Through fermentation, distillation and dehydration ethanol, a biofuel is created as a fuel alternative. In its conversion the density of ethanol is important.

What is density and how is it measured? Density is defined as the mass per unit of volume. For example: If sugar is your property and you increase the amount of its mass, it will definitely increase in volume keeping the density the same. How closely the atoms are placed together in any one object is its relation to mass and volume. If an item floats in water it is therefore, less dense than water and if it sinks it is more dense than water. This is a simple explanation of density. Gasoline is a hydrocarbon and ethanol is a polar solvent they are both highly flammable and capable of being used together as an alternative fuel. The density of ethanol is 1.59 making it heavier then air consequently; ethanol vapors do not rise as do gasoline vapors. As gasoline has a vapor density of 3-4.

The density of ethanol produces more heat and with the combustibility of gasoline they are well blended as an alternative fuel. This combination results in lower emissions as the ethanol uses its polar solvent abilities to subdue the hydrocarbon emissions of the gasoline. However, since the flammability of gasoline produces black smoke and ethanol does not, in an emergency one may not suspect that the ethanol can still be flammable even though it has water in it since ethanol can still continue to burn even in water.

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