[Chemical Knowledge]：The nature, use, upstream and downstream raw materials, storage methods, the role and principle of anhydrous ethanol.

Anhydrous Ethanol Properties

Anhydrous ethanol, also known as anhydrous alcohol, refers to ethanol with extremely low water content, usually with a purity of more than 99.5 percent. Its chemical formula is C2H5OH, which is a colorless and transparent liquid with a special fragrance and pungent odor. Anhydrous ethanol has a boiling point of about 78.5°C and a density of 0.789g/cm³, and is highly volatile and flammable. Anhydrous ethanol is relatively stable under normal temperature and pressure, but it is easy to burn and explode when encountering high temperature, flame or strong oxidant. Therefore, during storage and transportation, special attention should be paid to fire prevention and explosion prevention.

Use of anhydrous ethanol

Anhydrous ethanol is widely used and covers many fields. In the field of medicine, the use as a solvent and disinfectant is very common. For example, it can be used in the preparation of injections, oral liquids and external medicines, and is also commonly used as a disinfectant in hospitals and laboratories. In the chemical industry, anhydrous ethanol is an important intermediate and solvent for many chemical synthesis reactions, such as ethyl acetate, ether, acetic acid and other chemical products. Third, in terms of fuel, anhydrous ethanol can be used as a clean energy additive for the production of ethanol gasoline to reduce environmental pollution. In daily chemicals, it is one of the main components of perfumes, detergents and cosmetics.

Anhydrous ethanol upstream feedstock

The production of anhydrous ethanol mainly depends on biomass raw materials and petrochemical raw materials. Biomass raw materials include corn, wheat, sugar cane and other plants rich in starch or sugar. These plants are fermented to produce ethanol, which is distilled and dehydrated to obtain anhydrous ethanol. In terms of petrochemical raw materials, ethylene hydration is the main production method, that is, through the reaction of ethylene and water under the action of a catalyst to produce ethanol, and then through distillation and dehydration to obtain anhydrous ethanol. The two production processes have their own advantages and disadvantages. The biomass method is environmentally friendly but costly, and the petrochemical method has a large output but pollutes the environment.

Anhydrous ethanol downstream products

The downstream products of anhydrous ethanol are rich and diverse, covering multiple industrial chains. In the pharmaceutical industry, as a pharmaceutical solvent and disinfectant, it is widely used in pharmaceutical processes and medical hygiene. In the chemical industry, anhydrous ethanol is an important organic chemical raw material for the synthesis of a variety of chemicals, such as ethyl acetate, ether and so on. In the field of energy, anhydrous ethanol is used as a clean fuel additive to make ethanol gasoline, which contributes to reducing exhaust emissions and alleviating the energy crisis. In the daily chemical industry, perfumes, detergents, cosmetics, etc. produced by anhydrous ethanol have become the necessities of people's daily life.

Absolute ethanol storage method

Since anhydrous ethanol is highly volatile and flammable, its storage requires special attention to safety issues. The storage container must be a well-sealed metal or glass container to prevent ethanol from evaporating and absorbing moisture from the air. The storage environment should be kept well ventilated, away from fire sources, heat sources and strong oxidants to prevent ethanol from burning and exploding due to temperature rise or contact with oxidants. Again, the storage temperature should be kept at room temperature as much as possible to avoid high temperatures. The storage area should be equipped with corresponding fire fighting facilities, such as fire extinguishers and fire sand, to deal with sudden fire.

Anhydrous Ethanol Market Prospects

The market prospect of anhydrous ethanol is broad, especially in the field of environmental protection and new energy. As the global demand for clean energy increases, the use of ethanol gasoline will gradually spread, driving the growth of anhydrous ethanol demand. The continuous development of the pharmaceutical and chemical industries will also bring stable market demand for anhydrous ethanol. The continuous progress of biomass ethanol production technology and the gradual decline in costs have brought new opportunities and challenges to the ethanol industry. Market competition is also increasingly fierce, enterprises need to improve their competitiveness through technological innovation and cost control.

Environmental and safety considerations

Anhydrous ethanol has a certain impact on the environment and safety in the process of production and use. The use of pesticides and fertilizers may be involved in the production of anhydrous ethanol by biomass method, and attention should be paid to the impact on the environment. Petrochemical production has the problem of chemical wastewater and exhaust gas emissions, which requires strict environmental protection measures. The safety of storage and transportation of anhydrous ethanol is very important, and relevant regulations and standards must be observed to prevent fire and explosion accidents. When producing and using anhydrous ethanol, enterprises should attach great importance to environmental protection and safety issues, and promote green production and safety management.

Conclusion

As an important chemical raw material and clean energy, anhydrous ethanol has broad application prospects. From its nature, use, production raw materials, downstream products, storage methods to market prospects, all aspects show its important position in modern industry. Facing the challenges of environmental protection and safety management, enterprises need to continuously innovate technology and optimize production processes to ensure the sustainable development of the anhydrous ethanol industry. In the future, anhydrous ethanol will contribute more to the development of human society on the basis of greener, environmentally friendly and safer.