Combustion of alcohols

• Alcohols react with oxygen in the air when ignited and undergo?complete combustion?to form carbon dioxide and water

alcohol + oxygen → carbon dioxide + water

Complete combustion of alcohols to produce carbon dioxide and water

• Lower alcohols burn with an almost invisible flame and make good fuels
• Ethanol?can be produced sustainably as a fuel by the?fermentation?of sugars
• However, the?energy density?(the amount of energy in kJ per kg of fuel) is lower than gasoline so cars that run on ethanol must either have a larger fuel tank or fill up more often
• Blending?ethanol?with gasoline or diesel increases the?energy density?and makes it safer in case of fires as it is easier to see the flames compared to pure?ethanol?burning
• However, the are socio-economic concerns about using large quantities of farm land to produce crops for fermentation, which could be better used for food production