Hemp Ethanol vs Corn Ethanol
How is Ethanol Made?
Ethanol can be made from cellulosic or starchy crops.
- Starch based ethanol = Corn, Potatoes, Sugar Cane, etc.
- Cellulose based ethanol =Hemp, Switchgrass, Wood, Algae, etc.
Starch Ethanol and Cellulose Ethanol:
Producing ethanol from starch based crops such as corn is easier than producing it from cellulose based crops such as hemp or grass.
- Cellulose based crops have to be processed first to separate out cellulose to be converted to sugars.
- This has an additional cost to it, therefore cellulose based crops are not as popular as starch.
Challenges of making Cellulosic Ethanol
Cellulose is stuck together within the hemicellulose and lignin. Separating these bonds to isolate cellulose can be a difficult process requiring heat or chemicals. There is room for innovation in this space.
Pulsed Electric Fields
- Pulsed Electric Fields, also known as PEF can help to loosen the cell wall and make it easier to separate cellulose. (Source)
- This process can help to save time and money, therefore making it easier to create cellulose based ethanol.
- When pre-treatment is done with PEF, less time and effort is needed to isolate cellulose from the hemicellulose and lignin.
Why is Ethanol Used as a Bio Fuel for Cars?
Most of our gasoline at the gas pump has a certain percentage that is mixed with ethanol.
- Ethanol is made from plants which are a renewable resource.
- Since ethanol burns much cleaner than gasoline when used in a car, this may help to reduce green house gases.
Why is Corn Ethanol Losing the Spotlight?
The words Renewable Energy or Clean Energy have a nice ring to them, however that is only part of the truth.
Corn is America’s Largest Crop, approximately 69 million football fields worth, let’s see what this means for the environment.
- Corn requires a mass amount of chemicals for pesticides and herbicides. These chemicals leech into the soil, poisoning wildlife, waterways, and drinking water. (Source)
- Chemical runoff from corn fields is a primary cause of the “dead zone” in the Gulf of Mexico — an aquatic area the size of Massachusetts so polluted that nothing can survive in it. (Source)
- Corn Ethanol production has also been proven to harm human health. (Source).
Why Compare Hemp Ethanol with Corn Ethanol?
According to a study done by the University of Minnesota titled “Cellulosic Ethanol may Benefit Human Health and Help Slow Climate Change”:
- “Filling our fuel tanks with cellulosic ethanol instead of gasoline or corn-based ethanol may be even better for our health and the environment than previously recognized”. (Source)
- “The paper also points out that other potential advantages of cellulosic biofuels, such as reducing the amount of fertilizer and pesticide runoff into rivers and lakes, may also add to the economic benefit of transitioning to next-generation biofuels.” (Source)
To Summarize:
- Cellulosic ethanol is proven to be better for our health and the environment, when compared to corn based ethanol. (Source)
- Since the hemp plant naturally requires a much lower amount of fertilizer, herbicides and pesticides, it can offer many environmental benefits. (Source)
Cellulose Ethanol: Complex Sugars
- Waste and agricultural residue (e.g. rice and corn straw) can be turned from a liability into an asset. (Source)
- It’s more available than corn or any other source of ethanol, or for that matter, any existing source of fuel. When done wisely, cellulosic ethanol production can get rid of waste and make fuel (Source)
- The cost for producing ethanol from plant material is more expensive than ethanol produced from corn. This is because lignin is holding together all the complex sugars so a process has to conducted to separate the lignin from the sugars. (Source)
Hemp is a Recipe for Success
Switchgrass is most commonly used to make cellulosic ethanol but hemp is proven to show much more potential.
Cutting a Profit
- Hemp has proven to be more profitable when compared to other commonly used cellulosic energy crops. See chart below.
Sugar and Lignin Content
- Hemp has a high sugar content (ethanol is made from complex sugars) and it also has the highest lignin content in comparison. Since lignin can be burnt for power, this allows hemp to produce more energy per kg. See chart below.
To Summarize:
Hemp has a high sugar and lignin content which allows it to be very profitable as a biofuel. Let’s not forget that the hemp crop also produces hemp seeds which have a huge market.
Why is Lignin content important?
An unexploited treasure.
- Lignin can be used in replacing petroleum in biobased product developments. (Source)
- Lignin can be used to make bio-chemicals, bio-based materials including biobased composite materials, bio-adhesives, biobased thermoset resins, bio-surfactants, with added advantage of eco-friendliness, sustainability as well as in promoting the low-carbon economy. (Source)
What about Energy Efficiency?
Cellulosic ethanol and Starch based ethanol have the same energy value. This means that if you use either of the two in your car, it will have the same output.
Hemp as a Worldwide Biofuel
Cannabis Industry Waste
- The world is legalizing hemp and all the industries are opening up to this plant. Textiles, Construction, Paper and CBD are some of the many industries that are part of this hemp boom. Any wasted plant matter will have to responsibly taken care of. In this situation this waste can be used for making ethanol.
Friend of Earth
- Hemp supports honey bee populations
- Grows almost all over earth
- It absorbs so much CO2 that it is known as a “Carbon Sponge”
- Requires less pesticide and herbicide because it is a vulnerable to a very insignificant amount of weeds/insects.
- Check out the full article for more information and sources
Cellulosic Ethanol Innovations
- As we focus more on environmentally friendly practices such as making ethanol from cellulose based plants, new innovation will make it faster and easier for this to become more efficient.
It’s time to prioritize environmental benefit, over cost savings.
