Ethanol (Ethyl Alcohol) in Nicaragua

The world ethanol (ethyl alcohol) market is growing between 2-3% a year, with global consumption expected to rise to 41.9 billion litres by 2006. Brazil is the largest producer of ethanol, manufacturing over 14 billion litres a year. The major use of ethanol is as an alternative fuel (especially in Brazil), accounting for over two-thirds of world consumption, while other applications are within the industrial and beverage making sectors. The largest consuming region other than South America (38%) is Asia, accounting for 20% of world consumption. The main exporters of ethanol are the USA, France, Brazil, South Africa, and the United Kingdom. This report reviews the ethanol market in 156 countries from 1999, with forecasts forward to 2006.

Ethanol (ethyl alcohol) is a clear, colourless alcohol with a distinctive smell. Ethanol has the chemical formula CH3CH2OH, melts at -114.1°C and boils at 78.5°C. It has a density of 0.789 g/mL at 20°C. Ethanol has traditionally been made by the fermentation of sugars, with half of industrial ethanol still made by this process. This report contains a consolidated review of un-denatured and denatured ethanol.