How can you make ethanol from wood?

[XemaSab]

Wouldn't that be methanol, i.e. wood alcohol?

:shrug:

[Dave Reynolds]

1. To my (limited) knowledge,

methanol would be the product.

[punpirate]

2. There are processes which can make ethanol...

... from wood. However, it's a more expensive process than ethanol from corn or other feedstocks with simple sugars. It requires a different complement of yeasts and a much more energy-intensive process of hydrolization of the wood, but it can be done.

But, frankly, Bush is just talking out of his ass with this one. Right now, the energy input is greater than the output, and it's going to stay that way for a while.

[XemaSab]

4. That's what I thought

I figured it would be more complicated than using the wood for simple biofuel, or some other purpose.

[rfkrfk]

3. enzymes convert the cellulose into sugars

the only hitch, is producing the enzymes

the issue is cost

costs can change

[XemaSab]

5. That's how alcohol is made, yeah

But wood alcohol is usually methanol. I didn't know it could be made into ethanol by any practical means.

[NNadir]

7. Wood alcohol (methanol) is made from the destructive distillation of wood.

It is a thermal process conducted without access to air. There is quite a bit of side product, including carbon and tars and carbon monoxide.

This process is mostly historical. Modern methanol is made from natural gas.

[Dogmudgeon]

6. Cellulose --> Sugars -->Ethanol (Alcohol)

I think that's how the process would work.

A large number of species of mushrooms can digest cellulose easily and fairly quickly; they turn it into glucose, other simple sugars, and a number of other compounds.

--p!