Malaysian Journal of Analytical Sciences Vol 26 No 4 (2022): 808 - 818

 

 

 

 

A SIMPLE REAGENT-FREE METHOD FOR ANALYSIS OF THE ETHANOL CONTENT IN GASOHOL

 

(Kaedah Mudah Tanpa Reagen bagi Analisis Kandungan Etanol di dalam Gasohol)

 

Jutharut Pansombut, Phetlada Sunchayanukun, Sasithorn Muncharoen*

 

Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science,

Burapha University, Chonburi 20130, Thailand

 

*Corresponding author:  Muncharoen@go.buu.ac.th

 

 

Received: 29 December 2021; Accepted: 27 April 2022; Published: 25 August 2022

 

 

Abstract

A simple, convenient, economical and especially environmentally friendly method for ethanol analysis in gasohol was developed. The ethanol was extracted from gasohol by water based on ‘like dissolved like’ principle and then determined by simply weighing the water ethanol mixture using an analytical balance as a detector. The parameters that effect on the extraction such as extraction device, extraction ratio and sample volume were investigated. The results showed the correlation coefficient was 0.9976 for linear ranges 3-100% (v/v). Since this correlation coefficient was nearly 1 the relationship between ethanol content in gasohol and weigh of extracted water was linear. The limit of detection (LOD) and the limit of quantitation (LOQ) were 1.4% (v/v) and 4.6% (v/v), respectively. The percentage recovery (%Recovery) was 88-111%. The proposed method was successfully applied for determination of ethanol content in some gasohol products produced in Thailand and validated by gas chromatographic method (GC). The results obtained from the developed method was not significantly different from the GC at 95% confidence level (t_stat = 2.41, t_crit = 2.78). 

    

Keywords: a reagent-less method, ethanol analysis, gasohol, analytical balance, green analytical method

 

Abstrak

Kaedah mudah, meyakinkan, ekonomik dan mesra alam bagi analisis etanol di dalam gasohol telah dibangunkan. Etanol yang diekstrak dari gasohol oleh pelarut air berasaskan prinsip larutan suka pelarut dan kemudian ditentukan melalui timbangan campuran air dan methanol menggunakan penimbang analitikal sebagai pengesan. Parameter yang memberi kesan terhadap pengekstrakan seperti alat pengesktrakan, nisbah pengekstrakan dan isipadu sampel telah dikaji. Keputusan menunjukkan pekali korelasi ialah 0.9976 untuk julat kelinearan 3-100% (v/v). Nilai pekali korelasi yang menghampiri 1 menjelaskan hubungan linear antara kandungan etanol dalam gasohol dan berat pelarut air yang diekstrak. Had pengesanan (LOD) dan had pengkuantitian (LOQ) masing -masing ialah 1.4% (v/v) dan 4.6% (v/v). Peratus perolehan semula ialah 88-111%. Kaedah yang dicadang telah Berjaya digunapakai bagi penentuan kandungan etanol di dalam beberapa produk gasohol di Thailand dan ditentusahkan melalui kaedah gas kromatografi (GC). Keputusan yang diperolehi tidak menghasilkan perbezaan secara signifikan pada aras keyakinan (t_stat = 2.41, t_crit = 2.78). 

    

Kata kunci: kaedah tanpa reagen, analisis etanol, gasohol, penimbang analitikal, kaedah analisis hijau

 

 

Graphical Abstract

 

 

References

1.     Muncharoen, S., Sitanurak, J., Tiyapongpattana, W., Choengchan, N., Ratanawimarnwong, N., Motomizu, S., Wilairat, P. and Nacapricha, D. (2009). Quality control of gasohol using a micro-unit for membraneless gas diffusion. Microchimica Acta, 164(1): 203-210.

2.     Alhadeff, E. M., Salgado, A. M., Pekeira, N. and Valdman, B. (2004). Development and application of an integrated system for monitoring ethanol content of fuels. Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology - Part A Enzyme Engineering and Biotechnology, 113(1-3): 125-136.

3.     Zinbo, M. (1984). Determination of one-carbon to three-carbon alcohols and water in gasoline/alcohol blends by liquid chromatography. Analytical Chemistry, 56(2): 244-247.

4.     Silalertruksa, T., Gheewala, S. H. and Pongpat, P. (2015). Sustainability assessment of sugarcane biorefinery and molasses ethanol production in Thailand using eco-efficiency indicator. Applied Energy, 160(1): 603-609.

5.      Gani, M. (2018). Production of bioethanol from sugarcane bagasse using saccharomyces production of bioethanol from sugarcane bagasse using Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Journal of Basic & Applied Mycology (Egypt), 22(1): 1-8.

6.      Ajibola, F. O., Edema, M. O. and Oyewole, O. B. (2012). Enzymatic production of ethanol from cassava starch using two strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Nigerian Food Journal, 30(2): 114-121.

7.     Adeleye, T. M., Kareem, S. O., Mobolaji, O., Atanda, O. and Adeogun, A. I. (2020). Ethanol production from cassava starch by protoplast fusants of Wickerhamomyces anomalus and Galactomyces candidum. Egyptian Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences, 7(1): 67-81.

8.      Yoosin, S. and Sorapipatana, C. (2007). A study of ethanol production cost for gasoline substitution in thailand and its competitiveness. Science and Technology Asia, 12(l):  69-80.

9.      Mungkalasiri, W. and Pan-in, B. (2018). Optimization of bioethanol production from raw sugar in Thailand. Science and Technology Asia, 23(1): 57-66.

10.   Thailand industry outlook (2021-2023). Ethanol Industry. https://www.krungsri.com/en/research/ industry /industry-outlook/Energy-Utilities/Ethanol/IO/io-ethanol-21. [Access Online 10 September 2021].

11.  Journal, B., Belincanta, J. and Alchorne, J. A. (2016). The brazilian experience with ethanol fuel: aspects of production, use, quality and distribution logistics. Brazilian Journal of Chemical Engineering, 33(4): 1091-1102.

12.  Santos, A. P. F.d., Silva, K. K. D., Borges, G. A., and d’Avila, L. A. (2020). Fuel quality monitoring by color detection. In L.-W. Zeng and S.-L. Cao (Eds.), Color Detection. IntechOpen: pp. 1-22.

13.   Drews, A. W. (1998). In manual on hydrocarbon analysis, 6^th edition, standard test method for determination of MTBE, ETBE, TAME, DIPE, tertiary-amyl alcohol and C1 to C4 Alcohols in gasoline by gas chromatography.  Blatimore: pp. 73-738.

14.  Zinbo, M. (2020). Determination of methanol in gasoline and ethanol fuels by high-performance liquid chromatography. Journal of the Brazilian Chemical Society, 31(5): 1055-1063.

15.  Morine, L., Pereira, A., Ignácio, D., Mattos, M. De, Gimenes, C., Souza, D., França, D., Andrade, D. and Antonio, L. (2018). Determination of ethanol in gasoline by high-performance liquid chromatography. Fuel, 212: 236-239.

16.  Cassada, D. A., Zhang, Y., Snow, D. D. and Spalding, R. F. (2000). Trace analysis of ethanol, MTBE, and related oxygenate compounds in water using solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Analytical Chemistry, 72(19): 4654-4658.

17.  Battiste, D. R., Fry, E., Ted, B., and Perkin-elmer, T. (1981). Determination of ethanol in gasohol by infrared spectrometry. Analytical Chemistry, 53(1): 1096-1099.

18.  Mendes, L. S., Oliveira, F. C. C., Suarez, P. A. Z. and Rubim, J. C. (2003). Determination of ethanol in fuel ethanol and beverages by Fourier transform (FT) -near infrared and FT-Raman spectrometries. Analtica Chimica Acta, 493(2): 219-231.

19.   Alhadeff, E. M., Salgado, A. M., Pereira, N. and Valdman, B. (2005). A sequential enzymatic microreactor system for ethanol detection of gasohol mixtures. In Twenty-Sixth Symposium on Biotechnology for Fuels and Chemicals, pp. 361-371.

20.   Alhadeff, E. M., Salgado, A. M., Cos, O., Pereira, N. and Valero, F. (2007). Enzymatic microreactors for the determination of ethanol by an automatic sequential injection analysis system. Applied Biochemistry And Biotechnology, 137(1): 17-25.

21.   Pereira, P. F., Sousa, R. M. F., Munoz, R. A. A. and Richter, E. M. (2013). Simultaneous determination of ethanol and methanol in fuel ethanol using cyclic voltammetry. Fuel, 103: 725-729.  

22.  Cardoso, J. L., and Bertotti, M. (2007). The use of a copper microelectrode to measure the ethanol content in gasohol samples. Fuel, 86(7-8): 1185-1191.

23.   Tomassetti, M., Capesciotti, G. S., Angeloni, R. and Martini, E. (2016). Bioethanol in biofuels checked by an amperometric organic phase enzyme electrode (OPEE) working in “ substrate antagonism ” format. Sensors, 16(9): 1-10.

24.  Campanella, L., Capesciotti, G. S., Gatta, T., and Tomassetti, M. (2010). An innovative organic phase enzyme electrode (OPEE) for the determination of ethanol in leadless petrols. Sensors and Actuators: B. Chemical, 147(1): 78-86.

25.   Leary, J. J. (1983). A quantitative gas chromatographic ethanol determination: a contemporary analytical experiment. Journal of Chemical Education, 60(8): 675.

26.  Hönig, V., Táborský, J., Orsák, M. and Ilves, R. (2015). Using gas chromatography to determine the amount of alcohols in diesel fuels. Agronomy Research, 13(5): 1234-1240.

27.   Miller, J.N., and Miller, J. (2010). Statistics and Chemometrics for analytical chemistry, 6^th edition. Ashford Colour Press Ltd., Gosport: pp. 43-45.