E20 Test ResultsResults of drivability and compatibility tests by the State of Minnesota have found that motor vehicles operating on a 20-percent blend of ethanol fuel will perform as well as those running on 10-percent ethanol or gasoline. The tests also found that using the higher E20 ethanol blends did not cause significant problems for a wide range of materials, including metals, plastics, rubbers and fuel pumps used in vehicle fuel systems. The study used nationally recognized standards and protocols to ensure research quality. It was conducted at Minnesota State University Mankato and the University of Minnesota, with cooperation from the State of Minnesota, including the Minnesota Departments of Agriculture and the Pollution Control agency, and the Renewable Fuels Association. The study included input from fuel refiners, automakers and small-engine manufactures, and funding support from the Minnesota Corn Growers Association and the Council of Great Lakes Governors. |
The Ethanol Industry of Minnesota has changed the shape and structure of the corn industry in recent years. The implementation of the Clean Air Act in 1990 helped to propel the renewable energy into a projected 350 million dollar enterprise in Minnesota.
Ethanol Basics
 Ethanol is a valuable alternative to petroleum-based transportation fuels. Also known as grain alcoholor ethyl alcohol, ethanol is produced by fermenting and distilling simple sugars from biological sources. In Minnesota, most ethanol is produced from corn but it can also be made from other sugar or starch crops like sugar cane, such as in Brazil, or wheat, sorghum and potatoes.
Most ethanol in Minnesota is made in a corn dry milling process where the whole kernel is ground into a powder, mixed with water to form a mash and then cooked with enzymes that turn the starch to glucose. The mash is fermented and distillation helps to separate the ethanol from the solids and water which become ahigh quality livestock feed called distillers grains. Many Minnesota plants also produce carbon dioxide which is used for refrigeration or as an industrial chemical.
In the wet milling process, corn is steeped in water and sulfur dioxide before grinding and the germ, fiber, gluten and starch components are separated. The starch can be sold for use in food processing, paper milling and other uses, or, it can be further processed into corn syrup, ethanol, amino-acids or a wide variety of other products. The germ, fiber and gluten can be made into corn oil, livestock feed and many other products. An advantage to the wet mill process is the wider variety of valuable co-products that can be produced.
Cellulosic Ethanol
Cellulosic ethanol is not yet widely commercialized, but many states, including Minnesota are researching this newer manufacturing process which makes ethanol from cellulosic feedstocks. Cellulose is the main component of the cell walls of plants and cellulosic materials that can be made into ethanol include corn stover (leaves, stalks, cobs), wood products, trees and grass. One advantage to using the cellulosic process is the feedstocks can be used to produce the ethanol as well as burned to fuel the ethanol plant, thereby reducing costs and the amount of fossil fuels consumed in production. |