Ethanol is a clear, colorless liquid with a characteristic, agreeable odor. In dilute aqueous solution, it has a somewhat sweet flavor, but in more concentrated solutions it has a burning taste. Ethanol, CH3CH2OH, is an alcohol, a group of chemical compounds whose molecules contain a hydroxyl group, -OH, bonded to a carbon atom. Ethanol melts at -114.1°C, boils at 78.5°C, and has a density of 0.789 g/mL at 20°C. Its low freezing point has made it useful as the fluid in thermometers for temperatures below -40°C, the freezing point of mercury, and for other low-temperature purposes, such as for antifreeze in automobile radiators.
Ethanol, also referred to as ethyl alcohol, drinking alcohol or ethyl alcohol, may be a flammable, colorless, mildly toxic chemical compound, and is best referred to as the alcohol found in alcoholic beverages. In common usage, it's often mentioned simply as alcohol. Its molecular formula is variously represented as EtOH, CH3CH2OH and C2H5OH or as its formula C2H6O (which it shares with diethyl ether).
India ethanol market is projected to grow from $ 2.50 billion in 2018 to $ 7.38 billion by 2024, exhibiting a CAGR of 14.50% during 2019-2024, on the rear of increasing ethanol use in applications such as fuel additives and beverages. Ethanol may be a prominent alcoholic beverage, mainly found in beer, cider, wine, spirits and ale. Indian government is trying to scale back its dependence on imported petroleum and incentivizing Indian sugar manufacturers to supply ethanol for Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs). It’s expected that ethanol production will increase by three to five folds within the future so as to satisfy the demand for its 20% Fuel Blending Program (FBP). Factors like increasing alcohol consumption and changing lifestyle alongside growing influence of the Western culture are likely to drive the demand for ethanol within the country.
The global industrial ethanol market demand reached a volume of almost 116.9 billion liters in 2019. The demand is further expected to grow at a CAGR of 2.5% in the forecast period of 2020-2025 to reach a volume of almost 135.5 billion litres by 2025. From the total ethanol consumption, the non-fuel applications like chemicals, pharmaceutical, plastic, and beverage industries, which also include cosmetics, paints, cleaning products, and alcoholic drinks, contribute about 13-15% of the total applications. While fuel applications are the leading application segment for ethanol, industrial applications account for 7% of the total uses of the product. The Asia Pacific is the leading the industrial ethanol market, as it is the largest producer as well as the consumer of industrial-grade ethanol. The market is being driven by the rising demand for acetic acid from the paints, inks, and coatings sector, especially from countries like South Korea and China.
Few Indian major players are as under
India Glycols Ltd
Ghaziabad Organics Ltd.
Shamanur Sugars Ltd.
Piccadily Sugar & Allied Inds. Ltd.
Jeypore Sugar Co. Ltd
Shree Renuka Sugars Ltd.
Ammana Bio Pharma Ltd.
