Gasohol is a mixture of regular
unleaded gasoline and
ethyl alcohol (
ethanol). It is comparable to unleaded gasoline in performance and has superior
antiknock properties.
Gasohol is being looked at as a possible supplement for our fuel supply since the ethanol can be produced from crops which are abundant in the United States. Source crops for ethanol include corn, sugar cane, wheat, oats, barley, and sugar beets. Corn is the most commonly identified source crop. Corn starch can be processed into sugar which is then processed into alcohol by a reaction with yeast. The alcohol is distilled until it is 200 proof.
One acre of corn can yield 250 gallons (950 litres) of ethanol, while an acre of sugar cane can yield over 600 gallons (1400 litres).
Gasohol can work in normal unleaded engines without any modifications.