Ethanol Producers Association of Southern Africa

EPASA

Applications

Alcohol has been known to mankind for more than 2000 years. Its application then, is still popular today. In recent centuries further applications have been developed and today alcohol (or ethanol) is used in a wide variety of applications. The major ones are covered below. 



The liquor industry is the most important outlet for high quality fermentation alcohol. The Liquor Products Act specifies the type of spirit (alcohol) upon which the various liquor categories may be based, as follows.

  • Brandy must be based on A spirit or grape spirit.
  •  Vodka, Cane spirit, Gin and Liqueurs may be based on C spirit, i.e., alcohol derived from sugar cane.
  •  Whisky must be based on G spirit or grain spirit.

The high quality alcohol (potable alcohol) is marketed to liquor manufacturers at 96% strength and they process it down to 43%, the strength at which it is bottled. This alcohol attracts excise duty at the rate of R 93 / laa, as at 2011.


The personal care industry (i.e., pharmaceutical, toiletry, perfumery and fragrance industries) also require high quality alcohol. In this case, the alcohol is generally permitted to be used under rebate of the excise duty by registered users. Fermentation or synthetic alcohol may be used. Cough mixture is an interesting example where fermentation alcohol can be consumed without attracting excise duty.


Chemical manufacture is a large market for alcohol and large volumes of high purity synthetic ethanol are used in the manufacture of ethyl acrylate and ethyl acetate in South Africa.


Once ethanol is denatured it is no longer under Customs and Excise control. It is then widely used in numerous industrial applications. Typical examples are the manufacture of solvent based paints, printing inks, lacquer thinners, etc.


Blending of denatured anhydrous fermentation ethanol with petrol will give rise to “biofuel”. Internationally this is the fastest growing application for ethanol, i.e., fuel ethanol. This application is imminent in South Africa in terms of the Government’s published biofuels strategy. Numerous technical considerations still have to be addressed though.


The food industry accounts for some of the alcohol produced, but in a converted form. Alcohol is fermented by acetobacter to produce natural acetic acid or vinegar. Legislation requires that only fermentation alcohol may be used (under rebate of excise duty) for this application. Vinegar in turn is used as an acidulant in chutney, tomato sauce, mayonaisse, salad dressing and similar products.