Author(s):

Mbonu OF, Udeozor PA, Umoru GU and Uti DE

Abstract: From this work, it is evident that there is much money lying around the waste both Agriculturally and Chemically, only when we realize this and tap from our Locally available Food stuffs, that we can appreciate this fact. This research carried out on the production of bio-ethanol as bio-fuel from Sweet corn was successively completed and the bio-ethanol was produced using simple distillation apparatus and was properly analyzed. The Sweet corn was hydrolyzed for 72 hours. Fermentation took about 96 hours (4 days). The weight of sample (sweet corn) used for the production was 885g. This large amount of corn sample used was to ensure that an appreciable quantity of ethanol was distilled. The mass of yeast (saccharomyces cerevisae) used was 52.2g. This large amount of yeast used was to help facilitate the rate of fermentation of the corn sample. The percentage of ethanol produced is 11.8%. This low yield of ethanol from corn shows that corn has a lower quantity of ethanol when compared to other locally available raw materials. Such as potatoes that have an ethanol percentage yield of 38 to 45%. The percentage purity of the alcohol produced was determined to be 96%. This result suggest that ethanol was of high purity when compared to others sold in the market that had the highest percentages purity of 98% and also to that from potato that has a parentage purity of 96%. From the quality test of the alcohol, the temperature of the alcohol was 29 oC which is approximately to that of room temperature which is 27 oC. The pH value was 9.2 indicating very low basicity.

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