Selection of an analytical technique for the determination of ethanol concentration

Abstract

The development of fast analytical techniques is essential for the monitoring and control of the sugar manufacturing process and in ethanol production. In this work, the techniques to determine ethanol concentrations were analyzed and it was specified in those used in the wine, beer and rum industry. The most widely used techniques are chromatography, spectrophotometry and redox titration. Chromatography and spectrophotometry have the advantages of the precision of the results but require equipment that can be expensive. Redox titration was the analytical technique selected because it is accurate, feasible, and economical. This technique not require expensive equipment, electricity or gas. For the determination of the ethanol concentration in a sample obtained by fermentation, the redox titration technique has few interferences with the other components of the medium, since unlike chromatography, it can be used when there are impurities. The experimental setup was set up and the method calibration curve was made. Preliminary results indicated that the calibration curve is linear, so it can be used to determine the ethanol concentration in a sample obtained by fermentation.