ETHANOL PRODUCTION FROM SWEET POTATO (Ipomea batatas) PEEL BY HYDROLYSIS, YEAST FERMENTATION AND DISTILLATION PROCESS

The study was conducted to evaluate the production of ethanol from sweet potato peels (Ipomea batatas) by hydrolysis, yeast fermentation and distillation process. The goal of this study is to produce ethanol from sweet potatoes which are often disused in the market. The study consisted of three treatments which varied in the length of fermentation, namely, two (2), three (3), and four (4) weeks. Each treatment has three replications. Data on mass, volume, density, specific gravity, percent ethanol, ethanol volume, and flammability after the distillation process were collected. Based on the results, it was discovered that fermented mixture for 2 weeks produced the highest percent ethanol. Furthermore, the lengths of fermentation showed no significant effect with the percent ethanol and volume of ethanol of the collected distillates. Also, all the distillates produced contain high percent of ethanol. The flammability test showed that all the distillates produced a blue flame, hence, ascertaining the presence of ethanol.