The carbon isotopic (13C/12C) signature of sugarcane bioethanol: certifying the major source of renewable fuel from Brazil

Abstract

Ethanol has been increasingly used worldwide as a major renewable fuel. Since it can be produced from several matrixes such as sugarcane, corn, wheat, grape and beet, it has become important for certification purposes to verify the geographical origin and the different raw materials used for ethanol production. In this work, isotope ratio mass spectrometry, coupled to gas chromatography, was used to measure the carbon isotopic signature (δ¹³C_V-PDB) of Brazilian sugar cane bioethanol. Statistical data analysis was also applied to establish a probabilistic profile for the isotopic signature of major renewable Brazilian fuel. Other bioethanol samples produced from different raw materials in the USA and France were also analysed, for comparison.