ILOILO City – The local supply of alcohol for sanitation has dwindled due to high demand triggered by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
Recognizing the problem, chemists of the University of the Philippines Visayas (UPV) and researchers from the UPV Regional Research Center are gearing up to produce more alcohol solutions for use in sanitation.
UPV’s School of Technology (SoTech) based in Miag-ao, Iloilo is leading the production of ethanol.
Drum-type batch fermenters are currently in place for the production, according to SoTech’s Dean Ramer Bautista.
Packed bed bioreactors for ethanol fermentation have been set up at the UPV Miag-ao campus to increase further the production rate.
Chemists from the Philippine Science High School – Western Visayas are volunteering to assist.
To ensure that the ethanol alcohol solution produced reaches 60 percent or more to be effectively antiseptic or antimicrobial, UPV scientists are setting up an analytical laboratory for quality control.
Helping UPV in this endeavour are concerned Ilonggos and businesses. The molasses needed for the ethanol production are from businessman Terence Uygongco and IBAH of La Filipina Uygongco Corp.; Capiz Sugar Central, Inc. and Universal Robina Corp. – Sugar and Renewables based in Passi City, Iloilo province.
Plastic drums for fermenting the molasses are from the Metro Iloilo Water District.
Trolleys for the transfer of the necessary materials for production are from San Miguel Brewery, McDonalds, Megaworld and JCI. (UPV/PN)
