Page -3- Attachment C 
Ethylene Glycol 
C 2 H i) + *0 2 
^ CH, CH, - M > CH 
V 2 
CH/ 
. 2 l 2 
OH OH 
ETHYLENE GLYCOL 
ETHYLENE OXIDE 
IN THE FIRST STEP, A SILVER CATALYST IS USED, WITH TEMPERATURES 
* 
REACHING 200° - 300° C, AND PRESSURES OF 300 PSIG. THE SECOND 
STEP IS ACID HYDROLYSIS, WITH RELATIVELY LOW TEMPERATURES (ABOUT 
100 ° 0 , 
Again, temperatures and pressures are high enough to present 
A SERIOUS threat of catastrophe in case of reactor failure. 
Fermentation Processes 
Here, the same products could be made from the same basic 
STARTING MATERIAL, ETHYLENE. 
Ethyl Alcohol 
One approach here is to develop a superior strain 
OF YEAST VIA THE RECOMBINANT DNA ROUTE, ONE WHICH WOULD 
PROVIDE YIELDS AND RATES OF REACTION COMPETITIVE WITH THE 
PETROCHEMICAL METHOD WHICH HAS MORE OR LESS SUPERCEDED THE 
ORIGINAL FERMENTATION APPROACH. The FERMENTATION WOULD BE 
ACCOMPLISHED BY INOCULATION OF THE SUGAR SOLUTION WITH LIVE 
ORGANISMS, MUCH AS ALCOHOLIC LIQUORS HAVE BEEN MADE FOR THOUSANDS 
OF YEARS. 
Ethylene Oxide and Ethylene Glycol 
Here, the reaction between ethylene and oxygen would be 
BASICALLY THE SAME AS DESCRIBED ABOVE FOR THE HIGH-TEMPERATURE, 
HIGH-PRESSURE CATALYTIC PROCESS. THE CATALYST, HOWEVER, WOULD 
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