Ethanol

Ethanol is a liquid element used as both a fuel and a temperature-control medium. It is produced by the Ethanol Distiller from Lumber, making it part of the Arbor Tree industrial chain, and it can also be consumed directly by the Petroleum Generator as an alternative to Petroleum.

In power generation, the Petroleum Generator burns 2 kg/s of Ethanol or Petroleum to produce 2 kW of power, along with 500 g/s Carbon Dioxide and 750 g/s Polluted Water. Ethanol is also used as irrigation for domestic Nosh Sprout growth, and Nosh Sprout planted in Hydroponic Farm requires 20 kg/cycle of Ethanol.

Ethanol’s main practical advantage is its thermal behavior. It has good specific heat capacity, very low thermal conductivity, and a wide temperature range, which makes it a useful insulating liquid for mid-game cooling setups before Super Coolant is available. Its freezing point is extremely low at -114°C, so it can be a strong choice when deep-freeze temperatures are needed. At the same time, it is less effective than Polluted Water as a heat-transfer medium, so it is better suited to applications where avoiding freezing is more important than moving heat quickly.

Its low thermal conductivity makes it particularly useful for keeping Sleet Wheat farms below freezing, especially when paired with Radiant Liquid Pipe to carry heat where needed. The low conductivity also makes spills easier to manage than with more conductive liquids.

When Ethanol is heated to 80°C, it becomes Ethanol Gas. In that state, its thermal properties are slightly worse than Hydrogen Gas but still good enough to make it a solid heat-transfer agent at temperatures above roughly 100°C. Because liquid and gas Ethanol have different heat capacities, repeatedly boiling and condensing it can be used as a heat deletion method.

• Ethanol Distiller output: 1 kg/s Lumber = 500 g/s Ethanol + 333.33 g/s Polluted Dirt + 166.67 g/s Carbon Dioxide
• Petroleum Generator conversion: 2.4 kg Ethanol produces 0.9 kg Polluted Water
• Best use cases: fuel, cold-loop coolant, insulating liquid, and Sleet Wheat temperature control
• Key limitation: its lower specific heat than water-based liquids means it costs more energy per degree when used as a coolant