The purification of bioethanol is traditionally performed by extractive distillation using three column sequences. In the present work new arrangements composed of two columns are considered for the analysis of control properties. The control properties study was based on the controllability properties under open loop operation, followed by the dynamic behavior for common industrial operating disturbances. Simulation results were analyzed by the singular value decomposition technique. The results from the theoretical control properties indicate that the presence of a side stream in the extractive distillation sequences does not necessarily provide operational disadvantages. The results also suggest that control properties are ruled by the kind of solvent used. The best performances were obtained when glycerol is used as entrainer. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.