Butanol

2-butanol

Basics

• It can be used as a direct Gasoline Substitute in unmodified internal combustion engines
• Butanol is far less corrosive than ethanol and can be shipped and distributed through existing pipelines and filling stations
• It is an effective Hydrogen Carrier in a Hydrogen Economy ; Reformed butanol has four more hydrogen atoms than Ethanol, resulting in a higher energy density
• Butanol is an industrial commodity, with a 370 million gallons per year market with a selling price of $3.75 per gallon.
• It can be, but does not have to be, blended (10 to 100 percent) with any fossil fuel.
• Butanol can be transported through existing pipelines for distribution.
• It can be blended with petrodiesel and with vegetable oils (where it also reduces the gel temperature point and the viscosity) to produce biodiesel. ?
• It is a very versatile fuel and fuel extender in both gasoline and diesel engines. Octane?

Biological

Acetone-butanol-ethanol fermentation

• Typically done via Clostridium acetobutylicum
  • Any genetically modified algae/e. coli/yeast etc?
• This can be done with a starch or sugar based feedstock
• It can also be done with syngas (See Syngas Fermentation )

Internal Links

• Acetone-butanol-ethanol fermentation

External Links

• The Wikipedia Page on Butanol
• The Wikipedia Page on Acetone-butanol-ethanol fermentation
• The Wikipedia Page on Gevo Inc (Supposedly making this commercially viable (also not dead unlike 2/3 of these biofuel companies from the 2000's?) ( Make a page on them later )
• PESwiki: Butanol
• Article: BIOBUTANOL - PRODUCTION AND PURIFICATION METHODS
• Company: Green Biologics - a lot of proprietary stuff