Biobutanol
Biobutanol
is a 4-carbon alcohol (butyl alcohol). Biobutanol is butanol
produced from biomass feedstocks. Currently, butanol's primary
use is as an industrial solvent in products such as lacquers
and enamels.
Biobutanol as an alternative fuel
Like ethanol, biobutanol is a liquid alcohol fuel that can
be used in today's gasoline-powered internal combustion engines.
The properties of biobutanol make it highly amenable to blending
with gasoline. It is also compatible with ethanol blending
and can improve the blending of ethanol with gasoline. The
energy content of biobutanol is 10 to 20 percent lower than
that of gasoline.
Under U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations,
biobutanol can be blended as an oxygenate with gasoline in
concentrations up to 11.5 percent by volume (i.e., the EPA
considers blends of 11.5% or less biobutanol with gasoline
to be "substantially similar" to pure gasoline). Blends of
85 percent or more biobutanol with gasoline are required to
qualify as an EPAct alternative fuel. Biobutanol proponents
claim that today's vehicles can be fueled with high concentrations
of biobutanol -- up to 100% -- with minor or no vehicle modifications,
although testing of this claim has been limited.
Source: US Department of Energy
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