Skip to Content

butanol


BP prepares output of new biofuels - algae diesel and butanol - starting in 2010

BP could become the first major energy company to start commercial scale production of cellulosic ethanol in 2010 if all goes according to plan. BP has been partnering with Verenium Corporation to commercialize the latter company's process for breaking down cellulose into sugars. Verenium has been running a demonstration plant in Louisiana that can produce 1.4 million gallons of ethanol annually. The Verenium process relies on enzymes to break down the cellulose, allowing it to be converted to alcohol, and the company claims almost complete ... Read more →

Dyson Racing debuts ethanol-biobutanol blend at Petit Le Mans Sam Abuelsamid

When we spoke with American Le Mans Series CEO Scott Atherton at the Detroit Auto Show last January he revealed that discussions were being held between the series and parties interested in racing ...

Want waste from zoo animals powering your car? New butanol process could make it happen Sebastian Blanco

Butanol is the oft-ignored orphan of the biofuel world, but it's getting some attention down south. Scientists in New Orleans think that waste from zoo animals might be just the ticket to making ...

Panoz could return to ALMS prototype class with algae butanol power Sam Abuelsamid

Don Panoz, founder of the American Le Mans Series, wants to return his brand back to the top ranks of the series and possibly bring a new greener fuel as well. Panoz spoke at press conference in the ...

Don't forget the other alcohol: Cobalt Biofuels raises $25M for biobutanol production Sam Abuelsamid

With all the negative publicity about corn ethanol lately there hasn't been much discussion about another longer chain alcohol, specifically butanol. Like other alcohols, it makes a good motor fuel ...

Cobalt Biofuels gets $25 million for biobutanol 1 year ago on Autoblog Green

When most people think of biofuels, the usual suspects that first sprint to mind are ethanol and biodiesel. That's not to say, though, that these are the only game in town. There's another player for a non-petroleum alcohol fuel that could displace gasoline in the form of butanol, which can be ...

There's more than algae for non-food biofuels 1 year ago on Autoblog Green

As our readers know, the biofuels field of investigation is huge and there are quite a number of upcoming technologies that can make the renewable fuel without competing with feedstocks. The most notable of these technologies use waste streams and often also require less water to make biofuel. ...

Making bacteria work to produce biofuels 1 year ago on Autoblog Green

The latest innovative method to produce biofuels (at least that we know about) has arrived with bacteria. A group of UCLA scientists have manipulated a set of Eschericha coli bacteria with genetic engineering so it produces isobutanol from glucose. The technique manipulates the E. Coli's metabolic ...

Robert Zubrin talks about requiring all cars to be flex-fuel capable 1 year ago on Autoblog Green

Robert Zubrin has new book on gaining petroleum independence by switching from imported oil to alcohol fuels. He wants Congress to require that all new cars and trucks built be flex-fuel capable. There's an interesting interview done by Glenn Reynolds and Helen Smith on their podcast. Zubrin ...

The Economist says everyone is wrong about ethanol 2 years ago on Autoblog Green

This article will certainly please some of our readers, and with good reason. Titled "Ethanol, schmethanol," the article is from the current issue of the Economist and says that everyone is wrong that ethanol will make cars greener. The problem with the piece is that instead of telling us in detail ...

How butanol is made 2 years ago on Autoblog Green

We have covered a few times the potential of biobutanol as a biofuel: It seems to have better properties than ethanol and it can be used in cars without modifications. It also has almost the same energy content as gasoline, thus reducing fuel consumption in comparison to ethanol. In a deep article ...

BP board member confirms company's interest in butanol and CO2 capture 2 years ago on Autoblog Green

During a conference about climate change held in Asturias, Spain, a board member of BP, Luis Javier Navarro (completely unrelated to me) affirmed that butanol is a key factor in future fuels and that BP is investing in them. He said biofuels that compete with the food industry are an "error" and ...

EnergyQuest to invest on butanol and hydrogen 2 years ago on Autoblog Green

Have you heard about butanol recently? Yes, it's one of those alternative fuels around which doesn't seem to be so fashionable these days (especially if you compare it to its smaller, at least in carbon atoms per molecule, sibling ethanol) but it seems that it might light up our interest ...

Amyris Biotechnologies working to create synthetic biofuels 2 years ago on Autoblog Green

Ethanol, methanol and butanol all share a common thread. Besides all being alcohols which are used as fuels, some to a greater degree than others, they can also be manufactured via standard chemical reactions. None of them seem to offer the perfect replacement for petroleum based gasoline. Here is ...

Interview with Philip New, president of BP Biofuels, regarding their focus on butanol 2 years ago on Autoblog Green

We have shared with you the benefits of butanol over other potential biofuels in past articles. The basics are that butanol can be created from the same crops that are currently being used to create ethanol, and butanol carries more energy density. Ethanol is viewed mainly as a starting point for ...

DuPont Biofuels on track to commercialize its biofuel technologies, including biobutanol and cellulosic ethanol 2 years ago on Autoblog Green

This week at the Piper Jaffray Alternative Energy Symposium, which focused on industry and investment trends in solar, cleantech and biofuels, DuPont Biofuels Vice President and General Manager John Ranieri said that DuPont is well on its way to commercializing their biofuel technologies. These ...

Biobutanol - The Other White Meat 2 years ago on Autoblog Green

David Ramey is no chicken. Once he decided butanol could benefit from a decent advertising campaign, he flew the coop (A.K.A. Blacklick, Ohio) in the summer of 2005 and drove his unmodified 1992 Buick across America fueled by 100% butanol. Like pork is to chicken, butanol is to ethanol. Its virtues ...

REA's question of the week: Why Isn't Butanol More Prevalent? 3 years ago on Autoblog Green

Renewable Energy Access posts a weekly question for alternative energy promoter Scott Sklar to answer. This week, Sklar answers a looks at why butanol, with its high energy content, isn't more prevalent on the biofuel scene. Sklar responds that it is true that butanol's BTU content rivals that of ...

Butanol: Are You Still Out There? 3 years ago on Autoblog Green

In the 1970s and 1980s, when that energy crisis caused scientists and politicians to start the hunt for a gasoline substitute, butanol and ethanol were brought to the table as possible replacement fuels. Butanol, an alcohol that can be derived from fermentation or from petroleum, showed promise: it ...


Featured Galleries

  • 1 Liter Racing League
  • Suzuki Alto in Global Green Challenge
  • Proterra Electric Bus
  • Local Motors Rally Fighter
  • 1916 Woods Dual Power Model 44 Coupe
  • Audi Avatar
  • Global Green Challenge Tesla Roadster goes 313 miles
  • Meyers Motors NMG
  • Cozmo NEV
  • Tokyo 2009: Suzuki Swift PHEV
  • Tokyo 2009: Suzuki SX4-FCV
  • Honda mobility devices

Categories

Autoblog

Daily Finance

Download Squad

Engadget

Joystiq

Autoblog Spanish

Switched.com

FanHouse

Asylum