Biobutanol production

Abstract

Renewable resources should gradually take the responsibility of supplying global energy demands. Alcohols are among the chemicals that can be produced from renewable resources and utilized as liquid fuels with a number of advantages. However, a diverse set of qualifications is required for the alcoholic fuels. Ethanol is industrially produced from sugary and starchy resources. Nevertheless, there are obstacles standing in the way of fuel-grade ethanol progression. Recently, butanol, the product of acetone-butanol-ethanol (ABE) fermentation, has attracted interest for its potential as a fuel. ABE fermentation with clostridia has interesting features for the bioconversion of wastes. Unlike most ethanol-producing microorganisms, clostridia are able to produce the solvents from pentoses and starch as effective as hexoses. This chapter focuses on different aspects of biobutanol production. After summarizing the history, traditional and recently patented technologies are reviewed. Alternative substrates and the important features of microorganisms are discussed. The chapter concludes with advances obtained in lignocelluloses utilization and novel microorganisms. © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.