Alternative Fuels: Retooled Approach May Make Bio-based Butanol More Competitive With Ethanol
November 17, 2008
A modified method of producing biobutanol could make the fuel more competitive with ethanol as a clean-burning alternative to gasoline.
According to Agricultural Research Service (ARS) chemical engineer Nasib Qureshi, biobutanol offers several advantages. It can be transported in existing pipelines, it’s less corrosive, it can be mixed with gasoline or used alone in internal combustion engines, and it packs more energy per gallon than ethanol.
Until the mid-20th century, biobutanol was produced from fermented sugars such as corn glucose. But low yields, high recovery costs and petroleum’s increased availability after World War II sidelined fermentation-based systems for biobutanol production.
Today, petroleum price increases have rekindled interest in tapping butanol as a biobased fuel, notes Qureshi, with the ARS National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research in Peoria, Ill. In 2003, he began researching the use of wheat straw to make biobutanol—drawn by the straw’s abundance and promise as a lower-cost alternative to corn-glucose-based feedstocks.
Like other biobutanol processes, his approach employed Clostridium bacteria to carry out the critical task of fermentation. Such processes normally involve four preparatory steps (pretreatment, hydrolysis, fermentation and recovery) carried out separately and sequentially. But Qureshi and colleagues devised a way to combine three of the four steps. For example, enzymes and the bacteria are allowed to carry out their respective tasks simultaneously. Throughout, a procedure known as “gas stripping” is used to extract the biobutanol as it is produced.
In early trials, the method increased biobutanol productivity by twofold above traditional glucose-based fermentation. A later adjustment, dubbed “fed-batch-feeding,” increased production even further. For example, during a 22-day fed-batch operating period, a culture of C. beijerinkcii P260 converted nearly 430 grams of sugar into 192 combined grams of acetone, biobutanol and ethanol.
If scaled up further, the process could yield 99 gallons of these three chemicals from one ton of wheat straw.
Hey Mrs. Davis this is my article summary for 11/17/08.
It is good that they are making improvments on ethenol with biobutanol. This will maybe lead other alternatives for gas. Straw is an abundant with recources so its good they can use it to make butanol. It is also good that they are making it easier to make with bacteria. Fermentation is becoming easier with this process to.
A new method of producing bio-based Butanol may be a better fuel then ethanol. It holds more energy per gallon than ethanol. It can be transported in existing pipelines. The new process uses wheatstraw and is much better than the old processes.
Hey Mrs. Davis! This is my current science news article:
~Biobutonal packs more energy in a gallon than ethanol.
~Biobutonal was produced from fermented sugars such as corn glucose until the mid-20th century.
~Petroleum prices increases have rekindled interest in biobutonal as a bio-based fuel.
~In 2003, Quershi began researching the use of wheat straw to make biobutanol.
~A procedure known as “gas stripping” is used to extract the biobutanol as it is produced.
See you tomorrow!!
A modified method of producing biobutanol could make the fuel more competitive with ethanol as a clean-burning alternative to gasoline.According to Agricultural Research Service (ARS) chemical engineer Nasib Qureshi, biobutanol offers several advantages. It can be transported in existing pipelines, it’s less corrosive, it can be mixed with gasoline or used alone in internal combustion engines, and it packs more energy per gallon than ethanol.For example, enzymes and the bacteria are allowed to carry out their respective tasks simultaneously. Throughout, a procedure known as “gas stripping” is used to extract the biobutanol as it is produced.In early trials, the method increased biobutanol productivity by double above traditional glucose-based fermentation.If scaled up further, the process could yield 99 gallons of these three chemicals from one ton of wheat straw.
Nasib Qureshi offers several up sides to it such as it contains more energy than ethanol. Biobutanol up until about one hundred years ago was produced by corn sugar. Qureshi, in 2003, tested the effect of wheat straw to make biobutanol. By doing this the gas should help the vehicle run smoothly. One of the other results is that the gas will be exhausted cleaner.
this bio based butanol, is alot better then ethanol. this might be a great subsitute for gasoline. It holds much more energy too, until the mid 20th century it was produced with sugars like corn starch. the effect is clean burning rather then gasoline.
4th period article summary december 1, 2008
a new method of producing biobutanol can make it more competitive with a clean source of energy(ethanol).Nasib Qureshi says that biobutanol is better because it can be transported in existing pipelines, it’s less corrosive, it can be mixed with gasoline or used alone in combustion engines, and it has more energy per gallon than ethanol. it used to be produced from fermenting sugars. he used bacteria to carry out the critical task of fermentation.
One new way to produce biobutanol can make ethanol an energy. Until 2000 we got bioutanol from fermented sugars. Today the petroleum price is so high we aren’t using bioutanol as a bio based fuel. Qureshi is at ARS is researching wheat straw turning into alternate saving energy to help the world.
One new way to produce biobutanol can makea cleaner and more competitive. Until 2000 we got bioutanol from fermented sugars. Today the petroleum price is so high we aren’t using bioutanol as a bio based fuel. Qureshi is at ARS is researching wheat straw turning into alternate saving energy.
One new way to produce biobutanol can make a cleaner and more competitive fuel. Until 2000 we got bioutanol from fermented sugars. Today the petroleum price are so high we aren’t using bioutanol as a bio based fuel. Qureshi is at ARS is researching wheat straw turning into alternate saving energy.
Now there is a new way to make a cleaner and more reliable fuel. The alternate fuel is made out of ethanol. Until the middle of the 20th century the only way to get biobutanol was through fermented sugars. Qureshi is working with the ARS to make wheat straw in to another alternate fuel.
Now there is a new way to make a cleaner and more reliable fuel. The alternate fuel is made out of ethanol. Until the middle of the 20th century the only way to get biobutanol was through fermented sugars. Qureshi is working with the ARS to make better alternate fuel with biobutanol instead of ethanol. Biobutanol runs better and more cleaner that ethanol.
If they can actually get this to work for cars we could save alot of money on gas. Which in my case would be very very good.