
DuPont/BP Biobutanol Program Reports Latest Engine Test Findings
February 29, 2008http://vocuspr.vocus.com/VocusPR30/Newsroom/Query.aspx?SiteName=DupontNew&Entity=PRAsset&SF_PRAsset_PRAssetID_EQ=109149&XSL=PressRelease&Cache=False
|
DuPont and BP are two companies that are active in providing energy solutions, and have been one of the first players to venture into the development of butanol as an advanced transport biofuel. As mentioned in many reports, butanol (a four-carbon alcohol) is said to have several advantages as a biofuel compared to ethanol (a two-carbon alcohol) in terms of energy density, fuel economy and anti-corrosion property. A recent press release on the DuPont/BP research partnership reports that an isomeric mixture of biobutanol can maintain high (or better) engine performance, even at blends higher than 10%, which is usually the ceiling blend for ethanol. (An isomeric butanol mixture, contains 1-butanol, 2-butanol and isobutanol, all having four-carbon atoms which differ only in the arrangement of the molecules). According to the report, vehicle testing data showed that a 16% blend of the butanol mixture (with gasoline) “delivers similar fuel performance compared to current 10 percent ethanol blend gasoline fuels, which importantly means that butanol can help achieve higher biofuel penetration without compromising fuel performance”. One of the partnership’s research thrusts is to look into advanced metabolic pathways of the butanol isomers. A full environmental life cycle analysis of the proposed biobutanol process has also been commissioned by DuPont and BP..
|
Biotech Updates is a weekly newsletter of ISAAA, a not-for-profit organization. It is distributed for free to over 22,000 subscribers worldwide to inform them about the key developments in biosciences, especially in biotechnology. Your support will help us in our mission to feed the world with knowledge. You can help by donating as little as $10.
-
See more articles:
-
News from Around the World
- Svalbard Global Seed Vault Officially Opens
- New Rice Descriptors Published
- NEPAD-MSU Partnership to Bolster Africa‘s Biosafety Capacity
- Canada to Support Ethiopian Agriculture
- ISU Initiatives for Grain Pulses in Uganda and Rwanda
- Researchers Release First Draft of the Corn Genome
- Scientists Identify Ozone Resistance Gene
- Cotton Varieties Resistant to the Fusarium Wilt
- Costs and Benefits of Transgenic Crops in South Asia
- Australian Grains Industry Ready for GM Canola
- Fiber and Biotech in Australia
- Keatinge is New AVRDC DG
- UK Farmers are Upbeat About GM Crops
- Farmers' Org Presses for EU and US Biotech Agreement
- UK Initiative to Address Agric Productivity in Asia, Africa
-
Research Highlights
- Mutagenesis May Induce More Genetic Changes than Transgenesis
- Carbohydrate Metabolism in Wheat Leaves During Drought
- Biotechnology is Imperative for Biofuel Crops
- Unveiling the Genetic Secrets of Pea
-
Announcements
- International Symposium on the Biosafety of GMOs
- Biofuels Summit in Thailand
- Indo-US Norman E Borlaug Fellows Program (2008)
-
Resources
- IFPRI Releases Briefs on GM Foods and Trade Policies in Developing Countries
- GMO Problem Formulation and Options Assessment Handbook
-
Read the latest: - Biotech Updates (May 7, 2025)
- Gene Editing Supplement (April 30, 2025)
- Gene Drive Supplement (February 22, 2023)
-
Subscribe to BU: - Share
- Tweet