BP and DuPont assert biobutanol performance

Testing results shared today by DuPont and BP suggest that biobutanol has proven to perform similarly to unleaded gasoline on key parameters, consistent with claims previously made by biobutanol advocates.

At the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) annual conference in Detroit, BP Biofuels program manager Frank Gerry and DuPont Biofuels venture manager David Anton addressed the science behind biobutanol, an advanced biofuel being jointly developed by BP, DuPont and others

"Biobutanol addresses market demand for fuels that can be produced from domestic renewable resources in high volume and at reasonable cost; fuels that can be used in existing vehicles and existing infrastructure; fuels that offer good value to consumers; and fuels that meet the evolving demands of vehicles," Gerry said.

Gerry shared results of tests that showed key biobutanol characteristics include high energy density, controlled volatility, sufficient octane and low levels of impurities. He described early phase testing data that indicate that biobutanol fuel blends at a nominal 10 volume percent level perform very similarly to unleaded gasoline fuel.

Additionally, BP and DuPont found the energy density of biobutanol to be closer to unleaded gasoline than ethanol:

• Bioethanol = 21.1-21.7 MJ/L (megajoules per liter)
• Biobutanol = 26.9-27.0 MJ/L
• Gasoline = 32.2-32.9 MJ/L

Testing also showed that biobutanol does not phase separate in the presence of water, and has no negative impact on elastomer swelling, the companies said.

"Over 100 DuPont scientists and engineers are committed to making advanced biofuels and new energy-efficient biofuels processes a reality," Anton said. "Our researchers are working with BP scientists and are on track to deliver a higher yielding biobutanol technology."

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