S. D. MINTEER, St Louis University, USA

Abstract: Bioethanol and biobutanol are the two most commonly discussed bioalcohols for fuel purposes. However, other alcohols can be produced from biomass. This chapter will introduce other bioalcohols and discuss their production. These bioalcohols include: biomethanol, biopropanol, bioglycerol, bioethylene glycol, as well as branched chain bioalcohols and other theoretical biofuels. It will compare the advantages and disadvantages of employing different fuels on the basis of both availability and ease of production as well as chemical, biological, and physical properties of these fuels.

Key words: biomethanol, glycerol, biopropanol, bioalcohols, biofuel production.

11.1 Introduction

When researchers think bioalcohols, bioethanol and biobutanol are the first alcohols that come to mind, because they are the most prevalent and the most frequently researched.1-4 These are commonly considered the alcoholic fuels in the United States, because of the ability to produce them from corn and corn by-product, which is a large agricultural product in the Midwestern United States. However, other bioalcohols can be produced and they each have their own advantages and disadvantages which will be described below.

In general, we consider an alcohol to be a bioalcohol if it is produced from biomass. There are many forms of biomass, including: wood and wood residue; agricultural crops and waste by-products; municipal solid waste, animal waste, and sewage; waste from food processing; and algae and aquatic life.5 This chapter will discuss not only the bioalcohols that can be produced from biomass, but also the traditional methods and types of biomass employed to produce the bioalcohols. This is important when considering biofuels and their use as a renewable energy source. Different countries have different biomass sources and, therefore, there will not likely be a single bioalcohol/biomass solution for renewable energy for all countries and all applications. Other issues to consider when choosing a bioalcohol fuel are the toxicity of the fuel or fuel by-products, the volatility of the fuel, and the energy density of the fuel.

Biochemical production of other bioalcohols 259