Applications of Butanol Other than Biofuel

Due to its unique structure and performance advantages, butanol, as an important industrial raw material, is widely used in the fields of chemical industry, food and materials, and has a broad development prospect. Butanol can undergo a variety of chemical reactions such as esterification, oxidation, dehydration, and substitution to produce a wide range of chemicals. Methods of preparing butanol include fossil fuel propylene carbonyl synthesis, syngas hydrogenation, and biomass fermentation. Currently, the global market for butanol is 5.2 × 10 6 tons/year. In addition, butanol can be used as a fuel and has environmental and sustainability advantages as the combustion products are only water and carbon dioxide. Butanol is also an important industrial solvent and is used in a variety of chemical reactions and processes. In this chapter, we will mainly summarize the properties, preparation methods, application areas, and market prospects of butanol and put forward the outlook and suggestions for the future research of butanol and thus provide references and suggestions for related enterprises and researchers.