Brief Overview
Butanol is an alcohol with the formula C₄H₉OH and can be produced through petrochemical processesor by fermenting sugars derived from corn and agricultural crops. N-butanol is sold primarily as a chemical. N-butanol is a superior global chemical as compared to isobutanol.
Manufacturing Process
N-butanol can occur naturally as product of sugars fermentation and carbohydrates. However, the major use of N-butanol is in the industrial arena which requires large scale production. This is achieved by allowing feedstock of propylene undergo ‘oxo process’ in the presence of a homogeneous catalyst. This produces butyraldehde in bulk in the petrochemical industry. The butyraldehyde obtained is subsequently hydrogenated to produce n-butanol.
