Biobutanol and Biobutanediol

Conventional processes for the synthesis of butanediol use petrochemical feedstocks for their starting materials. For example, acetylene is reacted with 2 molecules of formaldehyde in the Reppe 

The industrial production of biobutanol started in 1916 as a fermentation process using bacteria Clostridia acetobutylicum (39). This type of fermentation has been addressed as acetone-butanol-ethanol (ABE) fermentation and is used with molasses and cereal grains. The materials used for ABE fermentation are detailed in Table 11.2. 

Sago 86% Starch, small amounts of mineral and nitrogenous matters 

The acidogenic and solventogenic metabolic pathways in Clostridia have been detailed (41). Clostridial bacteria can also ferment other cheaper alternative biomass such as, lignocellulosic materials due to their saccharolytic ability (42). There, an acidic or enz5miatic hydrolysis of lignocellulosic materials is necessary to convert them into monosaccharides before they can be used as substrates in the 

Macro-algal biomass types, which are containing significant quantities of carbohydrates, with low amounts of lignin and fermentation inhibitors are interesting alternative substrates for fermentation (43). 

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