title: Products Components: Alcohols.
abstract: Alcohols (CnHn+2OH) are classified into primary, secondary, and tertiary alcohols, which can be branched or unbranched. They can also feature more than one OH-group (two OH-groups = diol; three OH-groups = triol). Presently, except for ethanol and sugar alcohols, they are mainly produced from fossil-based resources, such as petroleum, gas, and coal. Methanol and ethanol have the highest annual production volume accounting for 53 and 91 million tons/year, respectively. Most alcohols are used as fuels (e.g., ethanol), solvents (e.g., butanol), and chemical intermediates.This chapter gives an overview of recent research on the production of short-chain unbranched alcohols (C1-C5), focusing in particular on propanediols (1,2- and 1,3-propanediol), butanols, and butanediols (1,4- and 2,3-butanediol). It also provides a short summary on biobased higher alcohols (>C5) including branched alcohols.
authors.affiliation: Thünen-Institute of Agricultural Technology, Bundesallee 50, 38116, Braunschweig, Germany.
authors.forename: Henning
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kuhz
authors.affiliation: Thünen-Institute of Agricultural Technology, Bundesallee 50, 38116, Braunschweig, Germany.
authors.forename: Anja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kuenz
authors.affiliation: Thünen-Institute of Agricultural Technology, Bundesallee 50, 38116, Braunschweig, Germany. at@thuenen.de.
authors.forename: Ulf
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Prüße
authors.affiliation: Thünen-Institute of Agricultural Technology, Bundesallee 50, 38116, Braunschweig, Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Willke
authors.affiliation: Thünen-Institute of Agricultural Technology, Bundesallee 50, 38116, Braunschweig, Germany.
authors.forename: Klaus-Dieter
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Vorlop
mesh_terms: D000438:Alcohols / Q000737:chemistry; D056804:Biofuels; D002617:Chemical Industry / Q000639:trends; D012106:Research / Q000639:trends
chemical_list: D000438:Alcohols; D056804:Biofuels
keywords: Biobased alcohol; Butanediol; Butanol; Ethanol; Higher alcohols; Methanol; Propanediol; Propanol