Isobutanol appears as a clear colorless liquid with a sweet odor. Flash point 85 - 100°F. Less dense than water. Vapors heavier than air.
Isobutanol is an alkyl alcohol that is propan-1-ol substituted by a methyl group at position 2. It has a role as a Saccharomyces cerevisiae metabolite. It is a primary alcohol and an alkyl alcohol. It derives from a hydride of an isobutane.
Isobutanol is worth more to refiners than ethanol because it has 26% more energy. Unlike ethanol that is 100% miscible with water, isobutanol has limited solubility, and among other advantages, it doesn’t cause stress cracking in pipelines. Also, its lower oxygen content enables greater amounts to be blended into gasoline. It overcomes the blend wall limitations of ethanol by producing a similar grade of gasoline at only 2.7% oxygen content for refiners. It qualifies as an Advanced Biofuel under the Reformulated Fuel Standard. It can be produced with genetically modified microorganisms by the ABE process.
Isobutanol is an important chemical used for producing antioxidants, paint solvents, flavors, and synthetic rubber.
It can also be used as fuel additive to improve the fuel quality. I-butanol is a petroleum-derived product and is produced mainly through propylene carbonylation.
Additionally, it can be used as an intermediate in synthesis of many valuable chemicals, such as isobutene, MTBE, and isooctane. Isobutanol is a more desirable gasoline substitute compared with ethanol due to its higher energy density, higher octane numbers, lower hygroscopicity, and lower volatility.
Isobutanol is used as a raw material for coating resins, Isobutyl acrylate, isobutyl acetate, isobutyl methacrylate, and paint thinners. On the other hand, it is widely used as a solvent because many organic materials are soluble in it.
Iso-Butanol (IBA) is a clear liquid with a characteristic odor. It is miscible with all common solvents. It is obtained in Oxo Synthesis of Propylene (C3H6) and Synthesis gas (H2+CO).