butanol

[ byoot-n-awl, -ol ]

noun

, Chemistry.

1. butyl alcohol.
2. butanol that is made from fossil fuels petrobutanol or from certain plants or algae biobutanol, and which is used as an alternative to gasoline.

butanol

/ ˈbjuːtəˌnɒl /

noun

1. a colourless substance existing in four isomeric forms. The three liquid isomers are used as solvents for resins, lacquers, etc, and in the manufacture of organic compounds. Formula: C 4 H 9 OH Also calledbutyl alcohol

butanol

/ byo̅o̅′tə-nôl′,-nōl′,nŏl′ /

1. Either of the two butyl alcohols that are derived from butane and have a straight chain of carbon atoms. Butanols are used as solvents and in organic synthesis. Chemical formula: C 4 H 10 O.

Word History and Origins

Origin of butanol¹

First recorded in 1890–95; butane + -ol ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of butanol¹

C19: from butan ( e ) + -ol ¹

Example Sentences

After rinsing to remove fatty residues, they boiled the powdered husks in a mixture of butanol and acid, a standard lignin extraction method called the butanosolv process.

From Science Daily

Jewett expects the same process could make the bacteria produce a variety of other chemicals, such as butanol, used in varnishes, and propanediol, found in cosmetics.

From Science Magazine

The chemical inside, butanol, did not spill, but diesel fuel from the train did, gathering in a low-lying area.

From Washington Post

In the First World War, for example, German naval blockades caused a shortage of acetone and butanol, both essential for munitions.

From Nature

The biosphere has several billion years of experience in turning CO2 into complex molecules, and various companies already have demonstration plants using algae and cyanobacteria to make ethanol, butanol and a host of other products.

From Scientific American