Progress of acetone-butanol-ethanol (ABE) as biofuel in gasoline and diesel engine: A review

Abstract

The properties of butanol offer more promising results compared to those of lower chain alcohol such as methanol or ethanol. However, butanol as a biofuel has not yet been commercially produced due to its costly process. Butanol is generally produced via the process of Acetone-Butanol-Ethanol (ABE) fermentation and can only be acquired after it was recovered from the ABE solvent. Despite the efforts and recent developments, obtaining higher butanol concentration from ABE fermentation is still relatively expensive and challenging. The idea of using ABE directly in internal combustion engines is then proposed to eliminate the recovery process. Several preliminary studies have reported several promising results of using ABE blends in both gasoline and diesel engines. However, researches in this area are still in the early stages, and thorough investigations are required. This review paper aims to provide essential findings from the latest development in the addition of ABE both with gasoline and diesel fuel in Spark Ignition (SI) and Compression Ignition (CI) engines. A brief discussion on ABE properties will be firstly given before the effects of its addition on SI and CI engine is comprehensively reviewed. The end of this article highlights some possible contributions and research gaps.