(63u) Production of 2,3-Butanediol and Its Derivatives From Biomass

2,3-Butanediol is a useful chemical feedstock that can be produced through fermentation of sugars from biomass. The need for renewable chemical feedstocks from biomass has increased in recent years due to increases in the price of petroleum-derived chemicals, and the finite supply of petroleum. The most useful product that can be obtained from 2,3-butanediol is methyl ethyl ketone, which can be used as a fuel additive to increase the octane rating of gasoline. 2,3-Butanediol is produced through the fermentation of sugars from biomass by the microorganism klebsiella oxytoca. Furthermore, 2,3-butanediol can be converted through dehydration to methyl ethyl ketone in the presence of catalyst ZSM-5, an aluminosilicate zeolite. The concentration of 2,3-butanediol produced through shake flask experimentation was 0.87 g/L. ZSM-5 was found to convert 2,3-butanediol to methyl ethyl ketone through dehydration. Further optimization of the fermentation and dehydration reactions will allow 2,3-butanediol to be a viable biomass-derived chemical feedstock.