BGT Biogasoline possesses intellectual property for the creation of hexane and heptanol from sugars. Specifically, the company ferments sugars (from corn or cellulosic products) into butyric acid, and then either uses Kolbe electrolysis to convert the butyric acid into hexane or a packed bed reactor to create heptanone. The end products, hexane and heptanone, are hydrocarbons which can be readily substitute or be mixed with traditional gasoline. Hexane is already used today as a common constituent of gasoline but the process efficiency is slightly less than ethanol. Heptanone is produced with the same efficiency as ethanol but has 40% more energy (BTU) per gallon. Given a US gasoline demand of approximately 140 billion gallons/year, the demand for hexane and heptanone is correspondingly large.
These biogasolines can be used for fuel in any standard gasoline engine because the properties match traditional gasoline from petroleum (heptanone requires a small percentage of octane booster to match gasoline). Ethanol (E85) requires a special engine and has lower combustion energy and corresponding fuel economy.