Bioalcohol

Bioalcohol is alcohol obtained from biological sources, not from petroleum, like some methanol and ethanol. It is used like biofuel with petroleum, but one needs a new car to use a BA100 (Bioalcohol 100%). On the other hand, one can use BD100 (Biodiesel 100%, also called B100) in modern petroleum diesel cars.

Ethanol is commonly produced from corn in U.S Midwest and BA10 is commonly available and in some places mandated. It is used to lower emissions by raising the amount of available oxygen and is used as a replacement for MTBE, a chemical oxygenate.

Bioalcohol is not used in most industrial processes, which use alcohol derived from fossil fuels as this produces alcohol that is cheaper than bioalcohol. Many economists argue that this fact illustrates the economic infeasibility of using bioalcohol as a petroleum substitute and argue that government programs that mandate the use of bioalcohol are simply agricultural subsidies.

See also: biofuel, transesterification.