Old newspapers could be new fuel for cars

Old newspapers could be new fuel for cars

Scientists at Tulane University have discovered a new use for discarded newspapers, turning the organic material into butanol, a biosubstitute for gasoline. “In the United States alone, at least 323 million tons of cellulosic materials that could be used to produce butanol are thrown out each year,” said Harshad Velankar, a postdoctoral fellow working on the project. The researchers are using old editions of the New Orleans Times Picayune newspaper to experiment with microbes they discovered that can produce butanol in the presence of oxygen.

Butanol is different from ethanol in that it can readily fuel existing cars and trucks without any engine modification and has a higher energy density, making it more like unleaded gasoline. A patent is pending on the microbe strain, and it’s unclear whether the technology has any market viability. The auto industry hasnt expressed much interest in butanol, choosing instead to pursue hybrid, electric and enhanced gasoline engine technology as the way forward to fuel efficiency.