A process to manufacture low cost, high purity 1,2,4-butanetriol for use as a starting material in the manufacture of the plasticizer, 1,2,4-butanetrinitrate, will be developed. The starting material for the synthesis of 1,2,4-butanetriol will be the commercially available d,l-malic acid. The d,l-malic acid will be biotransformed under mild conditions using an anaerobic microoganism to reduce the carboxylic acid groups to the corresponding alcohol groups.
Benefits: An inexpensive source of high purity 1,2,4-butanetriol would allow greater incorporation of the 1,2,4-butanetrinitrate plasticizer in nitrocellulose propellants. Substitution of 1,2,4-butanetrnitrate for nitroglycerin in these propellants should extend the life of the propellants and decrease the hazards associated with their manufacture. The optical isomers of 1,2,4-butanetriol are of commercial interest as chiral building blocks for the synthesis of pharmaceuticals and specialty chemicals. The commercial demand for low cost, high purity (both chemical and optical) 1,2,4-butanetriol isomers is expected to increase rapidly in the next few years.
Keywords: 1,2,4-butanetriol, 1,2,4-butanetrinitrate, anaerobic bacteria, synthesis, malic acid
