In this study, the characteristics of homogeneous charge compression ignition combustion of 1-butanol/ n-heptane blend fuels are demonstrated. To evaluate the potential of this alcohol, a comparison with pure n-heptane and ethanol/n-heptane mixtures was carried out. The experiments were conducted in a monocylinder Diesel engine fueled with alcohol/n-heptane blends by varying the volume percentage of the alcohols (0%, 18%, 37%, and 57%) at constant equivalence ratio, intake temperature and engine speed (0.3, 80 C, and 1500 rpm, respectively). New experiments were also performed in a jet-stirred reactor for the fuel-lean (u = 0.3) oxidation of mixtures 1-butanol/n-heptane and ethanol/n-heptane 1:1 in mole. The experimental concentration profiles vs. temperature obtained at 10 bars and at a residence time of 0.7 s were used to validate a detailed kinetic reaction mechanism. The modeling of constant volume combustion, at two pressures (20 and 40 bars), was performed with this chemical kinetic mechanism (1046 species and 4398 reactions) to interpret the engine results.