Biomass Modification Characterization And Process Monitoring Analytics To Support Biofuel And Biomaterial Production

The conversion of lignocellulosic biomass into renewable fuels and other commodities has provided an appealing alternative towards supplanting global dependence on fossil fuels. The suitability of multitudes of plants for deconstruction to useful precursor molecules and products is currently being evaluated. These studies have probed a variety of phenotypic traits, including cellulose, non-cellulosic polysaccharide, lignin, and lignin monomer composition, glucose and xylose production following enzymatic hydrolysis, and an assessment of lignin-carbohydrate and lignin-lignin linkages, to name a few. These quintessential traits can provide an assessment of biomass recalcitrance, enabling researchers to devise appropriate deconstruction strategies. Plants with high polysaccharide and lower lignin contents have been shown to breakdown to monomeric sugars more readily. Not all plants contain ideal proportions of the various cell wall constituents, however. The capabilities of biotechnology can alleviate this conundrum by tailoring the chemical composition of plants to be more favorable for conversion to sugars, fuels, etc. Increases in the total biomass yield, cellulose content, or conversion efficiency through, for example, a reduction in lignin content, are pathways being evaluated to genetically improve plants for use in manufacturing biofuels and bio-based chemicals. Although plants have been previously domesticated for food and fiber production, the collection of phenotypic traits prerequisite for biofuel production may necessitate new genetic breeding schemes. Given the plethora of potential plants available for exploration, rapid analytical methods are needed to more efficiently screen through the bulk of samples to hone in on which feedstocks contain the desired chemistry for subsequent conversion to valuable, renewable commodities. The standard methods for analyzing biomass and related intermediates and finished products are laborious, potentially toxic, and/or destructive. They may also necessitate a complex data analysis, significantly increasing the experimental time and add unwanted delays in process monitoring, where delays can incur in significant costs. Advances in thermochemical and spectroscopic techniques have enabled the screening of thousands of plants for different phenotypes, such as cell-wall cellulose, non-cellulosic polysaccharide, and lignin composition, lignin monomer composition, or monomeric sugar release. Some instrumental methods have been coupled with multivariate analysis, providing elegant chemometric predictive models enabling the accelerated identification of potential feedstocks. In addition to the use of high-throughput analytical methods for the characterization of feedstocks based on phenotypic metrics, rapid instrumental techniques have been developed for the real-time monitoring of diverse processes, such as the efficacy of a specific pretreatment strategy, or the formation of end products, such as biofuels and biomaterials. Real-time process monitoring techniques are needed for all stages of the feedstocks-to-biofuels conversion process in order to maximize efficiency and lower costs by monitoring and optimizing performance. These approaches allow researchers to adjust experimental conditions during, rather than at the conclusion, of a process, thereby decreasing overhead expenses. This Frontiers Research Topic explores options for the modification of biomass composition and the conversion of these feedstocks into to biofuels or biomaterials and the related innovations in methods for the analysis of the composition of plant biomass, and advances in assessing up- and downstream processes in real-time. Finally, a review of the computational models available for techno-economic modeling and lifecycle analysis will be presented.

The conversion of lignocellulosic biomass into renewable fuels and other commodities has provided an appealing alternative towards supplanting global dependence on fossil fuels. The suitability of multitudes of plants for deconstruction to useful precursor molecules and products is currently being evaluated. These studies have probed a variety of phenotypic traits, including cellulose, non-cellulosic polysaccharide, lignin, and lignin monomer composition, glucose and xylose production following enzymatic hydrolysis, and an assessment of lignin-carbohydrate and lignin-lignin linkages, to name a few. These quintessential traits can provide an assessment of biomass recalcitrance, enabling researchers to devise appropriate deconstruction strategies. Plants with high polysaccharide and lower lignin contents have been shown to breakdown to monomeric sugars more readily. Not all plants contain ideal proportions of the various cell wall constituents, however. The capabilities of biotechnology can alleviate this conundrum by tailoring the chemical composition of plants to be more favorable for conversion to sugars, fuels, etc. Increases in the total biomass yield, cellulose content, or conversion efficiency through, for example, a reduction in lignin content, are pathways being evaluated to genetically improve plants for use in manufacturing biofuels and bio-based chemicals. Although plants have been previously domesticated for food and fiber production, the collection of phenotypic traits prerequisite for biofuel production may necessitate new genetic breeding schemes. Given the plethora of potential plants available for exploration, rapid analytical methods are needed to more efficiently screen through the bulk of samples to hone in on which feedstocks contain the desired chemistry for subsequent conversion to valuable, renewable commodities. The standard methods for analyzing biomass and related intermediates and finished products are laborious, potentially toxic, and/or destructive. They may also necessitate a complex data analysis, significantly increasing the experimental time and add unwanted delays in process monitoring, where delays can incur in significant costs. Advances in thermochemical and spectroscopic techniques have enabled the screening of thousands of plants for different phenotypes, such as cell-wall cellulose, non-cellulosic polysaccharide, and lignin composition, lignin monomer composition, or monomeric sugar release. Some instrumental methods have been coupled with multivariate analysis, providing elegant chemometric predictive models enabling the accelerated identification of potential feedstocks. In addition to the use of high-throughput analytical methods for the characterization of feedstocks based on phenotypic metrics, rapid instrumental techniques have been developed for the real-time monitoring of diverse processes, such as the efficacy of a specific pretreatment strategy, or the formation of end products, such as biofuels and biomaterials. Real-time process monitoring techniques are needed for all stages of the feedstocks-to-biofuels conversion process in order to maximize efficiency and lower costs by monitoring and optimizing performance. These approaches allow researchers to adjust experimental conditions during, rather than at the conclusion, of a process, thereby decreasing overhead expenses. This Frontiers Research Topic explores options for the modification of biomass composition and the conversion of these feedstocks into to biofuels or biomaterials and the related innovations in methods for the analysis of the composition of plant biomass, and advances in assessing up- and downstream processes in real-time. Finally, a review of the computational models available for techno-economic modeling and lifecycle analysis will be presented.

This book presents the most up-to-date technologies for the transformation of biomass into valuable fuels, chemicals, materials, and products. It provides comprehensive coverage of the characterization and fractionation of various types of biomass and details the many challenges that are currently encountered during this process. Divided into two sections, this book discusses timely topics such as the characterization of biomass feedstock, pretreatment and fractionation of biomass, and describes the process for conversion of biomass to value-added commodities. The authors bring biomass transformational strategies that are yet to be explored to the forefront, making this innovative book useful for graduate students and researchers in academia, government, and industry.

Biomass for Bioenergy and Biomaterials presents an overview of recent studies developed specifically for lignocellulose-based production of biofuels, biochemicals, and functional materials. The emphasis is on using sustainable chemistry and engineering to develop innovative materials and fuels for practical applications. Technological strategies for the physical processing or biological conversion of biomass for material production are also presented. FEATURES Offers a comprehensive view of biomass processing, biofuel production, life cycle assessment, techno-economic analysis, and biochemical and biomaterial production Presents details of innovative strategies to pretreat biomass Helps readers understand the underlying metabolic pathways and identify the best engineering strategies for their native strain Highlights different strategies to make biomaterials from biomass Provides insight into the potential economic viability of the biomass-based process This book serves as an ideal reference for academic researchers and engineers working with renewable natural materials, the biorefining of lignocellulose, and biofuels. It can also be used as a comprehensive reference source for university students in metabolic, chemical, and environmental engineering.

Biomass, Biochemicals, Biofuel: Climate Change Mitigation: Sequestration of Green House Gases is designed to not only give basic knowledge on the topics presented, but also to enlighten on conventional and advanced technologies, socioeconomic aspects, techno-economic feasibility, models and modeling tools, and detailed LCA approaches in the sequestration of GHGs for biofuel and biomaterials, including biopolymer production. These innovative technologies and novel prospective directly find applications in day-to-day practices. The book is a useful guide to politicians, researchers, teachers and waste management practitioners. It offers a treasure of knowledge to guide readers on the importance of GHGs sequestration in important areas. The issue of climate change is gaining much more attention by researchers, public, politicians and others. Climate change is one of the most complex issues the world is facing today. It has implications across society, including in science, technology, economics, society, politics, and moral and ethical dilemmas. Introduces appropriate technologies for GHG sequestration for biofuel and biomaterials production Presents the best available technologies for climate mitigation and examples from various geographical areas Evaluates technological systems to help users develop technically best and economically feasible projects Offers chemical looping mechanisms for the sequestration of green house gases for biofuel and biomaterials

Analytical Methods for Biomass Characterization and Conversion is a thorough resource for researchers, students and professors who investigate the use of biomass for fuels, chemicals and products. Advanced analytical chemistry methods and techniques can now provide detailed compositional and chemical measurements of biomass, biomass conversion process streams, intermediates and products. This volume from the Emerging Issues in Analytical Chemistry series brings together the current knowledge on each of these methods, including spectroscopic methods (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, Near-infrared Spectroscopy, Solid State Nuclear Magnetic Resonance), pyrolysis (Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry), Liquid Chromatography/High Performance Liquid Chromatography, Liquid Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry, and so on. Authors David C. Dayton and Thomas D. Foust show how these can be used for measuring biomass composition and for determining the composition of intermediates with regard to subsequent processing for biofuels, bio-chemicals and bio-based products. Covers the broad range of techniques and applications that have been developed and perfected in the last decade Highlights specific analyses required for understanding biomass conversion to select intermediates Provides references to seminal books, review articles and technical articles that go into greater depth, serving as a basis for further study

This book addresses the developing area of biomass for technological applications. Written by leading researchers in the field, the book differs from other literature available by providing a detailed, in-depth discussion of the characteristics of these materials. The use of biomass for technological applications is a rapidly growing area in materials engineering and green bioprocesses. In this approach, pre-treatments focus on the bioavailability of nutrients and facilitate the use of biomass for delivering byproducts (e.g. enzymes) and for bioenergy production, both of which are discussed at length in this book. In this regard, it explores various aspects of the structural complexity of residual biomass produced by agricultural, industrial and livestock activities for biotechnological purposes, and assesses both conventional and emerging pre-treatments (e.g. biological, enzymatic and physical–chemical). This book reveals the advantages of these techniques, both individually and in combination, making it an excellent resource for all readers interested in cutting-edge applications of biomass.

Around the world, many countries are increasing efforts to promote biomass production for industrial uses including biofuels and bio-products such as chemicals and bio-plastic. Against a backdrop of lively public debate on sustainability, bioenergy wields both positive and negative impacts upon a variety of environmental and socio-economic issues. These include property rights, labor conditions, social welfare, economic wealth, poverty reduction and more. This book discusses the issues and impacts of bioenergy, taking into account the local and regional framework under which bioenergy is produced, touching upon educational level, cultural aspects, the history and economies of the producing countries and an array of policies including environmental and social targets. The book surveys and analyzes global bioenergy production from a number of perspectives. The authors illustrate the complexity of interrelated topics in the bioenergy value chain, ranging from agriculture to conversion processes, as well as from social implications to environmental effects. It goes on to offer insight on future challenges associated with the expected boom of a global bio-based economy, which contributes to the paradigm shift from a fossil-based to a biomass and renewable energy-based economy. The expert contributors include researchers, investors, policy makers, representatives from NGOs and other stakeholders, from Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin America. Their contributions build upon the results of the Global-Bio-Pact project on “Global Assessment of Biomass and Bio-product Impacts on Socio-economics and Sustainability,” which was supported by the European Commission in its 7th Framework Program for Research and Technological Development, conducted from February 2010 to January 2013. The book benefits policy makers, scientists and NGO staffers working in the fields of agriculture, forestry, biotechnology and energy.

This book examines the connection between biomass structure, ultrastructure, and composition, to resistance to enzymatic deconstruction, with the aim of discovering new cost-effective technologies for biorefineries. It contains chapters on topics extending from the highest levels of biorefinery design and biomass life-cycle analysis, to detailed aspects of plant cell wall structure, chemical treatments, enzymatic hydrolysis, and product fermentation options."--Pub. desc.

The focus of my research was the exploration of the conversion of biomass to an alternative liquid fuels. One focus was on online monitoring for the optimization of biomass gasification to improve the production of synthesis gas. To accomplish this goal, required development, assembly and testing of an instrument to monitor synthesis gas production from biomass gasification. Requirements for simplicity and the ability to separate complex mixtures of analytes to aid in their identification led to the development of a low cost, autosampling, portable gas chromatograph for the continuous online monitoring of biomass gasification during the production of synthesis gas (primarily CO and H2). Design features, calibration, and results of pilot scale testing are presented herein. Another research focus is upgrading pyrolysis bio-oil by hydrodeoxygenation (HDO), water gas shift (WGS) and acid catalyzed reactions in the presence of synthesis gas. We have prepared a series of HDO catalysts containing cobalt, nickel and molybdenum as the active metal sites using ZSM-5 as a base support. A copper based commercial catalyst was used to promote the WGS reaction. The two acid catalysts used are Dowex and Silica sulfuric acid. A treatment of raw bio-oil at elevated temperatures and pressures in the presence of catalysts and alcohol with WGS and HDO or octene with an acid catalyst showed marked improvements in important properties including acid value, HHV value, and percent water. The upgraded bio-oils were analyzed using GC-MS, IR and NMR while SEM, EDS and AAS techniques were used for the catalyst characterization. Another part of this research is to utilize biochar produced during biomass gasification and pyrolysis for metal adsorption from water. Biochar ground to 0.5-2 mm obtained from pyrolysis and gasification of pine woodchips and pyrolysis of switch grass were used for the removal of Pb(II) and Cr (VI) from aqueous solution. The effect of pH, temperature, equilibration time, adsorbent and adsorbate doses in metal sorption was studied. The degree of metal adsorption was analyzed by AAS. By optimizing pH, temperature, equilibration time, and adsorbent concentration the adsorption of Pb(II) was increase to 95% and Cr(VI) was increased to 25% .