Biomass biochemical conversion

Biochemical conversion, or bioconversion, is a chemical reaction caused by treating moist biomass with microorganisms such as enzymes or fungi. The end products may be liquid or gaseous fuels. Anaerobic digestion and fermentation are the two processes used for biochemically... 

This paper is concerned with the potential for production of liquid fuels from biomass in Canada. To this end, the availability and cost of wood wastes, surplus roundwood, bush residues, energy plantation trees, and municipal solid wastes (mostly cellulosic) are assessed and promising thermal, chemical and biochemical conversion processes reviewed. 

Effective utilization of biomass for value-added chemical product synthesis will require development of new applications of important unit operations. Carbohydrate recovery from the biomass is the key near-term application for production of commodity chemicals. Protein recovery will continue to have an important niche market in tlie purified form as food and a larger low-value market in the crude form as animal feed. Important processing information for carbohydrate depolymerization can be found in the literature from biochemical conversion of biomass. New process applications of separation technologies are just now being developed and refined for use with biomass-derived carbohydrate and protein streams. The use of an aqueous processing environment for carbohydrates will require careful consideration of the differences that type of environment entails, such as the effect on catalyst formulations. 

Robinson, J.S. (1980) Primary Biochemical Conversions, In Fuels from Biomass Technology and Feasibility, pp, 167-183, Noyes Data Corporation, Park Ridge, New Jersey. 

Jones, J. L., Fong, W. S., "Mission Analysis for the Federal Fuels from Biomass Program, Volume V Biochemical Conversion of Biomass to Fuels and Chemicals" report prepared by SRI International, Menlo Park, California, for the U.S. Department of Energy, December 1978. 

Biochemical conversion processes Enz)unes and micro-organisms are frequently used as biocatalysts to convert biomass or biomass-derived compounds into desirable products. Cellulase and hemicellulase enzymes break down the carbohydrate fractions of biomass into five-and six-carbon sugars, a process known as hydrolysis. Yeast and bacteria ferment the sugars into products such as ethanol. Biotechnology advances are expected to lead to dramatic biochemical conversion improvements. 

Thermochemical Conversion of Biomass to Fuels and Chemicals Biochemical Conversion of Biomass to Fuels and Chemicals Mission Addendum Program Recommendations... 

Process Design and Economics for Biochemical Conversion ofLignocel-lulosic Biomass to Ethanol Dilute-Acid Pretreatment and Enzymatic Hydrolysis of Corn Stover, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO. 

The purpose of biomass conversion is to provide fuels with clearly defined characteristics that meet given fuel quality standards. Such defined solid, liquid, or gaseous fuels can then be used to meet a specific supply task efficiently. To ensure that these fuel quality standards are met and these biomass-based fuels can be used with a high efficiency in conversion devices (like engines, turbines) upgrading is needed. Here, a distinction is made between thermo-chemical, physico-chemical, and biochemical conversion processes to accomplish this aim (see Glossary). 

Humbird DA, Davis R, Tao L, Kinchin C, Hsu D, Aden A, Schoen P, Lukas J, Olthof B, Worley M, Sexton D, Dudgeon D. (2011). Process design and economics for biochemical conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to ethanol-dilute-acid pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis of corn stover. National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO. NREL/TP-5100-47764. 

US 0.29/L and US 0.53/L, respectively (Balat, 2011). In 2011, NREL (Colorado, USA) published the detailed report Process Design and Economics for Biochemical Conversion of Lignocellulosic Biomass to Ethanol (Humbird et al.. Mar. 2011). The NREL process design converts corn stover to ethanol by dilute-acid pretreatment, enzymatic saccharification, and co-fermentation, and with a minimum ethanol selling price (MESP) of US 2.15/gal (US 0.57/L calculated) by 2012 conversion targets (Table 7.3). In the report, the biomass amount processed is 2205 dry ton/day at 76% theoretical ethanol yield (79 gal/dry ton). It is expected that this MESP will become the standard for the cost of cellulosic bioethanol. 

D. Humbird, R. Davis, L. Tao, C. Kinchin, D. Hsu, A. Aden, P. Schoen, J. Lukas, B. Olthof, M. Worley, D. Sexton and D. Dudgeon, Process Design and Economics for Biochemical Conversion of Lignocellulosic Biomass to Ethanol Dilute Acid Pretreatment and Enzymatic Hydrolysis of Com Stover, 2011, Report No. TP-5100-47764, pp. 1-114. 

Bioalcohol production Biochemical conversion of lignocellulosic biomass... 

Biofuels are liquid fuels that are derived from organic matter, either directly from plants or indirecdy from agricultural, domestic, or industrial wastes. They are made by conversion of biomass to convenient energy-containing substances in three different ways thermal conversion, chemical conversion, and biochemical conversion. An overview of biomass to biofuels conversion pathways is illustrated in Figure 10.388. 

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