Biorefinery products derived from

However, most of these routes are still economically unattractive and the possibility of creating an equivalent petrochemistry based on biomass, which depends on raising the conversion efficiency and establishing cascades in which the residues of one product serve as inputs for another, still suffers from the relatively unattractive products derived from hemicellulose and lignin. Therefore, to bring back biomass into the chemical business , the utilization of biomass must be enhanced by integrating it into biorefinery (Fig. 2). 

A biorefinery maximizes the value derived from the complex biomass feedstock by (a) optimal use and valorization of feedstock, (b) optimization and integration of processes for better efficiency, and (c) optimization of inputs (water, energy, etc.) and waste recycling/treatment. Integrated production of bioproducts, especially for bulk chemicals, biofuels, biolubricants and polymers, can improve their competitiveness and eco-efficiency. However, although a few examples of biorefineries already exist (Chapters 3 and 6), many improvements are still needed to enhance the process [5] ... 

Currently, most biorefineries are based mainly on a single product line with potentially one or two byproducts. Thus, an ethanol plant produces ethanol from corn starch, with distiller s grain as a byproduct. Greater product flexibility and, consequently, greater opportunities for profitability would derive from a plant producing a variety of alcohols, especially higher alcohols whose market prices range from 0.77 to 1.87/kg. 

Koutinas, A.A., Xu, Y., Wang, R. and Webb, C. 2007d. Polyhydroxybutyrate Production from a Novel Feedstock Derived from a Wheat-Based Biorefinery. Enzyme Microb. Technol., 40, 1035-1044. 

Recent attempts aim at the controlled transformation of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin to platform molecules for a potential future biorefinery scenario. In this regard, the U.S. Department of Energy has published studies on potential future platform molecules that could be derived from renewable resources [35, 36]. Tailored transformation of biomass to these platform chemicals could serve as a starting point for biofuel production. This would allow the development of comprehensive biorefinery approaches that incorporate both the production of biofuels and chemicals. The... 

As discussed in detail in Chapter 1 [1], the chemical-catalytic approach to biomass valorization is poised to come to the fore of biorefinery operations due to its advantages over microbial and thermochemical processing of lignocellulosic feedstocks. Below, we consider three mainstream platform chemicals, collectively referred to as furanics, that are derived from the acid-catalyzed dehydration of carbohydrates. The first, 5-(hydroxymethyl)furfural, or HMF 1, is an icon of the biorefinery movement. With derivatives that branch out over multiple product manifolds, HMF is a recognized commercial opportunity for whoever can manage to produce it economically, and approaches towards the realization of this aim will be discussed. 

Table 1.2 gives an overview of the major similarities and dissimilarities of petrochemical refineries and biorefineries while Figures 1.3 and 1.4 give an overview of the base petrochemicals and their major applications as well as the updated top 12 building blocks derived from biomass. ° Table 1.2 and Figures 1.3 and 1.4 clearly illustrate that starting materials, processes, and products are quite different. 

Therefore, chemicals and materials derived from biomass are the only alternatives to oil-derived chemical products, which means that we have to redesign those central chemical processes and molecules which form the basis of the current chemical industry. New monomers and processes based on new technologies, such as biorefinery and industrial biotechnology, will replace them and help the chemical industry to stay competitive. 

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