Chemicals, biomass natural processes

Renewable carbon resources is a misnomer the earth s carbon is in a perpetual state of flux. Carbon is not consumed such that it is no longer available in any form. Reversible and irreversible chemical reactions occur in such a manner that the carbon cycle makes all forms of carbon, including fossil resources, renewable. It is simply a matter of time that makes one carbon from more renewable than another. If it is presumed that replacement does in fact occur, natural processes eventually will replenish depleted petroleum or natural gas deposits in several million years. Eixed carbon-containing materials that renew themselves often enough to make them continuously available in large quantities are needed to maintain and supplement energy suppHes biomass is a principal source of such carbon. 

In 2010 and 2012 All-Russian School-Conference of Young Scientists Supercritical Fluid Technologies in the Decision of Environmental Problems. Plants Biomass Extraction was held on the base of North (Arctic) Federal University. Taking into account the major local directions of scientific work, the scope of the School-Conference included sueh issues as the properties of supercritieal fluids, ScF extraction of plant biomass, chemical and biological processes in ScF media, ScF chromatography in analysis and separation of natural extracts. 

Crude oil reserves are limited. Therefore, processes to produce fuels and chemicals from natural gas, coal, and biomass are highly important. The two main processes are Fischer-Tropsch (FT) synthesis and methanol synthesis. 

The chemical industry is facing a number of grand challenges in recent years. Resources such as biomass, natural gas, coal, and renewal energies are to be used to substitute petroleum for chemical production. The waste left or being produced by industry should be treated to be harmless or further processed to useful products. This requires innovative and efficient processes and catalysts. Moreover, the future development of chemical industry relies heavily on product iimovation. 

Eig. 14. Primary biomass-derived chemicals. Dominant processiag methods are chemical (C), fermentation (E), enzymic (E), and natural (N) processes ... 

There are many different routes to organic chemicals from biomass because of its high polysaccharide content and reactivity. The practical value of the conversion processes selected for commercial use with biomass will depend strongly on the availabiUty and price of the same chemicals produced from petroleum and natural gas. 

A brief summary of current and potential processes is given in Table 8.1. As shown in the table, most of the reactions are hydrolysis, hydrogenolysis, hydration, hydrogenation, oxidation, and isomerization reactions, where catalysis plays a key role. Particularly, the role of heterogeneous catalysts has increased in this connection in recent years therefore, this chapter concerns mostly the application of heterogeneous solid catalysts in the transformation of biomass. An extensive review of various chemicals originating from nature is provided by Maki-Arvela et al. [33]. 

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