Value lignocellulose

The char produced by pyrolysis is typically light and porous. Removal of most of the oxygen present in the biomass significantly increases its heating value, e.g., from 17 GJ t 1 for the lignocellulose to some 30 GJ t 1. This makes the char a valuable fuel for industrial and consumer applications. 

Figure 2.13 did not include all the biomass conversion processes discussed above. It only considered those that produce transportation fuels. The processes that convert bio-feedstock into biocrude or electricity could not be included because their products have a different value than the transportation fuels. Such a comparison can be attempted by displaying the total manufacturing cost of biobased products in a graph that shows typical relationships between the price of crude and that its derivatives, i.e., of fuel oil, transportation fuel and electricity. This has been done in Fig. 2.14 for the lignocellulose conversion processes. 

The generally poorer mechanical properties exhibited by acetylated lignocellulosic material in composites bonded using aqueous resin systems was considered by Korai etal. (2001). Fibres of yellow cedar (Chamaecyparis nootkatensis) were acetylated to a WPG of 24.8 % and then ozonated to different extents to increase the hydrophilicity of the fibre surface. Boards were fabricated from the fibres using an aqueous MF resin. Ozonation improved IBS of boards fabricated from acetylated fibres, proportional to level of ozone charge, and resulted in IBS values comparable to those of nonacetylated controls at higher levels of ozonation. However, although ozonation also improved MOR, the values obtained for acetylated fibres were always less than those obtained with unmodified fibres. 

Many products with industrial value are manufactured from wood and lignocellulosic materials. The optimum conditions for the reactions have been established by scientists from academia or industry. Hence, to utilize this basic chemistry to redesign wood products or lignocellulosic materials with superior properties will be the main issue of the chemical modification of... 

Lignocellulosic research today is poised on the threshold of a new era of research breakthroughs. It has enabled the use of a wide variety of lignocellulosic materials, low-quality wood species and sawdust, and low-value lignin products. Lignocellulosic and cellulosic research efforts are under way to produce novel products for construction, transportation, plastics, fiber, packaging, and medical applications. Some of the major activities in chemical modifications of wood, cellulose, and lignins are the main features of this book. 

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