Biomass Fractionation Technologies for a Lignocellulosic Feedstock Based Biorefinery

S.I. Mussatto

• Publisher: Elsevier
• Year: 2016
• Print ISBN: 9780128023235
• eBook ISBN: 9780128025611
• Topic: Technology & Engineering
• Subtopic: Chemical & Biochemical Engineering
• Index: Technology & Engineering

Biomass Fractionation Technologies for a Lignocellulosic Feedstock-based Biorefinery reviews the extensive research and tremendous scientific and technological developments that have occurred in the area of biorefinering, including industrial processes and product development using 'green technologies', often referred as white biotechnology. As there is a huge need for new design concepts for modern biorefineries as an alternative and amendment to industrial crude oil and gas refineries, this book presents the most important topics related to biomass fractionation, including advances, challenges, and perspectives, all with references to current literature for further study. Presented in 26 chapters by international field specialists, each chapter consists of review text that comprises the most recent advances, challenges, and perspectives for each fractionation technique. The book is an indispensable reference for all professionals, students, and workers involved in biomass biorefinery, assisting them in establishing efficient and economically viable process technologies for biomass fractionation. - Provides information on the most advanced and innovative pretreatment processes and technologies for biomass - Reviews numerous valuable products from lignocellulose - Discusses integration of processes for complete biomass conversion with minimum waste generation - Identifies the research gaps in scale-up - Presents an indispensable reference for all professionals, students, and workers involved in biomass biorefinery, assisting them in establishing efficient and economically viable process technologies for biomass fractionation

Chapter 1

Biomass Pretreatment, Biorefineries, and Potential Products for a Bioeconomy Development

S.I. Mussatto, and G.M. Dragone Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands

Abstract

Lignocellulosic biomass is a widely available and cheap organic material that can be used for the production of biofuels and numerous chemical products. The development of a bioeconomy using such kind of nonfossil feedstocks has been strongly encouraged for economic, environmental, and societal reasons. However, converting biomass into bio-based products is not an easy task due to the complex structure of such materials. In order to release sugars, a pretreatment step is fundamental to overcome biomass recalcitrance. Although many options of pretreatment have already been studied and developed, improvements are still necessary since pretreatment is one of the most expensive steps in a lignocellulosic biomass biorefinery. This chapter gives an overview about the interests and possibilities for developing a bioeconomy using lignocellulosic biomass as feedstock. The different types of biomass, the role of the pretreatment for the development of biorefineries, and the incentives that have been given by different countries to develop this area are also presented and discussed.

Keywords

Bio-based products; Bioeconomy; Biomass; Biorefinery; Cellulose; Fermentation; Fractionation; Hemicellulose; Lignin; Pretreatment

1.1. Introduction

There is a great incentive for the development of a bio-based economy, ie, using nonfossil feedstocks, in order to address strategic, economic, and environmental problems. One of the main reasons is the big world population growth that has been experienced mainly in the last decades. As a consequence of the population growth, more wastes have been generated, including solid wastes and gaseous wastes that are released into the atmosphere, damaging the quality of the air and causing the loss of biodiversity. Petroleum is the largest contributor to emissions of carbon dioxide, air pollution, and acid rain, which in turn has by far the largest influence on global climate change. Biomass combined with carbon capture and storage is considered to be the only credible route to delivering negative emissions and is the dominant method to meet greenhouse gas emission reduction targets. The production of ethanol from biomass, for example, was estimated to have the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 86% [1]. Additionally, although the current price of oil is going down, it is expected to go back up. Fluctuation in oil prices and environmental concerns have made biomass an important alternative to fossil feedstocks for the production of fuels and chemicals.

Lignocellulosic biomass clearly represents a sustainable and low-cost resource that can be converted into fuels and chemicals on a large scale, having a meaningful impact on petroleum use. Renewable raw materials are also attractive because they enable the development of products with new functionalities and molecules that would otherwise be either less accessible or inaccessible via fossil-based routes. Moreover, they respond to the market pull that is resulting from consumer and retailer demand.

In order to achieve an efficient utilization of lignocellulosic materials and to develop economical, robust, and reliable processes for a biorefinery, an effective fractionation of the biomass into its main constituents (cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin) is essential. Biomass fractionation into individual components can be achieved by submitting the feedstock to a pretreatment stage. Numerous strategies for biomass pretreatment have already been investigated and developed, which will be discussed in detail in the next chapters.

Pretreatment is considered to be the most important step for obtaining an efficient conversion of biomass to value-added products. Pretreatment is necessary to produce highly digestible solids that enhance sugar yields during enzymatic hydrolysis. However, the degradation of sugars (mainly pentoses derived from hemicellulose) must be avoided during this step, which would correspond in a loss of the carbon source and formation of compounds that act as inhibitors for subsequent fermentation steps. The possibility of lignin recovery for conversion into valuable coproducts is also one of the main goals of the pretreatment stage. Pretreatment is one of the most expensive steps in a biorefinery. To be attractive it must be cost-effective by operating in reactors of moderate size and by minimizing heat, power, and chemical requirements.

Different products can be produced from biomass; however, not all of them are economically or sustainable attractive for the development of a bioeconomy. The choice of the products of interest must be made by taking into account the national needs, economic viability of the production process, and potential environmental impacts. The production of high-value products from each biomass component is very important for the development of competitive and efficient biorefineries and will have a strong impact on the future economics of the biofuel and bio-based industries.

This chapter will present an introduction for the overall book, including aspects related to lignocellulosic biomass composition, pretreatment processes that can be used to fractionate biomass into its main components, and strategies that can be implemented for their reuse in a biorefinery. A list of the most attractive products that can be produced from biomass will be presented, and the concept of a bioeconomy and strategies already used in different countries around the world will be discussed.

1.2. Biomass: Types and Composition

Lignocellulosic biomass constitutes the largest source of renewable organic material on Earth. This type of biomass includes, among others, agricultural/agroindustrial residues ...

Table of contents

• Cover image
• Title page
• Table of Contents
• Copyright
• List of Contributors
• Editor Biography
• Preface
• Chapter 1. Biomass Pretreatment, Biorefineries, and Potential Products for a Bioeconomy Development
• Chapter 2. Mechanical Pretreatment
• Chapter 3. Extrusion Processing: Opportunities and Challenges Toward Biofuel
• Chapter 4. Fractionation of Lignocellulosic Material With Pyrolysis Processing
• Chapter 5. Microwave-Induced Biomass Fractionation
• Chapter 6. Use of Ultrasound for Pretreatment of Biomass and Subsequent Hydrolysis and Fermentation
• Chapter 7. Applications of Pulsed Electric Energy for Biomass Pretreatment in Biorefinery
• Chapter 8. Biomass Pretreatment With Acids
• Chapter 9. Biomass Pretreatment With Oxalic Acid for Value-Added Products
• Chapter 10. Pretreatment With Metal Salts
• Chapter 11. Integration of Organosolv Process for Biomass Pretreatment in a Biorefinery
• Chapter 12. Pretreatment of Lignocelluloses With Solvent N-Methylmorpholine N-oxide
• Chapter 13. A Novel Green Biomass Fractionation Technology: Hydrotropic Pretreatment
• Chapter 14. Hydrothermal/Liquid Hot Water Pretreatment (Autohydrolysis): A Multipurpose Process for Biomass Upgrading
• Chapter 15. Steam Explosion as Lignocellulosic Biomass Pretreatment
• Chapter 16. Fractionation of Lignocellulosic Biomass Materials With Wet Explosion Pretreatment
• Chapter 17. Biomass Pretreatment With Carbon Dioxide
• Chapter 18. Chemical Oxidation With Ozone as an Efficient Pretreatment of Lignocellulosic Materials
• Chapter 19. Recent Advances in Alkaline Pretreatment of Lignocellulosic Biomass
• Chapter 20. Pretreatment With Ammonia
• Chapter 21. Alkaline Peroxide Pretreatment for an Effective Biomass Degradation
• Chapter 22. Sulfite Pretreatment to Overcome the Recalcitrance of Lignocelluloses for Bioconversion of Woody Biomass
• Chapter 23. Enzymatic Hydrolysis of Lignocellulosic Residues
• Chapter 24. Biological Pretreatment of Lignocellulosic Biomass
• Chapter 25. Technoeconomic Considerations for Biomass Fractionation in a Biorefinery Context
• Chapter 26. Socioeconomic and Environmental Considerations for Sustainable Supply and Fractionation of Lignocellulosic Biomass in a Biorefinery Context
• Index