During the last six years one of the most productive of the International Energy Agency (IEA) networks on renewable energy, has been the network entitled "Biotechnology for the conversion of Lignocellulosics". One of the reasons for the success of the network has been the interaction of molecular biologists, microbiologists, chemists, engineers, etc., all working together on the technical and economic aspects of biomass conversion of ethanol. The authors of the various chapters in this book are part of this network and were selected for their familiarity with either a specific step of a bioconversion process or for their ability to assess the technical and economic aspects of the overall process. The chapters describe the technical advances that have been made in the various process steps, and also indicate the probable configuration of a biomass to ethanol plant. This book will interest researchers, engineers and industrialists.

Wood and Agricultural Residues Research on Use for Feed, Fuels, and Chemicals covers the proceedings of the 1982 “Feed, Fuels, and Chemicals from Wood and Agricultural Residues symposium, held in Kansas City and sponsored by Cellulose, Paper, and Textile Division of the American Chemical Society. Organized into seven parts encompassing 31 chapters, the book discusses the plant cell wall; the cellulose, hemicelluloses, and lignin; the lignocellulosics for ruminants; the biological and thermochemical conversion; and the approached for utilization. The introductory part describes the anatomy, permeability, ultrastructure, and digestion of plant cell wall. The following section examines the structure, characteristics, derivatives, recycle and recovery through solvent systems, and utilization for enzyme and protein production of cellulose and hemicelluloses. This section also discusses the synthesis, structure, properties, and analysis of hydroxypropyl lignin derivatives. The third section characterizes the fibrous fractions of forages and presents traditional methods for qualitative and quantitative analyses of lignocellulosics. This text includes discussions on methods for improving utilization of unconventional feed sources by ruminants; the digestion impeding factors; and the effect of chemical, physical, and biological treatments in upgrading the digestibility and nutritive value of crop residues. The subsequent sections describe the biological, chemical, physical, and thermochemical conversion of wood fibers. Such methods include fermentation, acid and steam hydrolysis, saccharification, hydrogenolysis, and pyrolysis. The concluding section covers mechanical treatments to improve lignocelluloses properties, such as steam explosion and solvent systems. This book is an ideal source of information for botanists and feed scientists and researchers.

In this book, 15 papers, covering some of the latest advances in pretreatment and bioconversion of crop residues, are presented. Research results dealing with wheat straw, corn stover, sweet sorghum bagasse, hazelnut shells, oil palm empty fruit bunch, olive tree pruning biomass, and other residues of crop harvest and processing are discussed. Pretreatment methods, such as auto-catalyzed and acid-catalyzed hydrothermal processing, steaming, alkaline methods, and different organosolv approaches, are reported. Bioconversion with enzymes and microbes for producing fermentable sugars, xylitol, and biomethane are also included.

Biotransformation of Agricultural Waste and By-Products in the 4F Economy: The Food, Feed, Fiber, Fuel (4F) Economy presents an evaluation of plant species better exploitable for a particular transformation. As crops are already covering large parts of cultivable soils, is it is not conceivable to try to extend the cultures beyond the limit of available soils, but a further increase in productivity is not easy to obtain. The book discusses advances in technology and plants design which support the exploitation and valorization of vegetable and fruit by-products through fermentation (feed-batch liquid fermentation, solid-state fermentation) in bio-based bio-chemicals/biofuels production. Pathways in the biosynthesis of fibers, sugars, and metabolites are provided with a focus on the lifecycle of bacteria, yeasts, and even plant species. The text analyzes cellular structures and the organization of cell walls in order to show which polysaccharides offer more favorable fermentative processes and which are detrimental. - Provides an overview of all plant based biosources - Includes examples of biochemical/biofuel production from plant waste - Discusses the production of enzymes used in the plant fermentation processes - Explores the new fermentation technologies and production of chemicals and fuels from various plants

Bioconversion; The origins of biomass; History of the use of biomass as an energy source; Bioconversion, energy elements and processes.