Plant biomass is attracting increasing attention as a sustainable resource for large-scale production of renewable fuels and chemicals. However, in order to successfully compete with petroleum, it is vital that biomass conversion processes are designed to minimize costs and maximize yields. Advances in pretreatment technology are critical in order to develop high-yielding, cost-competitive routes to renewable fuels and chemicals. Aqueous Pretreatment of Plant Biomass for Biological and Chemical Conversion to Fuels and Chemicals presents a comprehensive overview of the currently available aqueous pretreatment technologies for cellulosic biomass, highlighting the fundamental chemistry and biology of each method, key attributes and limitations, and opportunities for future advances. Topics covered include: • The importance of biomass conversion to fuels • The role of pretreatment in biological and chemical conversion of biomass • Composition and structure of biomass, and recalcitrance to conversion • Fundamentals of biomass pretreatment at low, neutral and high pH • Ionic liquid and organosolv pretreatments to fractionate biomass • Comparative data for application of leading pretreatments and effect of enzyme formulations • Physical and chemical features of pretreated biomass • Economics of pretreatment for biological processing • Methods of analysis and enzymatic conversion of biomass streams • Experimental pretreatment systems from multiwell plates to pilot plant operations This comprehensive reference book provides an authoritative source of information on the pretreatment of cellulosic biomass to aid those experienced in the field to access the most current information on the topic. It will also be invaluable to those entering the growing field of biomass conversion.

The book describes the pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass for biomass-to-biofuel conversion processes, which is an important step in increasing ethanol production for biofuels. It also highlights the main challenges and suggests possible ways to make these technologies feasible for the biofuel industry. The biological conversion of cellulosic biomass into bioethanol is based on the chemical and biological breakdown of biomass into aqueous sugars, for example using hydrolytic enzymes. The fermentable sugars can then be further processed into ethanol or other advanced biofuels. Pretreatment is required to break down the lignin structure and disrupt the crystalline structure of cellulose so that the acids or enzymes can easily access and hydrolyze the cellulose. Pre-treatment can be the most expensive process in converting biomass to fuel, but there is great potential for improving the efficiency and lowering costs through further research and development. This book is aimed at academics and industrial practitioners who are interested in the higher production of ethanol for biofuels.

Lignocellulosic Biomass to Liquid Biofuels explores the existing technologies and most recent developments for the production of second generation liquid biofuels, providing an introduction to lignocellulosic biomass and the processes for its conversion into biofuels. The book demonstrates biorefinery concepts compared with petro refinery, as well as the challenges of second generation biofuels processing. In addition to current pre-treatment techniques and their technical, environmental and economic implications, chapters included also further examine the particularities of conversion processes for bioethanol, biobutanol and biodiesel through chemical, biochemical and combined approaches. Finally, the book looks into concepts and tools for techno-economic and environmental analysis, which include supply chain assessment, by-products, zero-waste techniques and process evaluation and optimization. Lignocellulosic Biomass to Liquid Biofuels is particularly useful for researchers in the field of liquid biofuels seeking alternative chemical and biochemical pathways or those interested advanced methods to calculate maximum yield for each process and methods to simulate the implications and costs of scaling up. Furthermore, with the introduction provided by this volume, researchers and graduate students entering the field will be able to quickly get up to speed and identify knowledge gaps in existing and upcoming technology the book's comprehensive overview. - Examines the state-of-the-art technology for liquid biofuels production from lignocellulosic biomass - Provides a comprehensive overview of the existing chemical and biochemical processes for second generation biofuel conversion - Presents tools for the techno-economic and environmental analysis of technologies, as well as for the scale-up simulation of conversion processes

Pretreatment of Biomass provides general information, basic data, and knowledge on one of the most promising renewable energy sources—biomass for their pretreatment—which is one of the most essential and critical aspects of biomass-based processes development. The quest to make the environment greener, less polluted, and less hazardous has led to the concept of biorefineries for developing bio-based processes and products using biomass as a feedstock. Each kind of biomass requires some kind of pretreatment to make it suitable for bioprocess. This book provides state-of-art information on the methods currently available for this. This book provides data-based scientific information on the most advanced and innovative pretreatment of lignocellulosic and algal biomass for further processing. Pretreatment of biomass is considered one of the most expensive steps in the overall processing in a biomass-to-biofuel program. With the strong advancement in developing lignocellulose biomass- and algal biomass-based biorefineries, global focus has been on developing pretreatment methods and technologies that are technically and economically feasible. This book provides a comprehensive overview of the latest developments in methods used for the pretreatment of biomass. An entire section is devoted to the methods and technologies of algal biomass due to the increasing global attention of its use. - Provides information on the most advanced and innovative pretreatament processes and technologies for biomass - Covers information on lignocellulosic and algal biomass to work on the principles of biorefinery - Useful for researchers intending to study scale-up - Provides information on integration of processes and technologies for the pretreatment of biomass

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

Technologies for Biochemical Conversion of Biomass introduces biomass biochemical conversion technology, including the pretreatment platform, enzyme platform, cell refining platform, sugar platform, fermentation platform, and post-treatment platform. Readers will find a systematic treatment, not only of the basics of biomass biochemical conversion and the introduction of each strategy, but also of the current advances of research in this area. Researchers will find the key problems in each technology platform for biomass biochemical conversion identified and solutions offered. This valuable reference book features new scientific research and the related industrial application of biomass biochemical conversion technology as the main content, and then systematically introduces the basic principles and applications of biomass biochemical conversion technology. - Combines descriptions of these technologies to provide strategies and a platform for biochemical conversion in terms of basic knowledge, research advances, and key problems - Summarizes models of biomass biochemical conversion for multiple products - Presents products of biomass biochemical conversion from C1 to C10

Bioethanol has been recognized as a potential alternative to petroleum-derived transportation fuels. Even if cellulosic biomass is less expensive than corn and sugarcane, the higher costs for its conversion make the near-term price of cellulosic ethanol higher than that of corn ethanol and even more than that of sugarcane ethanol. Conventional process for bioethanol production from lignocellulose includes a chemical/physical pre-treatment of lignocellulose for lignin removal, mostly based on auto hydrolysis and acid hydrolysis, followed by saccharification of the free accessible cellulose portions of the biomass. The highest yields of fermentable sugars from cellulose portion are achieved by means of enzymatic hydrolysis, currently carried out using a mix of cellulases from the fungus Trichoderma reesei. Reduction of (hemi)cellulases production costs is strongly required to increase competitiveness of second generation bioethanol production. The final step is the fermentation of sugars obtained from saccharification, typically performed by the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The current process is optimized for 6-carbon sugars fermentation, since most of yeasts cannot ferment 5-carbon sugars. Thus, research is aimed at exploring new engineered yeasts abilities to co-ferment 5- and 6-carbon sugars. Among the main routes to advance cellulosic ethanol, consolidate bio-processing, namely direct conversion of biomass into ethanol by a genetically modified microbes, holds tremendous potential to reduce ethanol production costs. Finally, the use of all the components of lignocellulose to produce a large spectra of biobased products is another challenge for further improving competitiveness of second generation bioethanol production, developing a biorefinery.