The Role of Catalysis for the Sustainable Production of Bio-fuels and Bio-chemicals describes the importance of catalysis for the sustainable production of biofuels and biochemicals, focused primarily on the state-of-the-art catalysts and catalytic processes expected to play a decisive role in the "green" production of fuels and chemicals from biomass. In addition, the book includes general elements regarding the entire chain of biomass production, conversion, environment, economy, and life-cycle assessment. Very few books are available on catalysis in production schemes using biomass or its primary conversion products, such as bio-oil and lignin. This book fills that gap with detailed discussions of: Catalytic pyrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass Hybrid biogasoline by co-processing in FCC units Fischer-Tropsch synthesis to biofuels (biomass-to-liquid process) Steam reforming of bio-oils to hydrogen With energy prices rapidly rising, environmental concerns growing, and regulatory apparatus evolving, this book is a resource with tutorial, research, and technological value for chemists, chemical engineers, policymakers, and students. Includes catalytic reaction mechanism schemes and gives a clear understanding of catalytic processes Includes flow diagrams of bench-, pilot- and industrial-scale catalytic processing units and demonstrates the various process technologies involved, enabling easy selection of the best process Incorporates many tables, enabling easy comparison of data based on a critical review of the available literature

Catalysis, in the industrial production of chemicals, fuels, and materials, accounts for more than half of gross material production worldwide. Heterogeneous catalysis enables fast and selective chemical transformations, resulting in superior product yield and facilitating catalyst separation and recovery. The synthesis of novel catalysts has emerged as a hot topic for process and product development with numerous research publications and patents. Hence, development of efficient catalysts and their applications is important for sustainable energy production and use, green chemicals production and use, and economic growth. This Special Issue discusses recent developments related to catalysis for the production of sustainable fuels and chemicals and traverses many new frontiers of catalysis including synthesis, characterization, catalytic performances, reaction kinetics and modelling, as well as applications of catalysts for the production of biofuels, synthesis gas, and other green products. This covers the current state-of-the-art catalysis research applied to bioenergy, organic transformation, carbon–carbon and carbon–heteroatoms, reforming, hydrogenation, hydrodesulfurization, hydrodenitrogenation, hydrodemetalization, Fischer–Tropsch synthesis, to name a few. This book highlights new avenues in catalysis including catalyst preparation methods, analytical tools for catalyst characterization, and techno-economic assessment to enhance a chemical or biological transformation process using catalysts for a betterment of industry, academia and society.

This book is part of a two-volume work that offers a unique blend of information on realistic evaluations of catalyst-based synthesis processes using green chemistry principles and the environmental sustainability applications of such processes for biomass conversion, refining, and petrochemical production. The volumes provide a comprehensive resource of state-of-the-art technologies and green chemistry methodologies from researchers, academics, and chemical and manufacturing industrial scientists. The work will be of interest to professors, researchers, and practitioners in clean energy catalysis, green chemistry, chemical engineering and manufacturing, and environmental sustainability. This volume focuses on the potentials, recent advances, and future prospects of catalysis for biomass conversion and value-added chemicals production via green catalytic routes. Readers are presented with a mechanistic framework assessing the development of product selective catalytic processes for biomass and biomass-derived feedstock conversion. The book offers a unique combination of contributions from experts working on both lab-scale and industrial catalytic processes and provides insight into the use of various catalytic materials (e.g., mineral acids, heteropolyacid, metal catalysts, zeolites, metal oxides) for clean energy production and environmental sustainability.

Biomass is widely considered as a potential alternative to dwindling fossil fuel reserves. There is a large variety of biomass sources (oleaginous, lignocellulosic, algae, etc.), with many possible conversion routes and products. Currently, biomass is not just viewed as a source of biofuels, but also as an interesting feedstock for the production of bio-based chemicals that could largely replace petrochemicals. In this context, the search for new sustainable and efficient alternatives to fossil sources is gaining increasing relevance within the chemical industry. There, the role of catalysis is often critical for the development of clean and sustainable processes, aiming to produce commodity chemicals or liquid fuels with a high efficiency and atom economy. This book gathers works at the cutting edge of investigation in the application of catalysis, for the sustainable conversion of biomass into biofuels and bio-based chemicals.

With its focus on catalysis and addressing two very hot and timely topics with significant implications for our future lives, this will be a white book in the field. The authority behind this practical work is the IDECAT Network of Excellence, and the authors here outline how the use of catalysis will promote the more extensive use of renewable feedstocks in chemical and energy production. They present the latest applications, their applicability and results, making this a ready reference for researchers and engineers working in catalysis, chemistry, and industrial processes wishing to analyze options, outlooks and opportunities in the field.

Biomass is the only renewable carbon source that can be converted into high value-added carbon products. This book presents a collection of studies on the conversion of catalytic biomass to renewable biofuels and biomaterials by chemical conversion, co-combustion technology, and biological conversion technology. The fundamentals and mechanisms of catalytic materials design, process optimization, product development, and by-product utilization are outlined. All articles were contributed by experts in catalysis and bioenergy fields to provide readers with a broad range of perspectives on cutting-edge applications. This book is an ideal reference guide for academic researchers and engineering technicians in the fields of catalytic material synthesis, biomass energy conversion, enzyme catalysis, pyrolysis, combustion, vaporization, and fermentation. It can also be used as a comprehensive reference source for university students in renewable energy science and engineering, agricultural engineering, thermal engineering, chemical engineering, material science, and environmental engineering. This book contains 12 articles: (1) “Catalytic Biomass to Renewable Biofuels and Biomaterials”; (2) “Experimental Design to Improve Cell Growth and Ethanol Production in Syngas Fermentation by Clostridium carboxidivorans”; (3) “Glycerol Acetylation Mediated by Thermally Hydrolysed Biosolids-Based Material”; (4) “Influence of Base-Catalyzed Organosolv Fractionation of Larch Wood Sawdust on Fraction Yields and Lignin Properties”; (5) “Ca-based Catalysts for the Production of High-Quality Bio-Oils from the Catalytic Co-Pyrolysis of Grape Seeds and Waste Tyres”; (6) “Synthesis of Diesel and Jet Fuel Range Cycloalkanes with Cyclopentanone and Furfural”; (7) “Gel-Type and Macroporous Cross-Linked Copolymers Functionalized with Acid Groups for the Hydrolysis of Wheat Straw Pretreated with an Ionic Liquid”; (8) “Role of Humic Acid Chemical Structure Derived from Different Biomass Feedstocks on Fe(III) Bioreduction Activity: Implication for Sustainable Use of Bioresources”; (9) “Selective Production of Terephthalonitrile and Benzonitrile via Pyrolysis of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) with Ammonia over Ca(OH)2/Al2O3 Catalysts”; (10) “Experimental Studies on Co-Combustion of Sludge and Wheat Straw”; (11) “Carbonate-Catalyzed Room-Temperature Selective Reduction of Biomass-Derived 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural into 2,5-Bis(hydroxymethyl)furan”; (12) “Clostridium sp. as Bio-Catalyst for Fuels and Chemicals Production in a Biorefinery Context”.

The development of renewable and sustainable lignocellulosic biofuels is currently receiving worldwide attention and investment. Despite decades of research, there remain significant challenges to be overcome before these biofuels can be produced in large volumes at competitive prices. One obstacle is the lack of efficient and affordable catalytic systems to dissolve and hydrolyze polysaccharides into sugars. These sugars are then fed to microrganisms and fermented into biofuels. The price of these catalysts, be they biological, thermochemical, or chemical in nature, represent one of the largest costs in the conversion process. There are a number of catalytic schemes, each with their own advantages and disadvantages, available. This book presents a general yet substantial review of the most promising processes and the spectrum of biomass pretreatment, enzymes, chemical catalysts, and hybrid approaches of hydrolyzing biomass into fermentable sugars. It is the only currently available book that compares the biochemical, chemical, and thermochemical conversion processes to biofuel production.