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Thermochemical Conversion of Biomass

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Practices and Perspectives in Sustainable Bioenergy

Part of the book series: Green Energy and Technology ((GREEN))

Abstract

Sustainable biomass, with number of environmental and economic advantages, has enormous potential in reducing fossil fuels usage to mitigate climate change and achieving low-carbon economy. Because of variety of biomass species with numerous physical and chemical properties, conversion of biomass feedstocks into bioenergy and bio-based products involves a broad diversity of existing and emerging pre-treatment and conversion technologies. Biomass conversion into power, heat, fuels and bio-based products, based on the specific feedstock, is generally categorized into two major conversion pathways—biochemical and thermochemical. Thermochemical conversion technologies to convert sustainable biomass and organic waste into energy forms (heat, power, fuels and bio-based materials) can be categorized as direct combustion, gasification and pyrolysis based on the amount of oxidizing agent present. In this chapter, biomass thermochemical conversion to low-carbon energy and bio-based product production pathways is discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Rutgers EcoComplex, “Clean Energy Innovation Center”, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 1200 Florence-Columbus Road, Bordentown, NJ, 08505, USA

    Serpil Guran

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Natural Sciences, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Princess Anne, MD, USA

    Madhumi Mitra

  2. Department of Engineering and Aviation Sciences, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Princess Anne, MD, USA

    Abhijit Nagchaudhuri

Glossary

Sustainable Biomass

Biomass feedstocks that do not follow food to fuel pathways and do not result in forest conversion and/or land clearing for biomass production plantations.

Thermochemical Conversion

Conversion technology that involves heat application to rupture the main structure of polymers. This can be applied with or without oxygen.

Combustion

Combustion is an exothermic chemical reaction of a fuel with oxygen.

Gasification

Gasification is a thermochemical conversion process in which carbonaceous substances are partially oxidized in the presence of a gasifying agent (air, steam and oxygen) converted into gaseous products.

Pyrolysis

Thermal degradation of materials in the absence of an oxidizing agent, causing irreversible rupture of polymer structures into smaller molecules leading to the formation of solid (char), liquid (bio-oils) and non-condensable gaseous products (i.e., CO, CO2, H2, CH4, C2H6).

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Guran, S. (2020). Thermochemical Conversion of Biomass. In: Mitra, M., Nagchaudhuri, A. (eds) Practices and Perspectives in Sustainable Bioenergy. Green Energy and Technology. Springer, New Delhi. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-81-322-3965-9_8

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