ALBERT

Description: Researches on second-generation ethanol, produced from agroindustrial wastes, have demanded special attention as a possible solution to energy sustainability. Such production is based on lignocellulosic fiber conversion, which generates fermentable sugars that are biotransformed into ethanol. This work aimed at evaluating ethanol production by the yeast Pichia stipitis ATCC 58376 in the hemicellulosic hydrolysate of sunflower meal biomass, a subproduct generated by sunflower oil manufactures. Sunflower meal was submitted to dilute acid hydrolysis with 6 % ( w / v ) H 2 SO 4 in autoclave, at 121 °C, for 20 min and resulted in a hemicellulosic hydrolysate with high concentration of sugars (24.98 g/L xylose, 26.55 g/L glucose, and 6.51 g/L arabinose) and low amounts of toxic compounds (3.04 g/L total phenols, 0.58 g/L acetic acid, 0.40 g/L furfural, and 0.09 g/L hydroxymethylfurfural). The fermentations of the detoxified hydrolysate were conducted in Erlenmeyer flasks at 30 °C, initial pH 5.5, under different agitation speeds (100, 150, and 200 rpm). The best ethanol production (8.8 g/L ethanol, yield of 0.23 g/g, and productivity of 0.12 g/L h) was attained at 200 rpm. The results demonstrate that sunflower meal is a promising biomass for ethanol production from its hemicellulosic fraction. In addition, the hemicellulosic hydrolysate has the advantage of not requiring a sugar concentration step, which contributes to the economic viability of the process.

Description: Biomass, as an alternative and renewable feedstock, has recently received increasing attention in the process industry due to its potential in producing sustainable energy, chemicals and materials. The competing uses of biomass make it important to understand the feedstock requirement for each purpose in order to quantify the true potential for replacing fossil-based feedstocks. Focusing on bio-based plastics, this work attempts to estimate the percentage of lignocellulosic agricultural residues and woody biomass residues resulting from logging and wood processing that is required for producing five main plastics (polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinylchloride, polystyrene, polyethylenetherepthalate) world-wide and in Europe. The theoretical yields of three different production routes, namely direct fermentation, syngas fermentation, and chemical synthesis, are calculated, and the gap with the realistic yields is considered. The analysis shows that the chemical synthesis route and the syngas fermentation route for converting lignocellulosics to plastics are more productive than the direct fermentation route and have the potential to produce ethylene and propylene required by these plastics by consuming 28–47 and 48–80 % of the considered feedstock available world-wide and in Europe, respectively, for meeting the corresponding demands. It also reveals the challenges in feedstock sufficiency for the production of benzene and terephthalic acid (as plastics components) from lignin.

Description: Cellulose (DP∼450) and dry corn stover powder were converted to furanic biocrude oils in a single reactor operation by heating with excess acetone in the presence of Brönsted acidic ionic liquid catalysts. Two Brönsted acidic ionic liquid catalysts, 1-(1-propylsulfonic)-3-methylimidazolium chloride (BAIL-1) and 1-(4-sulfonic-benzyl)-3-methylimidazolium chloride (BAIL-2), were compared for biocrude oil synthesis from cellulose and dry corn stover. Catalyst BAIL-1 showed slightly better activity in all experiments, where cellulose samples produced 52.9 mg biocrude oil/100 mg of cellulose, and corn stover produced 34.2 mg biocrude oil/100 mg of corn stover by heating at 120 °C for 3 h. Biocrude oil formed in the novel process is mainly a complex mixture of aldol condensation products of acetone with biomass-derived furans, furfural and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural.

Description: A major determining factor for a viable cellulosic ethanol industry is the utilization of cellulase enzymes in a more cost-efficient manner during the hydrolytic process. The hydrophobic nature of the enzyme and inhibition by reaction intermediates and end products greatly decreases its efficacy following the initial reaction. To improve efficiency and lower enzyme costs, a method for recycling cellulase enzymes by immobilization on Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles was evaluated. The Fe 3 O 4 particles used had a mean diameter of 13 nm and carbodiimide activation was employed for enzyme immobilization. The immobilized enzyme complex retained 30.2 % of the free enzyme activity and was successfully recycled six times with a reduction in activity following each recycle. An activity loss of 47.5 % resulted following the initial hydrolysis reaction, after which a more gradual loss ensued. A protein assay performed on the reaction supernatant confirmed varying degrees of enzyme detachment following each recycle. However, immobilized enzymes were determined to have higher stability as compared to free enzyme when assessing their activities over time. Following 72 h of hydrolysis, immobilized enzymes retained 57.9 % of their activity, which was slightly better than the 51.2 % retained by free enzyme. From a practicality point of view, a performance comparison of enzyme-bound nanoparticles over all recycles determined that total reducing sugars produced after 96 h of hydrolysis was 76.8 % of that produced by a single reaction with free enzyme, therefore indicating a need for deeper understanding and improvements in the enzyme recycling process. Further probing indicated that the contribution from enzyme activity loss far exceeds any possible losses from enzyme detachment.

Description: Lignin is the second most abundant natural aromatic polymer after cellulose in terrestrial ecosystems. Lignins differ in structure, depending on the method of isolation and plant source. However, such differences are not considered to be limiting factors for potential industrial applications. Owing to the lack of toxicity and versatility, several potentially attractive industrial routes exist for the more effective and diverse utilization of lignin. Lignins have been proven to elicit a number of health benefits, viz., anti-inflammatory, anti-carcinogenic, antimicrobial, prebiotic and antioxidant. In addition, lignins have been widely utilised in polymeric materials, carbon fibres, fuels, construction and agriculture. Lignin by-products may be attractive also for developing a range of commercially viable products.

Description: Atmospheric indirect steam-blown and pressurised direct oxygen-blown gasification are the two major technologies discussed for large-scale production of synthetic natural gas from biomass (bio-SNG) by thermochemical conversion. Published system studies of bio-SNG production concepts draw different conclusions about which gasification technology performs best. In this paper, an exergy-based comparison of the two gasification technologies is performed using a simplified gasification reactor model. This approach aims at comparing the two technologies on a common basis without possible bias due to model regression on specific reactor data. The system boundaries include the gasification and gas cleaning step to generate a product gas ready for subsequent synthesis. The major parameter investigated is the delivery pressure of the product gas. Other model parameters include the air-to-fuel ratio for gasification as well as the H 2 /CO ratio in the product gas. In order to illustrate the thermodynamic limits and sources of efficiency loss, an ideal modelling approach is contrasted with a model accounting for losses in, e.g. the heat recovery and compression operations. The resulting cold-gas efficiencies of the processes are in the range of 0.66–0.84 on a lower heating value basis. Exergy efficiencies for the ideal systems are from 0.79 to 0.84 and in the range of 0.7 to 0.79 for the systems including losses. Pressurised direct gasification benefits from higher delivery pressure of the finished gas product and results in the highest exergy efficiency values. Regarding bio-SNG synthesis however, a higher energetic and exergetic penalty for CO 2 removal results in direct gasification exergy efficiency values that are below values for indirect gasification. No significant difference in performance between the technologies can be observed based on the model results, but a challenge identified for process design is efficient heat recovery and cogeneration of electricity for both technologies. Furthermore, direct gasification performance is penalised by incomplete carbon conversion in contrast to performance of indirect gasification concepts.

Description: A major goal of today’s energy policy is to establish an energy system with less greenhouse gas emissions (cf. “Renewable energy roadmap” [ 1 ]). The energetic use of biomass seems to be a very promising option to contribute to this goal: biomass can be used demand-oriented and to produce different energy carriers (e.g. power, heat and biofuels) needed within the energy system. Due to high overall efficiencies, especially the thermo-chemical conversion of solid biofuels to the natural gas substitute Bio-SNG (Synthetic Natural Gas) seems to be very promising. Therefore, it is the goal of this paper to analyse Bio-SNG production processes as a part of integrated polygeneration processes. Different Bio-SNG concepts using a gas slip stream in a gas engine or a gas turbine and process heat in an organic rankine cycle or conventional steam cycle are assessed. Based on mass and energy balances these concepts are discussed from an energetic, economic and environmental point of view. The analysis shows increasing exergetic efficiencies as well as improved economic and environmental process characteristics with increasingly integrated processes. However, the economic competitiveness still remains a bottleneck for a Bio-SNG market implementation. Therefore, two possible options to improve this competitiveness are discussed in detail.

Description: Commercial-grade limestone used in whitewashing which is a low-cost material has been used as a catalyst for the synthesis of fatty acid methyl esters. The catalyst was characterized by differential thermal analysis/thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy for the study of its physicochemical nature. The catalyst was calcined at 900 °C for 2.5 h for the decomposition of calcium carbonate to calcium oxide. The catalyst was further activated by dissolving 1.5 wt% of catalyst in 30 ml methanol (7.5:1, methanol to used frying oil molar ratio) and stirred at 25 °C for 1 h on a magnetic stirrer. The transesterification reaction was performed using calcium oxide as a catalyst and then with the “activated calcium oxide.” The conversion obtained was 94.4 % with calcium oxide and was found to be lower for the “activated calcium oxide” (i.e., 87.36 %). The conversion increased to 96.8 % on increasing the catalyst amount to 2.0 wt% in 5 h. A high yield (〉95 %) of fatty acid methyl esters was observed when either calcium oxide or “activated calcium oxide” was taken as catalyst. The catalytic activity of calcium oxide obtained from low-grade limestone has been found to be comparable with the laboratory-grade CaO.

Description: This paper discusses the thermal conversion of non-homogeneous residual biomass from urban wastes as well as from forest and agricultural operations into an ultrapure syngas used for the thermo-catalytic synthesis of methanol. The latter is a commodity/building block for subsequent synthesis of fuels and chemicals. This paper focuses on the feedstock choices made by Enerkem and on its conversion technology which embraces staged gasification, syngas conditioning and conversion of syngas into methanol and of the latter into ethanol. The fundamental concepts that have led to the development of the technology are the result of a joint R&D experimental effort between the Université de Sherbrooke, Enerkem and the Edmonton Waste Management Center of Excellence. The technology has been scaled up, from 2009 to 2011, and production of biomethanol using 1.5 tonnes/h of feed (dry basis) is ongoing at Enerkem's demonstration plant in Westbury (Québec) since June 2011. The conversion of the produced biomethanol into bioethanol has been proven at bench scale level, and we foresee the latter to be piloted in the first half of 2012. Based on the results of the demonstration, Enerkem is erecting a 100,000-tonne/year commercial plant in Edmonton. It will use secondary recovered fuel from the mechanical biological treatment process already implemented at the Edmonton Waste Management Center. Production of methanol is initially targeted for 2013.

Description: More-than-nine-carbon-atom-containing linear ethers such as ethyl octyl ether (EOE), di- n -pentyl ether (DNPE), di- n -hexyl ether (DNHE) or di- n -octyl ether (DNOE) increase the quality of the diesel blends making them environmentally friendly. In this work, dehydration of 1-pentanol, 1-hexanol and 1-octanol to DNPE, DNHE and DNOE, respectively, as well as the reaction between 1-octanol and ethanol to give EOE are shown to be a good path for obtaining these linear ethers. Acidic macroreticular and gel-type polystyrene-divinylbenzene (PS-DVB) ion-exchange resins have been tested as catalysts for these reactions in liquid phase at 423 K. In the dehydration reactions of 1-pentanol, 1-hexanol and 1-octanol, as a rule, selectivity to linear ether decreased with the length of the ether over macroreticular resins of high and medium DVB%. On the contrary, no differences in selectivity to DNPE, DNHE and DNOE were observed over gel-type and macroreticular resins of low DVB%. In the reaction for obtaining EOE from ethanol and 1-octanol, EOE synthesis competes with those of DNOE and diethyl ether. The best selectivity to EOE and DNOE were found in gel-type and macroreticular resins of low DVB% too. Swelling of the resin in the polar reaction medium was found to be a decisive factor to enhance the selectivity to long linear ethers. Therefore, Amberlyst 121 and CT 224 are proposed to catalyze the synthesis of these ethers; Amberlyst 70 is suggested as the best one for working above 423 K.

Description: The European Union has set a 10 % target for the share of renewable energy in the transportation sector for 2020. To reach this target, second generation biofuels from, for example, forest residues are expected to replace around 3 % of the transport fossil fuel consumption. However, forest residues could also be utilised in the heat and electricity sectors where large amounts of fossil fuels can be replaced, thus reducing global fossil CO 2 emissions. This study investigates the use of forest residues for second generation biofuel (ethanol or methanol) or combined heat and power (CHP) production at the European level, with focus on the influence of different economic policy instruments, such as carbon cost or biofuel policy support. A techno-economic, geographically explicit optimisation model is used. The model determines the optimal locations of bioenergy conversion plants by minimising the cost of the entire supply chain. The results show that in order to reach a 3 % second generation biofuel share, a biofuel support comparable to today’s tax exemptions would be needed. With a carbon cost applied, most available forest residues would be allocated to CHP production, with a substantial resulting CO 2 emission reduction potential. The major potential for woody biomass and biofuel production is found in the region around the Baltic Sea, with Italy as one of the main biofuel importers.

Description: In the present paper, the development of new heterogeneous catalytic processes to produce high commodity chemicals of industrial interest such as acetaldehyde, ethyl acetate, and pure hydrogen by bioethanol has been discussed. All the reactions were performed in a conventional packed bed tubular reactor and in a wide range of temperature 50–500°C, pressure 1–30 bar, and space time W / F  = 0.1–100 g h mol −1 . The aim of this research is to demonstrate that by varying properly the operative range of residence time and pressure, it is possible to obtain with high selectivity acetaldehyde or ethyl acetate from ethanol in a single reaction step. The performances of a series of commercial copper-based catalysts have been studied in the ethanol dehydrogenation/oxidative reforming reactions. In particular, very promising results have been obtained by using a commercial catalyst of copper/copper chromite containing barium chromite as a promoter. In a low range of residence time 0.1–1 g h mol −1 and at low pressure, very high performances in terms of ethanol conversion (60 %) and acetaldehyde selectivity (90 %) have been obtained. On the contrary, by operating at high residence time, at a pressure higher than 10 bar, and by feeding 25 cm 3 /min of a mixture of 6 % H 2 in N 2 , a very high selectivity to ethyl acetate (98.9 %) was observed. The examined catalysts were characterized by using ex situ methods such as X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and in situ EXAFS and FTIR with the aim to evaluate their physical properties and to correlate them with the catalysts' performances.

Description: Sugarcane is being used for centuries as a feedstock for sugar production, and all breeding programs around the world are producing new varieties with the objective to improve the sucrose yield per hectare, among other properties. In Brazil, ethanol became a significant coproduct of sugar mills more than a century ago and the first mandate to blend ethanol in the gasoline dates back to 1931. Toward the end of the of twentieth century, many countries, including Brazil, Mauritius and Reunion Islands, Guatemala, and India, started to generate significant amounts of surplus electricity, and this practice is becoming a trend for new sugar/ethanol mills. With this changing picture of the sugarcane industry, some specialists in the sector started to look at sugarcane as an energy feedstock rather than a food feedstock in such a way that other characteristics related to total primary energy content became important quality parameters. The second point is how efficiently this primary energy is converted to useful energy products (ethanol and surplus electricity). Now, from the energy viewpoint, not only the sucrose but also the fibers in the cane are important quality parameters. Taking the Brazilian average conditions, the primary energy content of sugarcane is around 7,400 MJ/tonne of cane or 510 GJ/ha/year, and in an average distillery, less than 30 % of it is converted into useful energy products. This work analyzes the present situation of the Brazilian sugarcane industry focused on the production of energy products and evaluates areas for improvements and new cane breeding goals for an energy-minded industry. The impacts of these improvements in the primary energy conversion efficiency will be estimated, and the barriers for maximum recovery will be pointed out.

Description: Gasification is considered to be one of the most promising ways to use biomass for producing liquid fuels, chemicals, synthetic natural gas, or hydrogen. One of the most important problems during the gasification process is the amount of condensable hydrocarbons (tars) which are produced within the process and create problems in the downstream use of the producer gas for energy and liquid fuel/chemical production. Except for the conventional measurement techniques for the determination of the tar content in the producer gas, innovative optical techniques can also be successfully used. In an effort to improve the already existing tar measurement methods, this scientific work deals with an online and nonintrusive quantitative and qualitative measurement technique for the analysis of tar compounds, which allows the investigation of the influence of different operating conditions on the tar content in the producer gas from a fluidized bed gasifier. The impact of the operating conditions (temperature, pressure, steam-to-biomass ratio) of the gasification reactor as well as of the type of biomass feedstock used on the quality of the producer gas and especially on the tar content is examined and analyzed.

Description: The transesterification of cottonseed oil and used frying oil to methyl esters (biodiesel) was studied using Sr(NO 3 ) 2 loaded onto calcium oxide as heterogeneous catalyst. Reaction parameters such as catalyst concentration, methanol/oil ratio, and reaction time on the conversion of cottonseed oil and used frying oil were investigated. The 35 % m / m Sr(NO 3 ) 2 catalyst loaded onto CaO, after being calcined at 750 °C for 6 h, was found to be the optimum catalyst. The quality of the methyl esters was tested according to the European standard ELOT EN 14214 . The two types of biodiesel produced seemed to meet all the parameters of the European standard, except oxidation stability.

Description: A cost-effective, efficient biodiesel production plant that conforms to the decentralized feed stock processing program in vogue in villages of tropical countries of Asia and Africa is the concern of the present study. A 50 L/batch capacity biodiesel reactor has been designed and fabricated using polypropylene consisting of reaction vessel, catalyst tank, settling and washing chamber, evaporation chamber, and methanol recovery system. The performance of the reactor has been studied using pongamia oil, jatropha oil, and waste vegetable oil using transesterification process. The biodiesel yield achieved were 93.75–96 % ( v / v ) for pongamia, 92.5–95 % ( v / v ) for jatropha, and 94–95.5 % ( v / v ) for waste vegetable oil. The biodiesel samples have acceptable fuel standards as per ASTM D-6751 and BIS (ISO15607) specifications.

Description: The development of advanced synthesis gas cleaning technologies based on chemical conversion and physical separation can improve the efficiency of gasification processes for production of biofuels. This paper outlines thermodynamic equilibrium calculations on the release and removal of alkali species and sour gases during gasification of 24 different types of herbaceous and woody biomass under the conditions of the gasifier in Güssing, Austria. In general, the calculation results are in good agreement with former experimental results. The composition of the gasifier derived as well as the cleaned gas strongly depends on the used feedstock. The alkali concentration can be limited to values below 100 ppbv using aluminosilicates at 850 °C. The H 2 S concentration cannot be limited to values below 200 ppmv using conventional Ca- or Cu-based sorbents but can be limited to values below 1 ppmv by stabilised BaO at 850 °C. The HCl concentration can be limited to values below 1 ppmv by alkali carbonates at temperatures below 550 °C.

Description: In this paper, a complete chemical analysis of the mulberry plant was performed to evaluate the differences in its chemical composition in relation to plant age. The mulberry plant is characterized with moderate cellulose, lignin, and pentosan. Plant age (from 8 to 12 months) increased cellulose content from 42.0 to 42.8 % and decreased total lignin content from 26.0 to 23.3 %. Extractive contents also decreased with plant age. Kraft and soda-AQ pulping processes were also evaluated for 12-month-old mulberry plant. The mulberry plant was very difficult to delignify and needed drastic cooking conditions. To achieve kappa number 25, 18 active alkali charges was needed for 3 h of cooking. At this kappa number, the kraft process showed slightly better pulp yield. The physical properties of the mulberry plant pulp were similar to hardwood pulp. Kraft process showed a slightly better tear index. Blending of the mulberry plant pulp with longer jute fiber pulp increased the tear index significantly.

Description: The increased worldwide demand for energy, particularly from petroleum-derived fuels has led to the search for a long-term solution of a reliable source of clean energy. Lignocellulosic biomasses appear to hold the key for a continuous supply of renewable fuels without compromising with the increasing energy needs. However, the major possible solutions to the current energy crisis include ethanol, bio-oils and synthesis gas (syngas) produced from lignocellulosic biomass. Recently, a great deal of research has been made in the fields of biomass conversion through biochemical, hydrothermal or thermochemical pathways to biofuels. However, a broad-spectrum assessment of the above pathways is rare in literature in terms of technology used, biofuel yields, potential challenges and possible outcomes. This review paper discusses different routes for biofuel production, particularly ethanol, bio-oil and syngas with the bio-oil upgrading techniques. This review highlights ethanol fermentation and available biomass pretreatment as the biochemical mode, not limiting to the pros and cons of the pretreatments. Supercritical water gasification (hydrothermal pathway) of biomass for syngas production followed by gas-to-liquid technologies (syngas fermentation and Fischer–Tropsch catalysis) has been discussed. In addition, thermochemical pathway dealing with biomass gasification for syngas and pyrolysis for bio-oils has been presented with compositional analysis of bio-oils and their upgrading technologies. The review focuses on various engineering limitations encountered during biomass conversion and bioprocessing with the potential solutions which do not restrict them to different biofuel production pathways.

Description: The performance of a potential oxygenate bio-additive for petrodiesel is reported in this study. The evaluation of the 2.5 (wt%) blend of the bio-additive glycerol tertiary butyl ether (GTBE), when tested on a midsize diesel passenger car, shows reduction in total hydrocarbons (THC) of 52.87 %, carbon monoxides (CO) of 53.33 %, carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) of 6.51 %, and fuel economy benefits of 7.13 %. However, there is an increase in NO X values. Structural analysis is completely supported by detailed NMR studies including chemical shifts of 1 H- and 13 C-type distributions and 1 H– 13 C connectivity.

Description:    Brazil is one of the largest bioethanol and biodiesel producers in the world. Its biodiversity and environmental characteristics create the opportunity to make Brazil a major producer of biotechnological products, such as enzymes for the bioenergy industry. This review gives a brief status of the production of amylases, cellulases, xylanases, and lipases and their application on the synthesis of bioethanol and biodiesel. The historical utilization of several agroindustrial by-products as feedstocks in such processes are presented, as well as the Brazilian market for these enzymes. Finally, an innovative and multidisciplinary approach based on geographic information systems is used in a case study for the estimation of the potential production of the biocatalysts in Brazil. Results indicate that the national production of concentrated preparations based on amylases, cellulases, lipases, and xylanases could reach 3.1 × 10 7 , 3.2 × 10 7 , 3.1 × 10 8 , and 2.9 × 10 9  t, respectively. Therefore, Brazil presents a huge potential for the production of biocatalysts from renewable materials. Content Type Journal Article Category Review Article Pages 1-21 DOI 10.1007/s13399-012-0031-9 Authors Silvia Machado de Castro, Environmental Engineering Program, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Av. Athos da Silveira Ramos, 149, 2° Andar—Sala 12, 21941-909 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Aline Machado de Castro, Biotechnology Division, Research and Development Center, PETROBRAS, Av. Horácio Macedo, 950, Ilha do Fundão, 21941-915 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Journal Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery Online ISSN 2190-6823 Print ISSN 2190-6815

Description:    Secondary catalytic gas conditioning is one strategy to eliminate tars formed in a producer gas during biomass gasification. However, most catalysts tend to lose their tar reforming activity after a short period of operation due to carbon formation. A novel technique for catalytic gas cleaning based on two interconnected fluidized beds has been investigated; this technique can be applied to all types of gasifiers. The idea is to reform the tar components into useful molecules—even at high tar contents—by means of a circulating catalyst. More precisely, the producer gas is cleaned with catalyst in one of the reactors, referred to as the fuel reactor, while the catalyst is continuously regenerated in another reactor, the air reactor (AR). The system described here is coupled with the Chalmers 2–4 MW th biomass gasifier while the AR is fed with nitrogen-diluted air. The effect of different catalysts on both the tar content and the gas composition was investigated. Some of the tested materials do not only reform tars, they also influence the H 2 /CO ratio in a beneficial manner; in particular, ratios closer to 3 in the reformed gas are favorable if subsequent methanation is implemented. In this paper, comparative results based on testing with manganese- and iron-based catalysts are presented. The former is a manufactured catalyst while the latter is a natural ore. Results suggest that both show satisfying ability for regeneration from carbon deposits. Higher temperature enhances tar decomposition during the experiment with both catalysts. Moreover, the iron-based catalyst enhances the water–gas shift activity, which in turn impacts the total amount of produced gas. On the other hand, the manganese-based catalyst seems to display a higher propensity for tar conversion. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Article Pages 1-8 DOI 10.1007/s13399-012-0032-8 Authors Nicolas Berguerand, Department of Energy and Environment, Chalmers University of Technology, SE-412 96 Göteborg, Sweden Fredrik Lind, Department of Energy and Environment, Chalmers University of Technology, SE-412 96 Göteborg, Sweden Martin Seemann, Department of Energy and Environment, Chalmers University of Technology, SE-412 96 Göteborg, Sweden Henrik Thunman, Department of Energy and Environment, Chalmers University of Technology, SE-412 96 Göteborg, Sweden Journal Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery Online ISSN 2190-6823 Print ISSN 2190-6815

Description:    Torrefaction is a thermochemical pretreatment process at 200–300 °C in an inert condition which transforms biomass into a relatively superior handling, milling, co-firing and clean renewable energy into solid biofuel. This increases the energy density, water resistance and grindability of biomass and makes it safe from biological degradation which ultimately makes easy and economical on transportation and storing of the torrefied products. Torrefied biomass is considered as improved version than the current wood pellet products and an environmentally friendly future alternative for coal. Torrefaction carries devolatilisation, depolymerization and carbonization of lignocellulose components and generates a brown to black solid biomass as a productive output with water, organics, lipids, alkalis, SiO 2 , CO 2 , CO and CH 4 . During this process, 70 % of the mass is retained as a solid product, and retains 90 % of the initial energy content. The torrefied product is then shaped into pellets or briquettes that pack much more energy density than regular wood pellets. These properties minimize on the difference in combustion characteristics between biomass and coal that bring a huge possibility of direct firing of biomass in an existing coal-fired plant. Researchers are trying to find a solution to fire/co-fire torrefied biomass instead of coal in an existing coal-fired based boiler with minimum modifications and expenditures. Currently available torrefied technologies are basically designed and tested for woody biomass so further research is required to address on utilization of the agricultural biomass with technically and economically viable. This review covers the torrefaction technologies, its’ applications, current status and future recommendations for further study. Content Type Journal Article Category Review Article Pages 1-21 DOI 10.1007/s13399-012-0058-y Authors Bimal Acharya, School of Engineering, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada Idris Sule, School of Engineering, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada Animesh Dutta, School of Engineering, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada Journal Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery Online ISSN 2190-6823 Print ISSN 2190-6815

Description:    Energy from renewable sources is expected to contribute increasingly to the future energy supply. Particularly, the utilisation of biomass via gasification features a high potential for local energy supply. In addition to the conventional heat and power supply, the biomass-derived product gas is utilisable for further conversion, e.g. into liquid fuels, synthetic natural gas or even chemicals. In the field of biomass gasification systems, fluidised bed gasification has achieved notable relevance. Biomass gasification by fluidised bed processing produces high-quality product gas. However, the technical and economical effectiveness is not yet competitive. A major issue is the purity of the product gas, which is mainly focused on the gasification originating tar. A promising option to yield tar-free product gas is the application of a catalyst directly in the fluidised bed process. The present paper outlines catalysts for biomass gasification in fluidised bed processing. Recent activities in the development of gasifier catalysts are highlighted. Different catalysts are described depending on their performance and capability regarding tar conversion. The scope of catalysts ranges from naturally occurring materials to synthetic materials. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Article Pages 63-74 DOI 10.1007/s13399-011-0005-3 Authors Christoph Pfeifer, Institute of Chemical Engineering, Vienna University of Technology, Vienna, Austria Stefan Koppatz, Institute of Chemical Engineering, Vienna University of Technology, Vienna, Austria Hermann Hofbauer, Institute of Chemical Engineering, Vienna University of Technology, Vienna, Austria Journal Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery Online ISSN 2190-6823 Print ISSN 2190-6815 Journal Volume Volume 1 Journal Issue Volume 1, Number 2

Description:    Gasification of biomass is an attractive technology for combined heat and power production as well as for synthesis processes such as production of liquid and gaseous biofuels. Dual fluidised bed (DFB) technology offers the advantage of a nearly nitrogen-free product gas mainly consisting of H 2 , CO, CO 2 and CH 4 . The DFB steam gasification process has been developed at Vienna University of Technology over the last 15 years using cold flow models, laboratory units, mathematical modelling and simulation. The main findings of the experimental work at a 100-kW pilot scale unit are presented. Different fuels (wood pellets, wood chips, lignite, coal, etc.) and different bed materials (natural minerals such as olivine, limestones, calcites, etc. as well as modified olivines) have been tested and the influence on tar content as well as gas composition was measured and compared among the different components. Moreover, the influence of operating parameters such as fuel moisture content, steam/fuel ratio and gasification temperature on the product gas has been investigated. DFB steam gasification of solid biomass coupled with CO 2 capture, the so-called absorption enhanced reforming (AER) process, is highlighted. The experiments in pilot scale led to commercial realisation of this technology in demonstration scale. Summarising, the DFB system offers excellent fuel flexibility to be used in advanced power cycles as well as in polygeneration applications. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Article Pages 39-53 DOI 10.1007/s13399-011-0007-1 Authors Christoph Pfeifer, Institute of Chemical Engineering, Vienna University of Technology, Vienna, Austria Stefan Koppatz, Institute of Chemical Engineering, Vienna University of Technology, Vienna, Austria Hermann Hofbauer, Institute of Chemical Engineering, Vienna University of Technology, Vienna, Austria Journal Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery Online ISSN 2190-6823 Print ISSN 2190-6815 Journal Volume Volume 1 Journal Issue Volume 1, Number 1

Description:    The concept of integrating chemicals and fuel production into IGCC plants is well-known. In power production, the producer is confronted with fluctuating power prices due to variations in demand. In addition, with increasing influx of renewable energy from unpredictable sources such as wind, wave and solar, co-generation offers an interesting opportunity of flexible operation to maximise the product value at any time. In this way, the producer can always fully load the gasification unit while producing the combination of products that are in highest demand and provides the best revenue. Fuel and power co-generation may also fill the needs and demands of communities in remote areas or elsewhere, where infrastructure is lacking. Topsøe’s integrated gasoline synthesis, TIGAS, offers an efficient route for the conversion of gasification-based synthesis gas into high-octane gasoline, while unconverted synthesis gas is fed to a gas turbine to produce power. By proper heat integration, superheated steam from the gasoline synthesis is applied in steam turbines making additional power. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Article Pages 85-90 DOI 10.1007/s13399-011-0008-0 Authors Finn Joensen, Haldor Topsøe A/S, 2800 Lyngby, Denmark Poul Erik Højlund Nielsen, Haldor Topsøe A/S, 2800 Lyngby, Denmark Martin Dan Palis Sørensen, Haldor Topsøe A/S, 2800 Lyngby, Denmark Journal Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery Online ISSN 2190-6823 Print ISSN 2190-6815 Journal Volume Volume 1 Journal Issue Volume 1, Number 2

Description:    Upgrading of Fischer–Tropsch (FT) biowaxes to second-generation biofuels via hydroprocessing is the final step for increasing the fuel amount of the overall biomass conversion route: gasification of lignocellulosic biomass, FT synthesis, and hydroprocessing. The typical FT product portfolio consists of high molecular weight paraffinic waxes as the main product and FT fuels in the diesel and naphtha boiling range. OMV's objective and contribution to the project focus on achieving coprocessing of FT biowaxes with fossil feedstock using existing hydrotreating plants of crude oil refineries. Various test runs have been examined with a conventional refining catalyst under mild conditions (380–390°C, 5.8 MPa; WHSV, 0.7–1.3 h −1 ) in a pilot plant. Pure FT biowax is converted to gases, fuels, and an oil/waxy residue in a fixed-bed reactor with a porous catalyst layer technology. The presence of hydrogen in the reaction chamber reduces the fast deactivation of the catalyst caused by the formation of a coke layer around the catalyst particle surface and saturates cracked hydrocarbon fragments. Another approach is the creation of synthetic biodiesel components with excellent fuel properties for premium fuel application. Basically, premium diesel fuel differs from standard diesel quality by cetane number and cold flow properties. Hydroprocessed synthetic biodiesel (HPFT diesel) has compared to conventional diesel advantages in many aspects. Depending on the catalyst selected, premium diesel quality can be obtained by shifting cold flow operability properties of HPFT fuels to a range capable even under extreme cold conditions. In addition, a high-quality kerosene fraction is obtained to create bio jet fuels with an extremely deep freezing point, as low as −80°C. The isomerization degree, as well as the carbon number distribution of high paraffinic profile, and the branching degree have a major impact on the cold flow properties and cetane number. FT diesel has, compared to HPFT diesel, a slightly higher derived cetane number (DCN 〉 83) and a cloud point of −9°C, whereas HPFT diesel reaches values as low as −60°C. Although the HPFT naphtha obtained consists of high amounts of isoparaffins, the RON/ MON values are comparable to fossil straight-run naphtha. The reason is that the branching degree of isoparaffins from the naphtha fraction is not sufficiently high enough to reach the typical octane number values of gasoline products delivered at filling stations. Assuming the goal of launching a premium biodiesel or biokerosene fuel to the market, these hydroprocessed synthetic biofuels from FT biowaxes are ideal blending components. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Article Pages 29-37 DOI 10.1007/s13399-010-0003-x Authors Harald Walter Schablitzky, Centre of Excellence–Fuels, Innovation and Quality, OMV Refining & Marketing, Mannswörther Straße 28, 2320 Schwechat, Austria J. Lichtscheidl, New Technology, OMV Refining & Marketing, Mannswörther Straße 28, 2320 Schwechat, Austria K. Hutter, New Technology, OMV Refining & Marketing, Mannswörther Straße 28, 2320 Schwechat, Austria Ch. Hafner, Centre of Excellence–Fuels, Innovation and Quality, OMV Refining & Marketing, Mannswörther Straße 28, 2320 Schwechat, Austria R. Rauch, Bioenergy 2020+, Inffeldgasse 21b, 8010 Graz, Austria H. Hofbauer, Bioenergy 2020+, Inffeldgasse 21b, 8010 Graz, Austria Journal Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery Online ISSN 2190-6823 Print ISSN 2190-6815 Journal Volume Volume 1 Journal Issue Volume 1, Number 1

Description:    Hydrogen is used as an important feedstock for the chemical industry. Common production technologies for the production of hydrogen from fossil fuels today cause relevant CO 2 emissions. Hydrogen from renewable energy sources is discussed as an alternative option to replace traditional feedstock and can therefore be part of a low-carbon energy system. This paper describes the results of a simulation of a concept for the production of hydrogen with biomass as feedstock. The described investigations include a possible process design, the process simulation using the software IPSEpro, a description of the operation characteristics, and a profitability analysis of the applied hydrogen production concept. The simulation result shows that 61 MW of hydrogen can be produced from 100 MW wood chips and 6 MW of electricity. As a result, hydrogen production costs of 54 €/MWh can be estimated. For the investigated concept, the wood chip price is the most important factor for the hydrogen production cost followed by investment costs for the plant and the realized plant operation time per year. Content Type Journal Article Category Review Article Pages 55-61 DOI 10.1007/s13399-011-0004-4 Authors Stefan Müller, Institute of Chemical Engineering-Future Energy Technology, Vienna University of Technology, Getreidemarkt 9/166, 1060 Vienna, Austria Martin Stidl, Institute of Chemical Engineering-Future Energy Technology, Vienna University of Technology, Getreidemarkt 9/166, 1060 Vienna, Austria Tobias Pröll, Institute of Chemical Engineering-Future Energy Technology, Vienna University of Technology, Getreidemarkt 9/166, 1060 Vienna, Austria Reinhard Rauch, Institute of Chemical Engineering-Future Energy Technology, Vienna University of Technology, Getreidemarkt 9/166, 1060 Vienna, Austria Hermann Hofbauer, Institute of Chemical Engineering-Future Energy Technology, Vienna University of Technology, Getreidemarkt 9/166, 1060 Vienna, Austria Journal Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery Online ISSN 2190-6823 Print ISSN 2190-6815 Journal Volume Volume 1 Journal Issue Volume 1, Number 1

Description:    In order to develop the effective utilization of biomass, the gasification behavior (changes in gasification rates against conversion) of various chars prepared from biomass at 1,000°C was studied. The gasification rate of char with CO 2 measured at 900°C by a thermogravimetric balance was affected by the content of indigenous mineral matter such as calcium and potassium. The gasification behavior of chars were classified into following three groups: (1) the gasification rate reached a maximum in the higher conversion region, (2) the gasification rate profile showed two peaks around char conversion of 0.2 and 0.6 or higher, (3) the gasification rate profile fitted the random pore model. An increase in the gasification rate in a higher char conversion region was attributed to the promotion effect of the potassium catalyst. The number of active centers in the char was obtained by the O 2 uptake at 200°C using pulse technique. The number of active sites was increased by potassium and calcium in biomass and the amount of O 2 uptake well correlated the char gasification rate. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Article Pages 17-28 DOI 10.1007/s13399-011-0006-2 Authors Toshimitsu Suzuki, Department of Chemical, Energy and Environmental Engineering, Kansai University, 3-3-35 Yamate, Suita, Osaka, Japan 564-8680 Hiroshi Nakajima, Department of Chemical, Energy and Environmental Engineering, Kansai University, 3-3-35 Yamate, Suita, Osaka, Japan 564-8680 Na-oki Ikenaga, Department of Chemical, Energy and Environmental Engineering, Kansai University, 3-3-35 Yamate, Suita, Osaka, Japan 564-8680 Hirokazu Oda, Department of Chemical, Energy and Environmental Engineering, Kansai University, 3-3-35 Yamate, Suita, Osaka, Japan 564-8680 Takanori Miyake, Department of Chemical, Energy and Environmental Engineering, Kansai University, 3-3-35 Yamate, Suita, Osaka, Japan 564-8680 Journal Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery Online ISSN 2190-6823 Print ISSN 2190-6815 Journal Volume Volume 1 Journal Issue Volume 1, Number 1

Description:    The objective of this work was to design and evaluate an experimental setup to be used for field studies of particle formation in biomass gasification processes. The setup includes a high-temperature dilution probe and a denuder to separate solid particles from condensable volatile material. The efficiency of the setup to remove volatile material from the sampled stream and the influence from condensation on particles with different morphologies is presented. In order to study the sampling setup model, aerosols were created with a nebulizer to produce compact and solid KCl particles and a diffusion flame burner to produce agglomerated and irregular soot particles. The nebulizer and soot generator was followed by an evaporation–condensation section where volatile material, dioctylsebacete (DOS), was added to the system as a tar model compound. The model aerosol particles were heated to 200°C to create a system containing both solid particles and volatile organic material in gas phase. The heated aerosol particles were sampled and diluted at the same temperature with the dilution probe. Downstream the probe, the DOS was adsorbed in the denuder. This was achieved by slowly decreasing the temperature of the diluted sample towards ambient level in the denuder. Thereby the supersaturation of organic vapors was reduced which decreased the probability for tar condensation and nucleation of new particles. Both the generation system and the sampling technique gave reproducible results. A DOS collection efficiency of 〉99% was achieved if the denuder inlet concentration was diluted to less than 1–6 mg/m 3 depending on the denuder flow rate. Concentrations higher than that lead to significant impact on the resulting KCl size distribution. The choice of model compounds was done to study the effect from the particle morphology on the achieved particle characteristics after the sampling setup. When similar amounts of volatile material condensed on soot agglomerates and compact particles, a substantially smaller growth in mobility diameter was found for soot compared with compact KCl. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Article Pages 75-84 DOI 10.1007/s13399-011-0010-6 Authors Patrik T. Nilsson, Division of Ergonomics and Aerosol Technology, Lund University, P.O. Box 118, 22100 Lund, Sweden Azhar Malik, Division of Ergonomics and Aerosol Technology, Lund University, P.O. Box 118, 22100 Lund, Sweden Joakim Pagels, Division of Ergonomics and Aerosol Technology, Lund University, P.O. Box 118, 22100 Lund, Sweden Magnus Lindskog, Division of Ergonomics and Aerosol Technology, Lund University, P.O. Box 118, 22100 Lund, Sweden Jenny Rissler, Division of Ergonomics and Aerosol Technology, Lund University, P.O. Box 118, 22100 Lund, Sweden Anders Gudmundsson, Division of Ergonomics and Aerosol Technology, Lund University, P.O. Box 118, 22100 Lund, Sweden Mats Bohgard, Division of Ergonomics and Aerosol Technology, Lund University, P.O. Box 118, 22100 Lund, Sweden Mehri Sanati, Division of Ergonomics and Aerosol Technology, Lund University, P.O. Box 118, 22100 Lund, Sweden Journal Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery Online ISSN 2190-6823 Print ISSN 2190-6815 Journal Volume Volume 1 Journal Issue Volume 1, Number 2

Description:    In this work, forage sorghum biomass was studied as feedstock for ethanol production by a biological conversion process comprising the steps of hydrothermal steam explosion pretreatment, enzymatic hydrolysis with commercial enzymes, and fermentation with the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae . Steam explosion conditions were optimized using a response surface methodology considering temperature (180–230°C) and time (2–10 min). Sugar recovery in the pretreatment and the enzymatic digestibility of the pretreated solid were used to determine the optimum conditions, i.e., 220°C and 7 min. At these conditions, saccharification efficiency attained 89 % of the theoretical and the recovery of xylose in the prehydrolyzate accounted for 35 % of the amount of xylose present in raw material. Then, a simultaneous hydrolysis and fermentation (SSF) process was tested at laboratory scale on the solid fraction of forage sorghum pretreated at optimum condition, in order to evaluate ethanol production. The effect of the enzyme dose and the supplementation with xylanase enzyme of the cellulolytic enzyme cocktail was studied at increasing solid concentration up to 18 % ( w / w ) in SSF media. Results show good performance of SSF in all consistencies tested with a significant effect of increasing enzyme load in SSF yield and final ethanol concentration. Xylanase supplementation allows increasing solid concentration up to 18 % ( w / w ) with good SSF performance and final ethanol content of 55 g/l after 4–5 days. Based on this result, about 190 l of ethanol could be obtained from 1 t of untreated forage sorghum, which means a transformation yield of 85 % of the glucose contained in the feedstock. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Article Pages 1-10 DOI 10.1007/s13399-012-0040-8 Authors Paloma Manzanares, Biofuels Unit, Renewable Energy Department-CIEMAT, Madrid, Spain Ignacio Ballesteros, Biofuels Unit, Renewable Energy Department-CIEMAT, Madrid, Spain María José Negro, Biofuels Unit, Renewable Energy Department-CIEMAT, Madrid, Spain José Miguel Oliva, Biofuels Unit, Renewable Energy Department-CIEMAT, Madrid, Spain Alberto Gonzalez, Biofuels Unit, Renewable Energy Department-CIEMAT, Madrid, Spain Mercedes Ballesteros, Biofuels Unit, Renewable Energy Department-CIEMAT, Madrid, Spain Journal Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery Online ISSN 2190-6823 Print ISSN 2190-6815

Description:    Amylases comprise some of the most reported groups of enzymes for the production of biofuels. Such enzymes from fungal and bacterial origins have been used at commercial scale for decades, using conventional processes (dry grinding and wet milling) for the production of bioethanol, and most recently they have been applied in a non-conventional process named cold starch hydrolysis (or granular starch hydrolysis). This review covers the feedstocks that can be used for the production of these enzymes, the state of the art of the enzyme production processes over the last decade, as well as the main aspects of their application for the production of bioethanol. Under the concluding remarks we discuss future trends for the optimization of such technologies. Content Type Journal Article Category Review Article Pages 245-255 DOI 10.1007/s13399-011-0023-1 Authors Aline M. Castro, Biotechnology Division, Research and Development Center, Petrobras, Av. Horácio Macedo, 950, Ilha do Fundão, Rio de Janeiro 21941-915, Brazil Leda R. Castilho, COPPE, Chemical Engineering Program, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Denise M. G. Freire, Institute of Chemistry, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Journal Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery Online ISSN 2190-6823 Print ISSN 2190-6815 Journal Volume Volume 1 Journal Issue Volume 1, Number 4

Description:    Dry Distiller’s Grains with Solubles (DDGS) is a by-product during ethanol production from cereals which is currently mainly used as feedstock for cattle. With the growth of the ethanol industry, the increasing supply of DDGS may saturate the livestock feed market; thus, its potential applications need to be explored. DDGS gasification in a 100-kW th circulating fluidized bed (CFB) steam-O 2 blown gasifier has been studied. However, the modeling of DDGS gasification process encounters difficulties due to the unavailable knowledge of DDGS char gasification kinetics. Therefore, in this paper, gasification kinetics of DDGS char with CO 2 was investigated using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Two different types of char samples have been tested. Char type one (PYR-Char) was obtained after DDGS pyrolysis in a TGA at a final temperature of 750°C or 850°C for 20 min. Char type two (CFB-Char) was obtained after DDGS gasification in the 100-kW th CFB gasifier within the temperature range of 790°C to 820°C with a steam/biomass mass ratio of 0.81 and oxygen to biomass stoichiometric ratio of approximately 0.38. The influences of pyrolysis temperature (750°C, 850°C), heating rate (10°C/min, 30°C/min, 50°C/min, 70°C/min), CO 2 concentration (10, 20, 30 vol.%), and gasification temperature (900°C, 1,000°C, 1,100°C) on the reaction rate of char-CO 2 reaction were determined. Two representative gas–solid reaction models, the volumetric reaction model (VRM) and the shrinking core model (SCM) were applied in order to determine kinetic parameters. It was found that the calculated activation energy ( E a ) values using SCM were slightly lower than those using VRM. The calculated E a values for PYR-Char using both models were in the range of 100–165 kJ/mol, while the calculated E a values for CFB-Char were in the range of 55–100 kJ/mol. It was observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) that CFB-Char was more fragile and PYR-Char obtained at lower heating rate had a less porous structure. Generally, the predicted results using both models showed a fairly good agreement with experimental results, and SCM model suited slightly suitable better for char gasification at high temperature. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Article Pages 217-227 DOI 10.1007/s13399-011-0021-3 Authors Xiangmei Meng, Process and Energy Department, Faculty of Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Leeghwaterstraat 44, 2628 CA, Delft, The Netherlands Wiebren de Jong, Process and Energy Department, Faculty of Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Leeghwaterstraat 44, 2628 CA, Delft, The Netherlands Ningjie Fu, Process and Energy Department, Faculty of Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Leeghwaterstraat 44, 2628 CA, Delft, The Netherlands Adrian H. M. Verkooijen, Process and Energy Department, Faculty of Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Leeghwaterstraat 44, 2628 CA, Delft, The Netherlands Journal Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery Online ISSN 2190-6823 Print ISSN 2190-6815 Journal Volume Volume 1 Journal Issue Volume 1, Number 4

Description:    Lignocellulosic biomass is currently seen as a renewable alternative to fossil fuels in the transport sector. There are two possible routes to produce liquid hydrocarbon fuels from biomass via synthesis gas: Fischer–Tropsch (FT) synthesis and methanol to gasoline (MtG). This paper evaluates, based on chemistry and chemical engineering aspects, the process design, the economic feasibility and the process potential for both synthesis routes. FT and MtG reactions can be described under the same overall chemical equation. However, the differences between the two syntheses were found in chemical mechanism, catalyst and product distribution. The material and energy balances do not establish a clear preference for any synthesis route, the market application of the product being a key parameter. The calculated overall chemical energy efficiencies to synthetic liquid hydrocarbons (C 5 –C 20 ) from biomass are 25.8–46.5% for FT and 23.4–44.4% for MtG. The calculated carbon efficiency to synthetic liquid hydrocarbons (C 5 –C 20 ) ranges between 18.6% and 33.5% for FT and 17.3–32.8% for MtG. The production costs for synthetic liquid hydrocarbon fuels are calculated based on the efficiencies given above. They range between 21€ and 34€ per gigajoule. These values could drop to 18–28€ per gigajoule in the medium term based on optimistic predictions (increase of efficiencies and reduction of capital investment). If the prize difference between crude oil and biomass becomes as high as 20€ per gigajoule, the production of liquid hydrocarbons from biomass will probably become competitive with petroleum-based products. Content Type Journal Article Category Review Article Pages 229-243 DOI 10.1007/s13399-011-0022-2 Authors Maria Iglesias Gonzalez, Engler-Bunte-Institut, Fuel Chemistry and Technology, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Engler-Bunte-Ring 1, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany Bettina Kraushaar-Czarnetzki, Institute of Chemical Process Engineering, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Fritz-Haber-Weg 2, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany Georg Schaub, Engler-Bunte-Institut, Fuel Chemistry and Technology, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Engler-Bunte-Ring 1, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany Journal Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery Online ISSN 2190-6823 Print ISSN 2190-6815 Journal Volume Volume 1 Journal Issue Volume 1, Number 4

Description:    The conversion of biomass to transportation fuels and chemicals has been of immense interest in recent years. In this study, the production of high quality bio-oil (bio-syncrude oil) was achieved by catalytically cracking pyrolysis vapors from hybrid poplar in a dual-fluidized bed reactor. The catalytic deoxygenation of the primary pyrolysis vapors was achieved with a commercial HZSM-5 at 425–450°C. The organic, water, char, coke, and gas yields were 11.9, 20.9, 16.5, 3.8, and 46.8 wt.%, respectively. This work demonstrated that the use of a fluidized bed reactor for the catalytic upgrading reduces coke formation and increases catalyst lifetime. The concentration of the permanent gases was in the order of CO 〉 CO 2  〉 C 3 H 6  〉 CH 4  〉 H 2  〉 other C 2 –C 4 . The light bio-syncrude (LBS) oil collected from the condenser was predominately aromatic hydrocarbons. The heavy bio-syncrude (HBS) oil collected from the electrostatic precipitator consisted of mainly phenols, methyl-substituted phenols, naphthalenes, benzenediols, and naphthalenol. The bio-syncrude oils were low in oxygen, less viscous, less acidic, stable, and high in energy density. The higher heating value of the light and heavy bio-syncrude oil was 36.89 and 33.98 MJ/kg, respectively. The distillate yields from the atmospheric distillation showed that 91 wt.% of the LBS oil distills up to 220°C and 76 wt.% of the HBS oil distills up to 440°C. Accelerated stability test of the oils at 90°C for 24 h and storage of the oils at room temperature for 10 months showed that the bio-syncrude oils were stable. The catalytic deoxygenation of the pyrolysis vapors resulted in the removal of undesirable oxygenates such as levoglucosan, carboxylic acids, aldehydes, and ketones. The bio-syncrude oil can be considered as a suitable feed for use in a petroleum refinery for the production of transportation fuels and chemicals. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Article Pages 203-215 DOI 10.1007/s13399-011-0020-4 Authors Ofei Daku Mante, Biological Systems Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA Foster A. Agblevor, Biological Engineering, Utah State University, Logan, UT, USA Journal Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery Online ISSN 2190-6823 Print ISSN 2190-6815 Journal Volume Volume 1 Journal Issue Volume 1, Number 4

Description:    Catalytic cracking of pyrolysis oils/vapors offers the opportunity of producing bio-oils which can potentially be coprocessed with petroleum feedstocks in today’s oil refinery to produce transportation fuel and chemicals. Catalyst properties and process conditions are critical in producing and maximizing desired product. In our studies, catalyst matrix (kaolin) and two commercial fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) catalysts, FCC-H and FCC-L, with different Y-zeolite contents were investigated. The catalytic cracking of hybrid poplar wood was conducted in a 50-mm bench-scale bubbling fluidized-bed pyrolysis reactor at 465°C with a weight hourly space velocity of 1.5 h −1 . The results showed that the yields and quality of the bio-oils was a function of the Y-zeolite content of the catalyst. The char/coke yield was highest for the higher Y-zeolite catalyst. The organic liquid yields decreased inversely with increase in zeolite content of the catalyst whereas the water and gas yields increased. Analysis of the oils by both Fourier-transform infrared and 13 C-nuclear magnetic resonance indicated that the catalyst with higher zeolite content (FCC-H) was efficient in the removal of compounds like levoglucosan, carboxylic acids and the conversion of methoxylated phenols to substituted phenols and benzenediols. The cracking of pyrolysis products by kaolin suggests that the activity of the FCC catalyst on biomass pyrolysis vapors can be attributed to both Y-zeolite and matrix. The FCC-H catalyst produced much more improved oil. The oil was low in oxygen (22.67 wt.%), high in energy (29.79 MJ/kg) and relatively stable over a 12-month storage period. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Article Pages 189-201 DOI 10.1007/s13399-011-0019-x Authors Ofei Daku Mante, Biological Systems Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA Foster A. Agblevor, Biological Engineering, Utah State University, Logan, UT, USA Ron McClung, BASF Inc, Florham, NJ, USA Journal Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery Online ISSN 2190-6823 Print ISSN 2190-6815 Journal Volume Volume 1 Journal Issue Volume 1, Number 4

Description:    A novel fluidized bed gasification concept with enhanced gas–particle interaction combining two circulating fluidized bed reactors is proposed. Cold flow model results show the feasibility of the concept with regard to fluid dynamics. The aim of the design is to generate a nitrogen (N 2 ) free product gas with low tars and fines contents. Therefore, the system is divided into an air/combustion and a fuel/gasification reactor. Two gas streams are obtained separately. The two reactors are interconnected via loop seals to assure the global circulation of bed material and to avoid gas leakages from one reactor to the other. The global circulation rate is driven by the gas velocity in the air/combustion reactor. Furthermore, the fuel/gasification reactor itself is a circulating fluidized bed with the special characteristic of almost countercurrent flow conditions for the gas phase and bed material particles. By simple geometrical modifications, it is possible to achieve well-mixed flow conditions in the fuel/gasification reactor along the full height. The gas velocity and the geometrical properties in the fuel/gasification reactor are chosen in such a way that the entrainment of coarse particles is low at the top. Due to the dispersed downward movement of the bed material particles and the feedstock input at defined locations of the fuel/gasification reactor, no volatiles are produced in the upper regions and the problems of insufficient gas phase conversion and high tar contents are avoided. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Article Pages 1-16 DOI 10.1007/s13399-012-0035-5 Authors Johannes C. Schmid, Institute of Chemical Engineering, Vienna University of Technology, Getreidemarkt 9, 1060 Vienna, Austria Tobias Pröll, Institute of Chemical Engineering, Vienna University of Technology, Getreidemarkt 9, 1060 Vienna, Austria Hannes Kitzler, Institute of Chemical Engineering, Vienna University of Technology, Getreidemarkt 9, 1060 Vienna, Austria Christoph Pfeifer, Institute of Chemical Engineering, Vienna University of Technology, Getreidemarkt 9, 1060 Vienna, Austria Hermann Hofbauer, Institute of Chemical Engineering, Vienna University of Technology, Getreidemarkt 9, 1060 Vienna, Austria Journal Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery Online ISSN 2190-6823 Print ISSN 2190-6815

Description:    The literature shows that different possible criteria are used for defining biomass fast pyrolysis. On the basis of a simplified modeling of a cellulose (biomass model compound) particle pyrolysis, the present paper points out that the most often considered parameters (i.e., temperature and heating rate) are inappropriate. They are very difficult to define and measure, and according to their definitions, important errors can be made (kinetic measurements and reactor scaling up). Other possible parameters are also examined such as particle initial size, available heat flux density, heat transfer coefficient, and products elimination efficiency. In order to be able to compare different experimental conditions on a similar basis, it is shown that at the biomass sample level, fast pyrolysis is favoured (enhancement of bio-oil fractions) if two necessary conditions are simultaneously fulfilled. They include high external heat transfer coefficient and efficient products removal. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Article Pages 133-147 DOI 10.1007/s13399-011-0014-2 Authors Jacques Lédé, LRGP-CNRS-INPL, 1, rue Grandville, BP 20451, 54001 Nancy Cedex, France Olivier Authier, LRGP-CNRS-INPL, 1, rue Grandville, BP 20451, 54001 Nancy Cedex, France Journal Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery Online ISSN 2190-6823 Print ISSN 2190-6815 Journal Volume Volume 1 Journal Issue Volume 1, Number 3

Description:    High oil prices and peak oil, next to ecological aspects, increase the necessity of governmental support regarding the use of renewable energy resources. Biomass is a renewable energy source, which allows a sustainable utilization for several reasons. Its carbon dioxide neutrality and high availability in countries across Europe make economic usage of this source possible. Nowadays, biomass is used in rather conservative ways to produce heat and/or electric power. A more sophisticated way of using wood is transforming it into a secondary energy source by liquefaction and gasification. The product of the gasification process—considered in this paper—is a medium calorific product gas, which is nearly free of nitrogen and has a H 2 /CO ratio favourable for synthesis processes. Therefore, the product gas can be converted into a synthetic natural gas (BioSNG). In Güssing (Austria), the concept of a steam blown dual fluidized bed gasifier coupled to a catalytic conversion of the product gas to BioSNG could be proven successfully. A slipstream was used to run a demonstration unit with a capacity of 1 MW BioSNG. The resulting BioSNG exceeded the regulations for injection into the natural gas grid. The compressed BioSNG was stored in a fuelling station to supply CNG cars with energy. Thus, the applicability of using BioSNG in CNG cars was proven as well. The simulation software IPSEpro was used to model the overall system of gasification, gas cleaning, methanation and upgrading to BioSNG. The aim of this modelling work was to evaluate the optimization potential within the system and improve the economic and ecologic situation. Moreover, this tool will also be used to scale-up the process hereafter. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Article Pages 111-119 DOI 10.1007/s13399-011-0013-3 Authors Barbara Rehling, Repotec Umwelttechnik GmbH, Vienna, Austria Hermann Hofbauer, Vienna University of Technology, Vienna, Austria Reinhard Rauch, Vienna University of Technology, Vienna, Austria Christian Aichernig, Repotec Umwelttechnik GmbH, Vienna, Austria Journal Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery Online ISSN 2190-6823 Print ISSN 2190-6815 Journal Volume Volume 1 Journal Issue Volume 1, Number 2

Description:    Because of the limited resources of fossil fuels the efficient use of renewable energy is gaining importance. Renewable energy from biomass reduces CO 2 emissions, which is a necessity to protect the global climate. In the dual fluidized bed steam gasifier, wood chips are converted to producer gas, which is further used for heat, power, and/or other product generation very successfully. This work presents alternative feedstocks for this process: biomass wastes, such as waste wood and bark. Waste wood and bark have been gasified successfully and results of these experiments in a pilot plant are presented in this paper. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Article Pages 91-97 DOI 10.1007/s13399-011-0009-z Authors Veronika Wilk, Bioenergy2020+ GmbH, Wienerstraße 49, 7540 Guessing, Austria Hannes Kitzler, Vienna University of Technology, Institute of Chemical Engineering, Getreidemarkt 9, 1060 Vienna, Austria Stefan Koppatz, Vienna University of Technology, Institute of Chemical Engineering, Getreidemarkt 9, 1060 Vienna, Austria Christoph Pfeifer, Vienna University of Technology, Institute of Chemical Engineering, Getreidemarkt 9, 1060 Vienna, Austria Hermann Hofbauer, Bioenergy2020+ GmbH, Wienerstraße 49, 7540 Guessing, Austria Journal Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery Online ISSN 2190-6823 Print ISSN 2190-6815 Journal Volume Volume 1 Journal Issue Volume 1, Number 2

Description:    This investigation is set in the more comprehensive study of an innovative fluidized bed reformer configuration for producing hydrogen from either biomass/coal syngas or natural gas, in which capture of carbon dioxide by-product occurs in parallel with steam reforming and water–gas shift reactions. Reported here are experimental data of carbon dioxide absorption by particles of calcined dolomite included in a bed of otherwise inert material; the bed, initially fluidized by nitrogen, was subjected to a step concentration input of carbon dioxide and the sorption kinetics was obtained from the outlet response of the entire system. The influence of dolomite particle size was investigated—from 98 to 1,550 μm—and a previously developed grain model was used to relate the observed effect of particle diameter to the complex mechanism of carbon dioxide capture in a solid sorbent. The results show that pore shrinking effects during the carbon dioxide capture process become increasingly more significant as the particle size is increased. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Article Pages 149-161 DOI 10.1007/s13399-011-0018-y Authors Stefano Stendardo, Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development, Rome, Italy Luca Di Felice, University of L’Aquila, L’Aquila, Italy Katia Gallucci, University of L’Aquila, L’Aquila, Italy Pier Ugo Foscolo, University of L’Aquila, L’Aquila, Italy Journal Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery Online ISSN 2190-6823 Print ISSN 2190-6815 Journal Volume Volume 1 Journal Issue Volume 1, Number 3

Description:    The matured biogas production technology has led to the development of a number of biogas appliances for lighting, power generation, and cooking. The most promising among them is the biogas stove to meet the energy requirement for cooking application at domestic level. In this paper attempt has been made to design and develop a domestic biogas stove for meeting domestic cooking energy need. The performance of the stove was evaluated by using 2 m 3 floating-type biogas plant. The thermal efficiency of developed stove was approximately 60.01%. Emission of carbon dioxide during combustion was measured and approximately 150–180 ppm. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Article Pages 99-103 DOI 10.1007/s13399-011-0011-5 Authors A. K. Kurchania, Department of Renewable Energy Sources, College of Technology and Engineering, Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture and Technology, Udaipur, 313 001 India N. L. Panwar, Department of Renewable Energy Sources, College of Technology and Engineering, Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture and Technology, Udaipur, 313 001 India Savita D. Pagar, Department of Renewable Energy Sources, College of Technology and Engineering, Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture and Technology, Udaipur, 313 001 India Journal Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery Online ISSN 2190-6823 Print ISSN 2190-6815 Journal Volume Volume 1 Journal Issue Volume 1, Number 2

Description:    Biomass pretreatement is a key and energy-consuming step for lignocellulosic ethanol production; it is largely responsible for the energy efficiency and economic sustainability of the process. A new approach to biomass pretreatment for the lignocellulosic bioethanol chain could be mild torrefaction. Among other effects, biomass torrefaction improves the grindability of fibrous materials, thus reducing energy demand for grinding the feedstock before hydrolysis, and opens the biomass structure, making this more accessible to enzymes for hydrolysis. The aim of the preliminary experiments carried out was to achieve a first understanding of the possibility to combine torrefaction and hydrolysis for lignocellulosic bioethanol processes, and to evaluate it in terms of sugar and ethanol yields. In addition, the possibility of hydrolyzing the torrefied biomass has not yet been proven. Biomass from olive pruning has been torrefied at different conditions, namely 180–280°C for 60–120 min, grinded and then used as substrate in hydrolysis experiments. The bioconversion has been carried out at flask scale using a mixture of cellulosolytic, hemicellulosolitic, β-glucosidase enzymes, and a commercial strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae . The experiments demonstrated that torrefied biomass can be enzymatically hydrolyzed and fermented into ethanol, with yields comparable with grinded untreated biomass and saving electrical energy. The comparison between the bioconversion yields achieved using only raw grinded biomass or torrefied and grinded biomass highlighted that: (1) mild torrefaction conditions limit sugar degradation to 5–10%; and (2) torrefied biomass does not lead to enzymatic and fermentation inhibition. Energy consumption for ethanol production has been preliminary estimated, and three different pretreatment steps, i.e., raw biomass grinding, biomass-torrefaction grinding, and steam explosion were compared. Based on preliminary results, steam explosion still has a significant advantage compared to the other two process chains. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Article Pages 9-15 DOI 10.1007/s13399-010-0001-z Authors David Chiaramonti, CREAR – Research Centre for Renewable Energy and RE-CORD, University of Florence, Florence, Italy Andrea Maria Rizzo, CREAR – Research Centre for Renewable Energy and RE-CORD, University of Florence, Florence, Italy Matteo Prussi, CREAR – Research Centre for Renewable Energy and RE-CORD, University of Florence, Florence, Italy Silvana Tedeschi, ENEA - Laboratory of Technology and Equipment for Bioenergy and Solar Thermal, C.R. Trisaia, 75026 Rotondella, MT Italy Francesco Zimbardi, ENEA - Laboratory of Technology and Equipment for Bioenergy and Solar Thermal, C.R. Trisaia, 75026 Rotondella, MT Italy Giacobbe Braccio, ENEA - Laboratory of Technology and Equipment for Bioenergy and Solar Thermal, C.R. Trisaia, 75026 Rotondella, MT Italy Egidio Viola, ENEA - Laboratory of Technology and Equipment for Bioenergy and Solar Thermal, C.R. Trisaia, 75026 Rotondella, MT Italy Paolo Taddei Pardelli, Spike Renewables s.r.l., Florence, Italy Journal Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery Online ISSN 2190-6823 Print ISSN 2190-6815 Journal Volume Volume 1 Journal Issue Volume 1, Number 1

Description:    Anaerobic digestion of mainly energy crops gains more and more importance in developing a sustainable energy supply. Therefore, the optimization of gas yield plays a major role in specific research attempts and economical considerations. One possibility to increase natural polymer degradation and concomitantly energy efficiency is the addition of exoenzymes to biogas facilities to enforce the primary degradation steps for biogas production. Therefore, in the present study, the stability and activity of five externally added enzyme mixtures to anaerobic biogas processes were investigated. Protein assays using soluble fractions of different biogas plants incubated together with the enzyme mixtures revealed that, within about 10 min, the externally added enzymes were mostly degraded. This very low stability in biogas reactors makes it unlikely that the addition of enzymes contributes significantly to degradation of macromolecules in the biogas process. Even the addition of protease inhibitors did not protect the added enzyme mixtures from degradation in most experiments. Furthermore, the influence of added enzymes on the viscosity of the biomass was tested. Only a marginal effect was obtained, when applying a tenfold higher concentration of added enzymes as proposed for practical use. The same result was achieved when commercially available enzymes were added to technical-scale fermentations using corn silage as monosubstrate. Therefore, these studies did not provide evidence that the addition of external enzymes into anaerobic degradation systems increases the methane yield in biogas facilities. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Article Pages 1-8 DOI 10.1007/s13399-010-0002-y Authors Roman Binner, Research and Development Department, Schmack Biogas GmbH, Bayernwerk 8, 92421 Schwandorf, Germany Veronika Menath, Department of Microbiology, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstrasse 31, 93053 Regensburg, Germany Harald Huber, Department of Microbiology, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstrasse 31, 93053 Regensburg, Germany Michael Thomm, Department of Microbiology, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstrasse 31, 93053 Regensburg, Germany Franz Bischof, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering/Environmental Engineering, University of Applied Sciences Amberg-Weiden, Kaiser-Wilhelm-Ring 23, 92224 Amberg, Germany Doris Schmack, Research and Development Department, Schmack Biogas GmbH, Bayernwerk 8, 92421 Schwandorf, Germany Monika Reuter, Research and Development Department, Schmack Biogas GmbH, Bayernwerk 8, 92421 Schwandorf, Germany Journal Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery Online ISSN 2190-6823 Print ISSN 2190-6815 Journal Volume Volume 1 Journal Issue Volume 1, Number 1

Description:    This study not only presents the results of our own experiments in alga production, but also shows the expected economic results of the various uses of algae (animal feed, direct burning, pelleting, bio-diesel production), the technical characteristics of a new pelleting method based on literature, and also our own recommended alga production technology. In our opinion, the most promising alternative could be the production of alga species with high levels of oil content, which are suitable for utilization as by-products for animal feed and in the production of bio-diesel, as well as for use in waste water management and as a flue gas additive. Based on the data from our laboratory experiments, of the four species we analyzed, Chlorella vulgaris should be considered the most promising species for use in large-scale experiments. Taking expenses into account, our results demonstrate that the use of algae for burning technology purposes results in a significant loss under the current economic conditions; however, the utilization of algae for feeding and bio-diesel purposes—in spite of their innovative nature—is nearing the level needed for competitiveness. By using the alga production technology recommended by us and described in the present study in detail, with an investment of 545 to 727 thousand EUR/ha, this technology should be able to achieve approximately 0–29 thousand EUR/ha net income, depending on size. More favorable values emerge in the case of the 1-ha (larger) size, thanks to the significant savings on fixed costs (depreciation and personnel costs). Content Type Journal Article Category Original Article Pages 163-171 DOI 10.1007/s13399-011-0015-1 Authors Attila Bai, Faculty of Applied Economics and Rural Development (UD-FAERD), Centre for Agricultural and Applied Economic Sciences, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary Péter Jobbágy, Faculty of Applied Economics and Rural Development (UD-FAERD), Centre for Agricultural and Applied Economic Sciences, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary Emília Durkó, Faculty of Applied Economics and Rural Development (UD-FAERD), Centre for Agricultural and Applied Economic Sciences, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary Journal Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery Online ISSN 2190-6823 Print ISSN 2190-6815 Journal Volume Volume 1 Journal Issue Volume 1, Number 3

Description:    This paper addresses the use of loose biomass material like sawdust and other agro residues as fuel to generate electricity for captive power requirements using gasification system and a reciprocating engine. The development of open-top downdraft re-burn gasifiers at the Indian Institute of Science has made it capable of using agro residues after processing them into briquettes—a multi-fuel option. The inherent design feature that provides adequate residence times and establishes the right flux has made this possible. A typical closed-top design has a high superficial flux at the throat in the range of 2–2.5 kg m −2  s −1 as against the open-top design at 0.2–0.4 kg m −2  s −1 at the lowest cross section. This essentially prevents ash softening and fusion, an issue that needs to be addressed while using agro residues containing higher inorganic content. Further, captive power generation systems based on this design are installed in pencil manufacturing industries to use the sawdust generated. This paper addresses the performance of the gasification and engine system in the dual fuel mode. One industrial unit has operated for over 11,000 h in dual fuel mode in 2 years and generated about 400 MWh consuming about 400 tonnes of briquettes and about 35,000 l of diesel. The details of the system configuration, performance, and operations are reported here. Some of the critical issues that were addressed to ensure good industrial operations are highlighted. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Article Pages 121-131 DOI 10.1007/s13399-011-0017-z Authors S. Dasappa, Center for Sustainable Technologies, Combustion Gasification and Propulsion Laboratory, Department of Aerospace Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India H. V. Sridhar, Bosch Engineering and Business Solutions Ltd, Bangalore, India G. Sridhar, Siemens Corporate Technology Ltd., Bangalore, India P. J. Paul, Center for Sustainable Technologies, Combustion Gasification and Propulsion Laboratory, Department of Aerospace Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India Journal Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery Online ISSN 2190-6823 Print ISSN 2190-6815 Journal Volume Volume 1 Journal Issue Volume 1, Number 3

Description:    The ever-increasing concern due to the fast-depleting energy sources and the environmental impact of the fossil fuel burning has provoked the researchers to turn out for an environmentally benign fuel source. Biodiesel (fatty acid methyl esters) being renewable, biodegradable, non-toxic and eco-friendly, is now gaining momentum. Added carbon sequestration ability of rubber trees has made it one of the best sources for biodiesel in developing countries. Fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) from high acid content (23%) rubber seed oil by sonication technique at room temperature (32°C) is of good yield (80%). The FAMEs produced have acceptable fuel standards as specified by ASTM D 6751. This study deals with the utilisation of FAMEs as an alternate fuel for petrodiesel. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Article Pages 105-110 DOI 10.1007/s13399-011-0012-4 Authors S. Nivetha Ragavan, Department of Chemistry and Research Centre, Scott Christian College (Autonomous), Nagercoil, 629003 Tamil Nadu, India D. Vetha Roy, Department of Chemistry and Research Centre, Scott Christian College (Autonomous), Nagercoil, 629003 Tamil Nadu, India Journal Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery Online ISSN 2190-6823 Print ISSN 2190-6815 Journal Volume Volume 1 Journal Issue Volume 1, Number 2

Description:    The demand for biomass to be used as fuel is rising highly in a time of strongly increasing prices for fossil fuels and political discussions about climate change. Against this background, pelletized biomass, mostly composed of wood, has shown a significant market growth in recent years. Today, wood pellets are an important and popular fuel in lots of different countries and the according markets are likely to rise even further in the future. For this reasons, it is feared that the limited availability of cheap wood as a feedstock for pellets will limit this market increase. Autumn leaves from urban areas (like cities), as a seasonal available waste material, are a possible substitute for or additive to wood. Therefore, the use of this material as a feedstock for pellets is analyzed within this paper regarding the mechanical properties of leaf pellets produced in a laboratory pelletizing press. To achieve this objective, several influencing parameters are investigated and optimized; this is the case for the moisture content of leaves before pelletizing as well as for the addition of starchy binding agents and the pellet diameter. All over, leaves show a good pelletizing behavior under the conditions realized here. The mechanical properties of leaf pellets turn out to be comparable to those of default wood pellets, although the heating value is lower and the ash content is higher due to material specific characteristics. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Article Pages 173-187 DOI 10.1007/s13399-011-0016-0 Authors Marina Stegelmeier, Institute of Environmental Technology and Energy Economics, Hamburg University of Technology, Hamburg, Germany Verena E. M. Schmitt, Institute of Environmental Technology and Energy Economics, Hamburg University of Technology, Hamburg, Germany Martin Kaltschmitt, Institute of Environmental Technology and Energy Economics, Hamburg University of Technology, Hamburg, Germany Journal Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery Online ISSN 2190-6823 Print ISSN 2190-6815 Journal Volume Volume 1 Journal Issue Volume 1, Number 3

Description:    The environmental concerns and the European liquid (bio) fuel regulations have determined a growing demand on biofuels. Fischer–Tropsch synthesis can provide clean synthetic fuels containing low concentrations of sulfur, nitrogen, and aromatics. While Fischer–Tropsch synthesis using natural gas and coal is a well established and commercialized process for more than 70 years, the new technology of Fischer–Tropsch synthesis using biomass as feedstock is gaining more and more attention due to the possibilities of using renewable raw materials. In this work, in order to optimize the Fischer–Tropsch synthesis, the influence of operating conditions has been studied in a slurry reactor using a Co-based catalyst. Experiments were performed at different syngas composition (variation of H 2 /CO ratio) and pressure (24, 20, and 16 bar), keeping the other parameters (temperature, 230 °C; gas flow, 5 Nm 3 /h) constant. The effects of pressure on CO conversion, product distribution, C 5+ selectivity, Par/Ole ratio, and α value were investigated, and the results were compared with data from literature. It was found that—increasing the reaction pressure—heavier hydrocarbons were formed, and CO conversion increased from 44.2 to 63.7 %. A slight change has been observed in the case of an α value between 0.89 and 0.9, C 5+ selectivity between 90.6 and 91.7 %, and Par/Ole ratio between 11.4 and 14.1. An important role for the results obtained was attributed to H 2 /CO ratio variation during the experiments. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Article Pages 1-11 DOI 10.1007/s13399-012-0060-4 Authors Anca Sauciuc, Department of Renewable Energy Systems and Recycling, Transilvania University of Brasov, Brasov, Romania Ziad Abosteif, Engler-Bunte Institute, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Engler-Bunte-Ring 1, Karlsruhe, 76131 Germany Gerald Weber, Bioenergy 2020+, Wienerstraße 49, Güssing, 7540 Austria Angela Potetz, Institute of Chemical Engineering, Vienna University of Technology, Getreidemarkt 9/166, 1600 Vienna, Austria Reinhard Rauch, Bioenergy 2020+, Wienerstraße 49, Güssing, 7540 Austria Hermann Hofbauer, Institute of Chemical Engineering, Vienna University of Technology, Getreidemarkt 9/166, 1600 Vienna, Austria Georg Schaub, Engler-Bunte Institute, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Engler-Bunte-Ring 1, Karlsruhe, 76131 Germany Lucia Dumitrescu, Department of Renewable Energy Systems and Recycling, Transilvania University of Brasov, Brasov, Romania Journal Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery Online ISSN 2190-6823 Print ISSN 2190-6815

Description:    Biodiesel has been developed using a heterogeneous catalyst potassium fluoride (KF) supported on hydrotalcite (HT) and waste frying oil (WFO) as feedstock. Hydrotalcite was synthesized by co-precipitation method using mixture of Mg(NO 3 ) 2 ·6H 2 O and Al(NO 3 ) 2 ·9H 2 O slowly added to a solution containing NaOH and Na 2 CO 3 and calcined at 500 °C. KF was impregnated on hydrotalcite at KF/HT load ratio of 80:100 by addition of a small amount of water. Biodiesel was developed using KF/HT as heterogeneous catalyst by transesterification. Box–Behnken Design using Minitab 15.1 Statistical Software and Design-Expert (Demo version 8.0.6.1) software were used as statistical tool for design of experiments and optimization of fatty acid methyl ester yield. A high yield and conversion of biodiesel was obtained by optimization of variables affecting the reaction. The variables affected the reaction in the priority order of: catalyst amount 〉〉 molar ratio (methanol to oil) 〉 reaction time. A 12:1 methanol to WFO molar ratio, 2.5 wt.% of catalyst at 60 °C in 1 h reaction time gave a high fatty acid methyl ester yield of 〉98 %. The quantitative analysis of the product (i.e., biodiesel) was done on a Fourier-transform-nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Article Pages 1-9 DOI 10.1007/s13399-012-0059-x Authors Bhaskar Singh, Department of Applied Chemistry, Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, 221 005 India Ashish Birla, Department of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, 221 005 India S. N. Upadhyay, Department of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, 221 005 India Zahira Yaakob, Department of Chemical and Process Engineering, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, UKM Bangi, Selangor, 43600 Malaysia Yogesh C. Sharma, Department of Applied Chemistry, Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, 221 005 India Journal Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery Online ISSN 2190-6823 Print ISSN 2190-6815

Description:    More-than-nine-carbon-atom-containing linear ethers such as ethyl octyl ether (EOE), di- n -pentyl ether (DNPE), di- n -hexyl ether (DNHE) or di- n -octyl ether (DNOE) increase the quality of the diesel blends making them environmentally friendly. In this work, dehydration of 1-pentanol, 1-hexanol and 1-octanol to DNPE, DNHE and DNOE, respectively, as well as the reaction between 1-octanol and ethanol to give EOE are shown to be a good path for obtaining these linear ethers. Acidic macroreticular and gel-type polystyrene-divinylbenzene (PS-DVB) ion-exchange resins have been tested as catalysts for these reactions in liquid phase at 423 K. In the dehydration reactions of 1-pentanol, 1-hexanol and 1-octanol, as a rule, selectivity to linear ether decreased with the length of the ether over macroreticular resins of high and medium DVB%. On the contrary, no differences in selectivity to DNPE, DNHE and DNOE were observed over gel-type and macroreticular resins of low DVB%. In the reaction for obtaining EOE from ethanol and 1-octanol, EOE synthesis competes with those of DNOE and diethyl ether. The best selectivity to EOE and DNOE were found in gel-type and macroreticular resins of low DVB% too. Swelling of the resin in the polar reaction medium was found to be a decisive factor to enhance the selectivity to long linear ethers. Therefore, Amberlyst 121 and CT 224 are proposed to catalyze the synthesis of these ethers; Amberlyst 70 is suggested as the best one for working above 423 K. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Article Pages 1-11 DOI 10.1007/s13399-012-0051-5 Authors C. Casas, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Barcelona, C/Martí i Franquès 1, 08028 Barcelona, Spain J. Guilera, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Barcelona, C/Martí i Franquès 1, 08028 Barcelona, Spain E. Ramírez, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Barcelona, C/Martí i Franquès 1, 08028 Barcelona, Spain R. Bringué, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Barcelona, C/Martí i Franquès 1, 08028 Barcelona, Spain M. Iborra, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Barcelona, C/Martí i Franquès 1, 08028 Barcelona, Spain J. Tejero, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Barcelona, C/Martí i Franquès 1, 08028 Barcelona, Spain Journal Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery Online ISSN 2190-6823 Print ISSN 2190-6815

Description:    Fluidized bed gasification of solid fuels is considered as one of the core technologies for future sustainable energy supply. Whereas autothermal oxygen-driven gasification is applied in large-scale substitute natural gas (SNG) and Fischer–Tropsch (FT) plants or small-scale combined heat and power (CHP) plants, the allothermal steam-reforming process of the agnion Heatpipe-Reformer is designed for cost- and fuel-efficient syngas generation at small scales for distributed applications. The Heatpipe-Reformer's pressurized syngas generation provides a number of benefits for SNG, biomass to liquid (BTL) and CHP applications. A modified gas engine concept uses the pressurized and hydrogen-rich syngas for increased performance and tar tolerance at decreased capital expenses. Agnion has installed and operated a 500-kW thermal input pilot plant in Pfaffenhofen, Germany, over the last 2 years, showing stable operation over a variety of operating points. The syngas composition has been measured at values expected by thermodynamic models. An influence of the steam-to-fuel ratio and reformer temperature was observed. Tar and sulphur contents have been monitored and correlated to operation parameters, showing influences on stoichiometry and carbon conversion. The mass and energy streams of the plant were balanced. One of the main observations in the monitoring programme is the fact that syngas output, efficiency and syngas quality correlate to high values if the carbon conversion is high. Carbon conversion rates and cold gas efficiencies are comparably high in respect to today's processes, promising economic and fuel-efficient operation of the Heatpipe-Reformer applications. Content Type Journal Article Category Review Article Pages 1-9 DOI 10.1007/s13399-012-0046-2 Authors Georg Gallmetzer, Highterm Research GmbH, Sperl-Ring 4, 85276 Hettenshausen, Germany Pascal Ackermann, Highterm Research GmbH, Sperl-Ring 4, 85276 Hettenshausen, Germany Andreas Schweiger, Highterm Research Ges.mbH, Conrad von Hötzendorfstraße 103, 8010 Graz, Austria Thomas Kienberger, Highterm Research Ges.mbH, Conrad von Hötzendorfstraße 103, 8010 Graz, Austria Thomas Gröbl, Institut für Energietechnik und Thermodynamik, Technische Universität Wien, Wien, Austria Heimo Walter, Institut für Energietechnik und Thermodynamik, Technische Universität Wien, Wien, Austria Markus Zankl, Agnion Technologies GmbH, Sperl-Ring 4, 85276 Hettenshausen, Germany Martin Kröner, Agnion Technologies GmbH, Sperl-Ring 4, 85276 Hettenshausen, Germany Journal Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery Online ISSN 2190-6823 Print ISSN 2190-6815

Description:    A major goal of today’s energy policy is to establish an energy system with less greenhouse gas emissions (cf. “Renewable energy roadmap” [ 1 ]). The energetic use of biomass seems to be a very promising option to contribute to this goal: biomass can be used demand-oriented and to produce different energy carriers (e.g. power, heat and biofuels) needed within the energy system. Due to high overall efficiencies, especially the thermo-chemical conversion of solid biofuels to the natural gas substitute Bio-SNG (Synthetic Natural Gas) seems to be very promising. Therefore, it is the goal of this paper to analyse Bio-SNG production processes as a part of integrated polygeneration processes. Different Bio-SNG concepts using a gas slip stream in a gas engine or a gas turbine and process heat in an organic rankine cycle or conventional steam cycle are assessed. Based on mass and energy balances these concepts are discussed from an energetic, economic and environmental point of view. The analysis shows increasing exergetic efficiencies as well as improved economic and environmental process characteristics with increasingly integrated processes. However, the economic competitiveness still remains a bottleneck for a Bio-SNG market implementation. Therefore, two possible options to improve this competitiveness are discussed in detail. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Article Pages 1-12 DOI 10.1007/s13399-012-0048-0 Authors Stefan Rönsch, Deutsches BiomasseForschungsZentrum (DBFZ), Leipzig, Germany Martin Kaltschmitt, Institute of Environmental Technology and Energy Economics (IUE), Hamburg University of Technology, Hamburg, Germany Journal Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery Online ISSN 2190-6823 Print ISSN 2190-6815

Description:    The Finnish energy company St1, producing waste-based ethanol, is working on high-concentration ethanol fuels together with the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland. One example of the results of this cooperation is the high-concentration flex-fuel vehicle fuel (RE85) optimised for cold conditions, now available nationwide in Finland. The newest initiative is a field test with heavy-duty ethanol vehicles using Scania technology. In the preparatory phase, VTT carried out measurements on one ethanol bus and one ethanol truck. It turns out that Scania’s ethanol technology delivers fuel efficiency (in megajoules per kilometre) almost as good as conventional diesel engines, with particulate emission levels lower than the diesel average. For fuel efficiency, the ethanol engine clearly outpoints current natural gas engines. With these promising results, St1 took the decision to go ahead with field testing with three trucks, one delivery truck and two refuse vehicles. A monitoring programme of the field test vehicles has been set up. This paper describes exhaust emission and fuel consumption results of the ethanol vehicles, benchmarking the results against results from corresponding diesel and natural gas vehicles. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Article Pages 1-10 DOI 10.1007/s13399-012-0049-z Authors Nils-Olof Nylund, VTT Technical Research Centre Finland, P.O. Box 1000, 02044 VTT Espoo, Finland Juhani Laurikko, VTT Technical Research Centre Finland, P.O. Box 1000, 02044 VTT Espoo, Finland Petri Laine, VTT Technical Research Centre Finland, P.O. Box 1000, 02044 VTT Espoo, Finland Jari Suominen, St1 Biofuels Oy, Finland, P.O. Box 100, 00381 Helsinki, Finland Mika P. A. Anttonen, St1 Biofuels Oy, Finland, P.O. Box 100, 00381 Helsinki, Finland Journal Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery Online ISSN 2190-6823 Print ISSN 2190-6815

Description:    Ammonia (NH 3 ) is one of the main contaminants in the biomass gasification producer gas, which is undesirable in downstream applications, and thus must be removed. When the producer gas is used in integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) technology, NH 3 is the main precursor of nitrogen oxides (NO x ) formed in gas turbine, whereas in Fischer–Tropsch synthesis and in integrated gasification fuel cell (IGFC) technology, the NH 3 gas poisons the catalysts employed. This paper presents a critical review on the recent development in the understanding of the NH 3 formation in biomass gasification process and in the NH 3 gas cleaning technologies. The NH 3 gas concentration in the producer gas can firstly be reduced by the primary measures taken in the gasification process by operation optimisation and using in-bed catalytic materials. Further removal of the NH 3 gas can be implemented by the secondary measures introduced in the post-gasification gas-cleaning process. Focus is given on the catalytic gas cleaning in the secondary measures and its advantages are analysed including energy efficiency, impacts on environment and recyclability of the catalyst. Based on the review, the most effective cleaning process is proposed with integration of both the primary and the secondary measures for application in a biomass gasification process. Content Type Journal Article Category Review Article Pages 1-22 DOI 10.1007/s13399-012-0047-1 Authors Janjira Hongrapipat, Department of Chemical and Process Engineering, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand Woei-Lean Saw, Department of Chemical and Process Engineering, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand Shusheng Pang, Department of Chemical and Process Engineering, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand Journal Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery Online ISSN 2190-6823 Print ISSN 2190-6815

Description:    The possibilities to upgrade raw gas with the use of a manganese oxide have been investigated in an application for secondary tar cleaning of biomass-derived gas. Experiments were conducted in a reactor system where a novel technique that combines tar cleaning with catalyst regeneration is applied. Raw gas from the Chalmers non-catalytic steam biomass gasifier—containing roughly 32 g tar /Nm gas 3 —was fed to the tar cleaning reactor. The tar reforming qualities of the manganese oxide were evaluated in the reactor system using a mixture of 23 wt.% catalysts in silica sand at the temperatures 700 and 800°C. Experiments showed that the catalyst was continuously regenerated from carbon deposits and that the total amount of tars was decreased by as much as 44.5 % at a gas residence time of 0.4 s in the bed. The catalyst showed activity in water–gas shift reaction and the H 2 /CO ratio increased from 0.6 in the raw gas to a peak value of 1 in the reformed gas at 800°C. Only a slight decrease in methane and acetylene content was observed for both operating temperatures. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Article Pages 1-8 DOI 10.1007/s13399-012-0042-6 Authors Fredrik Lind, Division of Energy Technology, Department of Energy and Environment, Chalmers University of Technology, 412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden Mikael Israelsson, Division of Energy Technology, Department of Energy and Environment, Chalmers University of Technology, 412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden Martin Seemann, Division of Energy Technology, Department of Energy and Environment, Chalmers University of Technology, 412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden Henrik Thunman, Division of Energy Technology, Department of Energy and Environment, Chalmers University of Technology, 412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden Journal Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery Online ISSN 2190-6823 Print ISSN 2190-6815

Description:    Fast-pyrolysis based processes can be built on small-scale and have higher process carbon and energy efficiency as compared to other options. H 2 Bioil is a novel process based on biomass fast-hydropyrolysis and subsequent hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) and can potentially provide high yields of high energy density liquid fuel at relatively low hydrogen consumption. This paper contains a comprehensive financial analysis of the H 2 Bioil process with hydrogen derived from different sources. Three different carbon tax scenarios are analyzed: no carbon tax, 55/ metric ton carbon tax and 110/metric ton carbon tax. The break-even crude oil price for a delivered biomass cost of 94/ metric ton when hydrogen is derived from coal , natural gas or nuclear energy ranges from 103 to 116/ bbl for no carbon tax and even lower (99–111/ bbl ) for the carbon tax scenarios . This break - even crude oil price compares favorably with the literature estimated prices of fuels from alternate biochemical and thermochemical routes . The impact of the chosen carbon tax is found to be limited relative to the impact of the H 〈 sub 〉 2 〈 / sub 〉 source on the H 〈 sub 〉 2 〈 / sub 〉 Bioil break - even price . The economic robustness of the processes for hydrogen derived from coal , natural gas , or nuclear energy is seen by an estimated break - even crude oil price of 114–126/ bbl when biomass cost is increased to 121/metric ton. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Article Pages 1-8 DOI 10.1007/s13399-012-0043-5 Authors Navneet R. Singh, School of Chemical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA Dharik S. Mallapragada, School of Chemical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA Rakesh Agrawal, School of Chemical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA Wallace E. Tyner, Department of Agricultural Economics, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA Journal Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery Online ISSN 2190-6823 Print ISSN 2190-6815

Description:    Energy supply for transportation causes a major part of the anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions responsible for climate change. Therefore, several governments have introduced measures to promote biofuels based on agricultural feedstock in order to decrease greenhouse gas emissions and to reduce the import dependency of fossil fuel energy. However, due to the land requirement for the cultivation of agricultural feedstock and the conflict between the use of biomass for food and fuel, the generation of biofuel from microalgae as a promising alternative is discussed more and more. Against this background, the goal of this paper is to estimate the GHG emissions for the provision and use of biodiesel, bioethanol and biomethane from microalgal feedstock. These biofuels have the possibility to reduce the pressure on agricultural land because of the higher area-specific biomass yields. Nevertheless, the energy demand needed for the provision of biofuels from microalgae according to the concepts investigated here is responsible for no significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared with fossil fuels or even for a high increase in emissions. From the investigated options, the cultivation in open ponds seems to be more promising than the cultivation in photo-bioreactors, and the provision of biodiesel and biomethane from microalgae shows advantages over the ethanol generation from a greenhouse-gas-reduction point of view. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Article Pages 1-16 DOI 10.1007/s13399-012-0044-4 Authors Jana Weinberg, Institut für Umwelttechnik und Energiewirtschaft, Technische Universität Hamburg-Harburg, Eißendorfer Straße 40, 21073 Hamburg, Germany Martin Kaltschmitt, Institut für Umwelttechnik und Energiewirtschaft, Technische Universität Hamburg-Harburg, Eißendorfer Straße 40, 21073 Hamburg, Germany Christian Wilhelm, Institut für Biologie I, Abteilung Pflanzenphysiologie, Universität Leipzig, Johannisallee 21-23, 04103 Leipzig, Germany Journal Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery Online ISSN 2190-6823 Print ISSN 2190-6815

Description:    The potential use of rice husk as a source of energy and also for producing high-purity silicon has been investigated by a combination of pilot trials, theoretical calculations and laboratory experiments. Rice husk was combusted at 850°C. Mass balance together with the pilot results indicates an electricity generation potential of 1 MWh per tonne rice husk. The process also generates 180 kg rice husk ash (RHA) that is used for production of high-purity silicon through a hybrid pyrometallurgical–hydrometallurgical process. The process consists of three major steps: purification of RHA by leaching and roasting, reduction by magnesium and recovery of silicon through two steps of leaching. The silicon generation process steps were optimized, showing that about 85% of silicon in the RHA can be recovered. The silicon product has a total impurity of 〈0.7%, hence it may be used as a suitable feedstock for production of solar-grade silicon. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Article Pages 1-9 DOI 10.1007/s13399-012-0034-6 Authors K. K. Larbi, Starkey & Associates Inc., Oakville, ON, Canada R. Roy, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada M. Barati, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Toronto, 140—184 College Street, Toronto, ON, Canada M5S 3E4 V. I. Lakshmanan, Process Research Ortech Inc., Mississauga, ON, Canada R. Sridhar, Process Research Ortech Inc., Mississauga, ON, Canada A. McLean, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Toronto, 140—184 College Street, Toronto, ON, Canada M5S 3E4 Journal Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery Online ISSN 2190-6823 Print ISSN 2190-6815

Description: An acidic symmetrical acidic ionic liquid, [MMBIM] HSO 4 , has been synthesised and utilised as effective catalyst for transesterification of low quality vegetable oils having high free fatty acid content for biodiesel production. The use of [MMBIM] HSO 4 has the important advantage of producing homogeneous systems at the start of the reaction and after completion of reaction; a three-phase system is created that allows selective extraction of the products using straightforward separation techniques. The reaction was carried out under conventional, microwave and ultrasonic conditions, and comparison was studied to achieve the highest possible conversion in minimum time. The highest synthetic activity was obtained under microwave irradiation for castor oil with the highest yield 96.7 % within 10 min of reaction time. The interesting thing to note is the low melting point of [MMBIM] HSO 4 , which makes it easy to recover simply by cooling the final reaction system.

Description: Two different post-hydrolysis methods were studied and compared with the purpose of obtaining liquid fractions with the highest concentrations of hemicellulosic monomers. With this purpose, liquors obtained from corn cobs autohydrolysis treatment were treated with different acids (sulfuric acid (H 2 SO 4 ), hydrochloric acid (HCl), trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), and formic acid) as catalysts at different reaction conditions by two different hemicelluloses fractionation methods: reflux and microwave technology. In addition to different acid catalysts, catalyst concentrations, temperatures, and times of reaction were varied in all of the carried out experiments. According to the obtained results from the proposed study, the best conditions to achieve the optimum conditions for hemicelluloses fractionation were using TFA as acid catalyst in a reflux method with 4 % of catalyst concentration and at ebullition temperature (∼100 ºC) and 90 min as time of reaction. Under these conditions, 32.90 ± 2.17 g/L of xylose (a yield of 87.79 ± 5.80 % of corn cobs total hemicelluloses) were solubilized.

Description: Henequen ( Agave fourcroydes Lem) is an endemic plant of southeastern Mexico traditionally exploited for the extraction of its fibers. After the henequen harvest cycle, most stems and flower stalks are just left on the field without any further utilization. The aim of this work was to evaluate these lignocellulosic residues as a biomass feedstock for the production of bio-oil using a tubular furnace to perform pyrolysis. Experiments were carried out at temperatures from 450 to 600 °C, using a residence time of 60 min and a heating rate of 10 °C min −1 . The henequen lignocellulosic material was divided in three parts: green stem, dry stem, and stalk. Each sample was characterized by means of chemical composition analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, extractive content, and bio-oil yield. The highest yield of bio-oil (50.33 ± 0.06 wt%), the highest content of cellulose (29.55 wt%), and the highest content of extractives (25.59 wt%) were measured for the green stem sample. This result is consistent with previous reported works indicating a proportional relationship among the three variables. Chemical composition of bio-oils was analyzed by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS). GC-MS results indicated that all the samples were rich in phenolic compounds among which phenol 2-6-dimethoxy was the most abundant. Quinazoline-4-carboxylic acid, a chemical with high potential value for the synthesis of pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, and veterinary products, represented 61 wt% of bio-oil from dry stem.

Description: Increase in anthropogenic energy needs has led the world to look for alternate energy sources. Biodiesel from plant oilseeds is a promising and environmentally sustainable option. In the present study, biodiesel is prepared from the oils of Pongamia pinnata (karanja), Madhuca indica (mahua), and Sesamum indicum (til) oilseeds. A two-step catalytic process is used for the conversion of triacylglycerides into fatty acid methyl esters. The biodiesel produced from the three oils were tested for properties such as density, viscosity, calorific value, acid value, cloud point, pour point, fire point, flash point, cold filter plugging point, thermal gravimetric analysis, and differential scanning calorimetry. It was found that til oil produced maximum amount of biodiesel followed by karanja and mahua oil. Interestingly, the calorific value of til biodiesel was highest followed by mahua and karanja biodiesel. However, blending of biodiesel with conventional diesel fuel could improve the calorific value and increase the fire and flash point rendering it safer for handling and transportation. Comparing the properties of the biodiesels, it could be concluded that all the three oils can produce good quality biodiesel; however, they exhibit variable properties for engine application.

Description: Indirectly heated dual fluidized bed (DFB) gasifiers are a promising option for the production of syngas, in particular in the small- and medium-scale range. The application of so-called heat pipes solves the key challenge of indirectly heated gasifiers—the heat transfer into the gasifier's reformer part. Performance, technical challenges, and solutions for the so-called biomass heat pipe reformer are discussed, and the development of the last 10 years is summarized. An equation for the heat pipe reformer's cold gas efficiency is presented. The equation applies for any dual fluidized bed gasifier and indicates that the efficiency of the combustion process dominates the cold gas efficiency of any directly or indirectly heated allothermal steam gasification system.

Description: Wastes from olive oil and wine industries (as exhausted grape marc, vineshoot trimmings, two-phase olive mill waste, vinasses, and olive mill wastewater) were evaluated for lignocellulolytic enzyme production (as endocellulases, endoxylanases, and feruloyl esterases) by solid-state fermentation (SSF) with Aspergillus niger , Aspergillus ibericus , and Aspergillus uvarum . To study the effect of different solid medium composition and time in enzyme production, a Plackett–Burman experimental design was used. Variables that had a higher positive effect in lignocellulolytic enzyme production were urea, time, and exhausted grape marc. The maximum values of enzymatic activity per unit of substrate dry mass were found with A . niger for feruloyl esterase. Enzymatic extracts from SSF with A. niger achieved maximum feruloyl esterase activity (89.53 U/g) and endoxylanase activity (3.06 U/g) and with A. uvarum for endocellulase activity (6.77 U/g). The enzyme cocktails obtained in the SSF extracts may have applications in biorefinery industries.

Description: A highly efficient pretreatment process to break down the recalcitrant structure of Eucalyptus globulus raw material to produce ethanol was investigated. A response surface methodology was used to optimise the pretreatment parameters. The inlet parameters were temperature and time, and the response parameters were the total glucose plus xylose yields and the glucose yield as a quantification of the susceptibility to enzymatic hydrolysis of the solid material. It was determined that the central point conditions (175 °C, 43 min) produced close to the optimum of the total glucose plus xylose yields, achieving 57 % (dry matter) xylose yield and 63 % glucose yield. However, the optimum of the glucose yield, 95 % (dry matter), in which almost all xylose was degraded, was achieved at 194 °C and 51 min, a condition close to a star point (N6). In addition, the maximum ethanol produced in this study was 262 L/ton of dry raw material at 194 °C and 51 min. The characterisation of the pretreated material enabled the correlation of glucose yield with physical, chemical and morphological properties of pretreated material. Enzymatic hydrolysis and the modified Simons’ stain technique indicated a similar increasing linear dependency with moderate severity factors. However, with high-severity factors, these findings indicated an inverse effect, suggesting that there is no dye retention in the modified material when no fibre-like structure remains. This behaviour was consistent with the physical and morphological appearances of the pretreated material, as demonstrated by scanning electron microscopy images, kink index and coarseness.

Description: Four sweet sorghum varieties, M81E, Sugar Drip, Top 76-6, and Umbrella, were sowed early in the years 2011 and 2012 in two experimental plots located in the Guatemalan Pacific lowlands within the sugarcane-producing region. Three harvests were done, a first cut and two consecutive ratoon crops. Stalk biomass, stalk sugar content, and proportions of individual sugars in the extracted juice were measured. Ethanol production employing simultaneous sugar extraction from stalk particles and fermentation by a commercial yeast strain was carried out in 2011 samples from the first harvest and second ratoon crop. Fresh stalk biomass productivity was the same for the first harvest and the first ratoon crop, but it was dependent on variety and site. The second ratoon crop diminished drastically without exception. Considering only two harvests per year, Top 76-6 had the best overall productivity with a rounded average of 47 Mg/ha/harvest, equivalent to 94 Mg/ha/year, and the higher sugar productivity, equal to 5,285 kg/ha/harvest or approximately 11 Mg/ha/year. Proportions of individual sugars at harvest varied among varieties, sites, and year, and three sample groups were identified by hierarchical clustering. An inverse correlation was found between stalk sugar content and the ratio between hexoses and sucrose at harvest, implying that the smaller the ratio, the higher the sugar content. Ethanol production was between 200 and 250 g/ethanol/kg of dry stem for Sugar Drip, Top 76-6, and Umbrella varieties for first harvest samples. The data for the second ratoon crop was lower for all varieties and sites. Ethanol productivity was higher for Umbrella and Top 76-6 and equal to approximately 2,500 L/ha/harvest.

Description: Cellulosic ethanol production was carried out using empty fruit bunches (EFB) via simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) method. The EFB was pretreated with alkaline treatment using 0.2 M of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution followed by mild acid hydrolysis using 3 % of sulfuric acid (H 2 SO 4 ), and enzymatic saccharification using derived cellulose, Trichoderma reesei prior to fermentation using Saccharomyces cerevisiae . Acid hydrolysis-pretreated samples shows the best substrates to be used in fermentation since it can produce the highest amount of glucose and highest percentage of saccharification with 5.3 mg/mL and 48 %, respectively. The EFB hydrolyzate obtained was subjected to fermentation under anaerobic condition. It was found that the highest ethanol yield was 0.42 mg/mL from acid hydrolyze sample. Optimization of SSF was conducted on filter paper unit (FPU), pH and mass loading effect for bioethanol production. Highest ethanol productions from cellulose (Avicel PH-101) are 3.1, 3.7, and 4.6 mg/mL using FPU 217, pH 4, and a 5.0-g cellulose loading accordingly.

Description: This paper summarises the long development work done at VTT for gas clean-up for various synthesis applications. The development work has covered the most challenging and costly steps in biomass gasification based processes: high-temperature gas filtration and reforming of hydrocarbon gases and tars. The tar content of product gas is one of the main factors defining the temperature window in which the hot-gas filter can be operated, which in the case of fluidized-bed gasification is at 350–500 °C. Research is ongoing to achieve higher and thus more economical operation temperatures. Optimal operation of a catalytic reformer can be achieved by using a staged reformer where zirconia-based catalysts are used as a pre-reformer layer before nickel and/or precious metal-based catalyst stages. The temperature of the reformer is optimally increased in subsequent stages from 600 up to 1,000 °C. According to the techno-economic analysis, increasing the hot-gas filtration temperature by 300 °C or methane conversion in the reformer from 55 to 95 % both lead to about 5 % reduction the liquid fuel production cost.

Description: In this study, different alternatives of bio-oil use are evaluated through life cycle assessment. Bio-oil is produced via fast pyrolysis of hybrid poplar and used as a fuel for cogeneration in a district heating plant, for co-combustion in a coal power plant, or as feedstock for its upgrading via hydrotreating in biorefineries. For the latter, two different configurations are assessed: one with the pyrolysis plant integrated in the biorefinery and another with several decentralized pyrolysis plants that deliver bio-oil to a central biorefinery. Process data are obtained by simulation in Aspen Plus®. The assessment follows an avoided burden approach, with all products of the processes replacing equivalent conventional products. Although the cogeneration option shows the highest life cycle energy savings, co-combustion in coal power plants (substituting coal) shows the best results in most of the assessed categories. The two biorefinery options generally score worse than direct combustion. When compared against each other, the main difference in their environmental impact arises from the use of the co-produced char, while transport distances have little influence. In order to assess the influence of the assumptions concerning the substituted products, alternative utilizations of the products are further investigated. The environmental performance of the assessed processes is found to be highly conditioned by the use assumed for the products.

Description:    A test apparatus enabling to determine the length of a fuel bridge over an opening was developed in order to describe the physical–mechanical fuel property of bridging. Two such testers were applied by six European partners who applied a uniform test procedure on a total of 85 large biomass fuel samples of 2 m 3 volume. All samples were further analysed for angle of repose, moisture content, bulk density and image analysis parameters (e.g. particle size distribution, particle shape factor and length/diameter ratio). The opening width (i.e. maximum bridge length) of all tested fuels ranged from 0.8 cm (grain kernels) to 99 cm (unchopped grass materials). For the developed test method, the mean coefficient of variation of the replications was between 5.4% (wood pellets) and 20% (sawdust). The also measured angle of repose showed no satisfying correlation to the opening width from the bridging tests. But other influencing parameters for bridging were regarded in a multiple linear regression model. It was shown that for wood samples (chips, hog fuel), the parameters mean particle size, mean particle shape factor and mean length/diameter ratio are highly capable of explaining or predicting any unfavourable bridging phenomena. In this model, there was no significant influence of bulk density in bridging. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Article Pages 1-13 DOI 10.1007/s13399-012-0033-7 Authors Stefan Hinterreiter, Technologie und Förderzentrum im Kompetenzzentrum für Nachwachsende Rohstoffe (TFZ), Schulgasse 18, 94315 Straubing, Germany Hans Hartmann, Technologie und Förderzentrum im Kompetenzzentrum für Nachwachsende Rohstoffe (TFZ), Schulgasse 18, 94315 Straubing, Germany Peter Turowski, Technologie und Förderzentrum im Kompetenzzentrum für Nachwachsende Rohstoffe (TFZ), Schulgasse 18, 94315 Straubing, Germany Journal Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery Online ISSN 2190-6823 Print ISSN 2190-6815

Description:    When a solid fuel particle is injected into a hot fluidized bed, the reactivity of fuel char in gasification reactions (between char carbon and steam and CO 2 ) plays a significant role for reaching a good carbon conversion. In this paper, the gasification reactivity data of some solid waste recovered fuels (SRF) obtained from thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) experiments is presented. Gas mixtures (H 2 O, H 2 , CO 2 , CO), were used in the experiments to find the inhibitive effects of CO and H 2 . Average char gasification reactivity values are determined from the TGA results. Kinetic parameters for char carbon gasification reactivity correlations are determined from this data. The Uniform Conversion model is used to account for the change of gasification reaction rate as function of carbon conversion. Some discrepancies, due to complicated ash–carbon interactions, are subjects of further research. In the carbon conversion predictor, laboratory measured reactivity numbers are converted into carbon conversion numbers in a real-scale fluidized bed gasifier. The predictor is a relatively simple and transparent tool for the comparison of the gasification reactivity of different fuels in fluidized bed gasification. The residence times for solid fuels in fluidized bed gasifiers are simulated. Simulations against some pilot-scale results show reasonable agreement. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Article Pages 1-10 DOI 10.1007/s13399-012-0038-2 Authors J. T. Konttinen, Department of Chemistry, Renewable Energy Programme, University of Jyväskylä, POB 35, FI-40014 Jyväskylä, Finland A. Moilanen, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, POB 1000, FI-02044 VTT Espoo, Finland N. DeMartini, Process Chemistry Centre, Combustion and Materials Chemistry, Abo Akademi University, Piispankatu 8, FI-20500 Turku, Finland M. Hupa, Process Chemistry Centre, Combustion and Materials Chemistry, Abo Akademi University, Piispankatu 8, FI-20500 Turku, Finland Journal Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery Online ISSN 2190-6823 Print ISSN 2190-6815

Description:    In this study, the influence of mean gas residence time in the bubbling fluidised bed, τ f , on the performance of a pilot scale 100 kW dual fluidised bed gasifier was experimentally investigated. In the experiments, inert greywacke river sand was used as the bed material, and wood pellets of radiata pine sawdust were used as the feedstock. The gasification temperature and the steam to biomass ratio were set at 730–750°C and 0.8 kg/kg dry , respectively. The τ f was varied using three different bed material inventories in the gasification reactor of 5.8, 9.1 and 12.1 kg with the corresponding τ f being calculated to be 0.16, 0.19 and 0.21 s, respectively. The results of this study show that the overall performance of the dual fluidised bed steam gasifier increased with τ f . The key findings are: (1) the total tar concentration in the producer gas was reduced by 24% (except C3 tar) with the τ f increasing from 0.16 to 0.21 s, thus the tar dew point decreased by 16°C, from 188°C to 172°C; (2) the carbon conversion rate and the cold gas efficiency increased by 8% and 3%, respectively, as the τ f was increased in the above range and (3) the water–gas shift reaction appeared to play a more important role with the increase of τ f . Content Type Journal Article Category Original Article Pages 1-9 DOI 10.1007/s13399-012-0036-4 Authors W. L. Saw, Department of Chemical and Process Engineering, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch, New Zealand S. S. Pang, Department of Chemical and Process Engineering, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch, New Zealand Journal Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery Online ISSN 2190-6823 Print ISSN 2190-6815

Description:    Synthetic natural gas (SNG) can be produced from biomass by thermochemical gasification and subsequent synthesis gas methanation and gas processing. For an industrial-scale process with high efficiency (up to 74 %; Rönsch et al. in VGB PowerTech 5:110–116, 2008 ), the large plant size is associated with a number of disadvantages such as a high biomass transportation volume and local environmental impacts. Small distributed SNG production units would minimize these negative aspects but are expected to cause lower efficiency. In order to show the potential of a small-scale SNG solution, different process chain configurations are simulated using Aspen Plus software. Combined heat and power generation via gasification and direct product gas conversion in a gas engine is compared to a SNG route, where the product gas is further cleaned, converted, and upgraded to SNG. Different gasification technologies (co-current fixed bed, countercurrent fixed bed, and dual fluidized bed) are evaluated. The SNG route is based on a dual fluidized bed gasification, subsequent methanation, and injection into the natural gas grid. As an outcome of the simulations, the efficiencies are calculated with special focus on heat integration and utilization. A maximized utilization of the released process heat results in a strong overall efficiency increase. Depending on the local heat utilization, gasification with subsequent methanation has an advantage compared to direct local power generation. The overall efficiency of the SNG option is found to be up to 73.9 %, which is within the range of the fluidized bed gasification option. The crucial factor for high efficiency, and thus for an economic operation, is the heat demand at the location. With even a small constant heat demand, the SNG solution becomes very competitive as some of the heat otherwise generated on-site is translated into chemical energy and carried to a power generation location elsewhere. It has been shown that SNG production subsequent of a small-scale fluidized bed gasifier can very well be efficient in both energetic and economic regards. The most important and crucial parameter is the heat utilization on-site and thus the local heat demand characteristics. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Article Pages 1-9 DOI 10.1007/s13399-012-0037-3 Authors Sebastian Fendt, Institute for Energy Systems, Technische Universität München, Boltzmannstr. 15, 85748 Garching, Germany Alexander Tremel, Institute for Energy Systems, Technische Universität München, Boltzmannstr. 15, 85748 Garching, Germany Matthias Gaderer, Institute for Energy Systems, Technische Universität München, Boltzmannstr. 15, 85748 Garching, Germany Hartmut Spliethoff, Institute for Energy Systems, Technische Universität München, Boltzmannstr. 15, 85748 Garching, Germany Journal Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery Online ISSN 2190-6823 Print ISSN 2190-6815

Description:    Biomass in general and solid biofuels in particular has gained increased attention as a renewable source of energy that can contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emission as well as the security of supply. Hence, it is increasingly used with an array of different technologies. These different conversion technologies are based on the principles of thermo-chemical conversion. Against this background, the goal of this paper is it to draw an overall picture of the differences and the dependencies of these different thermo-chemical conversion options. To achieve this aim, the influence of fuel composition related as well as process related parameters on the course and the products of the various thermo-chemical conversion processes are analysed and assessed in detail. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Article Pages 1-19 DOI 10.1007/s13399-011-0025-z Authors Annett Pollex, Deutsches BiomasseForschungsZentrum, Leipzig, Germany Andreas Ortwein, Deutsches BiomasseForschungsZentrum, Leipzig, Germany Martin Kaltschmitt, Hamburg University of Technology, Hamburg, Germany Journal Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery Online ISSN 2190-6823 Print ISSN 2190-6815

Description:    Biomass gasification with steam in a dual-fluidized bed gasifier (DFBG) was simulated with ASPEN Plus. From the model, the yield and composition of the syngas and the contents of tar and char can be calculated. The model has been evaluated against the experimental results measured on a 150 KWth Mid Sweden University (MIUN) DFBG. The model predicts that the content of char transferred from the gasifier to the combustor decreases from 22.5 wt.% of the dry and ash-free biomass at gasification temperature 750°C to 11.5 wt.% at 950°C, but is insensitive to the mass ratio of steam to biomass (S/B). The H 2 concentration is higher than that of CO under the normal DFBG operation conditions, but they will change positions when the gasification temperature is too high above about 950°C, or the S/B ratio is too low under about 0.15. The biomass moisture content is a key parameter for a DFBG to be operated and maintained at a high gasification temperature. The model suggests that the gasification temperature is difficult to be kept above 850°C when the biomass moisture content is higher than 15.0 wt.%. Thus, a certain amount of biomass needs to be added in the combustor to provide sufficient heat for biomass devolatilization and steam reforming. Tar content in the syngas can also be predicted from the model, which shows a decreasing trend of the tar with the gasification temperature and the S/B ratio. The tar content in the syngas decreases significantly with gasification residence time which is a key parameter. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Article Pages 1-10 DOI 10.1007/s13399-011-0030-2 Authors Jie He, Department of Natural Sciences, Engineering and Mathematics, Mid Sweden University, Härnösand, SE-87188 Sweden Kristina Göransson, Department of Natural Sciences, Engineering and Mathematics, Mid Sweden University, Härnösand, SE-87188 Sweden Ulf Söderlind, Department of Natural Sciences, Engineering and Mathematics, Mid Sweden University, Härnösand, SE-87188 Sweden Wennan Zhang, Department of Natural Sciences, Engineering and Mathematics, Mid Sweden University, Sundsvall, SE-85170 Sweden Journal Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery Online ISSN 2190-6823 Print ISSN 2190-6815

Description:    The conversion of palmitic and oleic acid as well as tall oil fatty acid was investigated in a fully continuous small scale fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) pilot plant. A conventional FCC zeolite catalyst was used. Experiments were performed in the range of 485–550°C. The highest gasoline yield of 44 wt.% was obtained from oleic acid at 550°C. Palmitic acid yielded the most cracking gas at 550°C with 43.9 wt.%. The obtained gasoline was practically oxygen-free at high octane numbers. Oxygen contained in the feed was mainly converted to water and small amounts of CO 2 . Gasoline aromaticity clearly increased with temperature. The formation of high boiling products was enhanced by the number of C=C double bonds in the fatty acids. Large amounts of propene and ethene were formed which are valuable reactants for the polymer industry. The lower price of fatty acids in comparison with fresh vegetable oils makes them an interesting feedstock for the FCC process. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Article Pages 1-9 DOI 10.1007/s13399-011-0027-x Authors Peter Bielansky, Vienna University of Technology, Institute for Chemical Engineering, Getreidemarkt 9/166, 1060 Vienna, Austria Alexander Weinert, Vienna University of Technology, Institute for Chemical Engineering, Getreidemarkt 9/166, 1060 Vienna, Austria Christoph Schönberger, Vienna University of Technology, Institute for Chemical Engineering, Getreidemarkt 9/166, 1060 Vienna, Austria Alexander Reichhold, Vienna University of Technology, Institute for Chemical Engineering, Getreidemarkt 9/166, 1060 Vienna, Austria Journal Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery Online ISSN 2190-6823 Print ISSN 2190-6815

Description:    Biomass contributes already with more than 10% to cover the global energy demand. This contribution will continue to grow in the years to come due to increasing fossil fuel prices and climate protection. To make this happen, additional sustainable biomass resources must become available to be used as a source of energy. Against this background, the goal of this paper is it to analyse the properties of Dichrostachys cinerea (Marabú) as an energy crop. The investigation shows that this wood is characterised by properties comparable with other types of woody biomass with a longer crop period. Only the ash content is slightly higher. In addition, the airborne emissions released during combustion are relatively low in general. Thus, wood from D. cinerea (Marabú) can be seen as a promising fuel. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Article Pages 1-11 DOI 10.1007/s13399-011-0026-y Authors Daniel Travieso Pedroso, University of Camaguey, Camaguey, Cuba Martin Kaltschmitt, Hamburg University of Technology, Hamburg, Germany Journal Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery Online ISSN 2190-6823 Print ISSN 2190-6815

Description:    Compared with other developed countries, Canada has “green” advantage, but its vast amounts of biomass from forest resources, agricultural sources, and municipal waste streams are not effectively utilized. Effective use of this available waste biomass would improve Canada’s ability to reduce toxic air emissions, greenhouse gas, and its dependence on oil while supporting agriculture and rural economies. One way of converting biomass to energy is gasification, a thermo-chemical process. Biomass energy already provides 5% of secondary energy use by the residential sector and 17% of energy use in the industrial sector in Canada. To meet upcoming energy requirements, bio-based fuels can replace conventional fuels in various sectors, however, the feasibility and viability of biomass energy depends on technological progress, economic incentives, and institutional developments. This report compares Canada’s annual fossil fuel use and biomass carbon yield, as well as their energy contents. Different types of gasifiers and essential factors for successful gasification such as feed stock properties, and pretreatment, gasifier-operating conditions, as well as problems associated with biomass gasification and syngas conditioning are discussed. Content Type Journal Article Category Review Article Pages 1-13 DOI 10.1007/s13399-011-0024-0 Authors Venkateswara Rao Surisetty, Faculty of Science and Engineering, York University, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, ON M3J 1P3, Canada Janusz Kozinski, Faculty of Science and Engineering, York University, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, ON M3J 1P3, Canada Ajay Kumar Dalai, Catalysis and Chemical Reaction Engineering Laboratories, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A9, Canada Journal Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery Online ISSN 2190-6823 Print ISSN 2190-6815

Description:    Biodiesel has been synthesized from used frying oil at room temperature (35°C) using NaOH and CH 3 ONa as homogeneous catalyst and methanol as reactant. Glycerol has been obtained as a by-product which comprised of impurities such as unreacted methanol, inorganic metals, and traces of triglycerides. The inorganic materials present in glycerol were adsorbed on the surface of activated carbon derived from rice husk. Glycerol is then acidified with 1.2 M H 2 SO 4 to form two layers. The upper layer comprised of free fatty acids, and the bottom layer comprised of a glycerol-rich layer. The bottom layer was decanted and neutralized with an aqueous solution of 10 M NaOH and heated at 110°C for 2.5 h to remove the residual water in the glycerol. Further extraction of glycerol with ethanol gives glycerol of high purity. For removal of ethanol from the glycerol, the solution was heated up to 80°C for 30 min. The purity of glycerol was verified by analysis on 13 C-NMR. The upper free fatty acid layer is confirmed with the help of the treatment of this layer with base solution (NaOH) to give soap. Formation of soap is confirmed with the help of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Article Pages 1-9 DOI 10.1007/s13399-011-0028-9 Authors Yogesh C. Sharma, Department of Applied Chemistry, Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, 221 005 India Bhaskar Singh, Department of Applied Chemistry, Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, 221 005 India Shweta Agrawal, Department of Applied Chemistry, Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, 221 005 India Journal Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery Online ISSN 2190-6823 Print ISSN 2190-6815

Description:    Non-edible oils represent one of the most viable alternative feed stocks for the production of large volumes of biodiesel at cheaper cost in tropical countries. The objective of the present study is to investigate the ability of the immobilized whole cells of Rhizopus oryzae MTCC 262 to catalyze the biodiesel production from karanja oil in n -hexane system. Response surface methodology was employed to evaluate the effects of synthesis parameters, such as molar ratio of oil to alcohol, reaction temperature and reaction time on percentage biodiesel (methyl esters) yield. Transesterification was performed in shake flasks containing immobilized cells in the reaction mixture with 10% oil weight of n -hexane. The quadratic effects of molar ratio of oil to alcohol and reaction time proved to be the significant at 1% and 5% levels, respectively. The optimum synthesis conditions were found to be: molar ratio of oil to alcohol 1:2.73, reaction temperature 41.39°C and reaction time 73.97 h. Biodiesel yield (methyl ester) was 75.98 (wt.%) under the optimal conditions and the subsequent verification experiments with biodiesel yield of 78.0 (wt.%) confirmed the validity of the proposed model. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Article Pages 1-10 DOI 10.1007/s13399-011-0029-8 Authors Devanesan Ganesan, Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Biochemical Engineering Laboratory, Annamalai University, 608 002 Annamalai Nagar, Tamil Nadu, India Aravindan Rajendran, Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Biochemical Engineering Laboratory, Annamalai University, 608 002 Annamalai Nagar, Tamil Nadu, India Viruthagiri Thangavelu, Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Biochemical Engineering Laboratory, Annamalai University, 608 002 Annamalai Nagar, Tamil Nadu, India Journal Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery Online ISSN 2190-6823 Print ISSN 2190-6815

Description: In this work, a process design and an economic and environmental analysis for a biorefinery based on an exotic fruit as copoazu was performed. The whole copoazu fruit was used as feedstock for a multiproduct biorefinery such as pasteurized pulp, antioxidant extract, biofertilizer, biogas, oil seed, essential oil, ethanol, and polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB). Three scenarios with mass integration were evaluated at different levels of energy integration. The first scenario did not consider energy integration, whereas the second scenario considered energy integration. Finally, in the third scenario, energetic integration plus cogeneration were analyzed. The total economic margin in the best configuration (scenario 3) was 13.21 %. The potential environmental impact is decreased not only by the energy integration but also by using solid residues for energy cogeneration to produce steam. Simulations included the composition of copoazu fruit, which was determined experimentally. Finally, a biorefinery based on copoazu could be considered as an opportunity to promote rural development with the participation of small-scale producers as feedstock suppliers.

Description: In the work reported here, baker’s yeast ( Saccharomyces cerevisiae ), used yeast, and apple pomace were used as feed for the production of liquid biofuels in a continuous one-step process under hydrothermal conditions in the presence of excess hydrogen and K 2 CO 3 . The biomass conversion experiments were performed in an up-flow reactor under near-critical water conditions ( T 330–450 °C, p 20–32 MPa). The products consisted of three phases: an oil-like organic phase, a gaseous phase, and an aqueous phase. Higher concentrations of organic carbon in the process resulted in a higher product yield. The heating value of the organic phase was up to 37.6 MJ kg −1 . Liquefaction of yeast without any addition of K 2 CO 3 also resulted in liquid oil, but the quality and the yield of the oil product were lower. The use of K 2 CO 3 catalyst provides significant effect on the apple pomace conversion process. The carbon mass yield ranged from 270 to 400 g kg −1 . Our older statement that the reaction of temperature of 400 °C is optimal for the oil yield and quality has been confirmed with the present new experimental results.

Description: In this paper, the current status of amino acid extraction from animal waste biomass and reducing sugar from plant waste biomass by hydrolysis in subcritical and supercritical water was reviewed. The properties of subcritical and supercritical water, reactor systems, reaction kinetics, reaction mechanism, and effects of different factors (temperature, time, and catalyst) on yield were summarized. Subcritical and supercritical water hydrolysis is a biorefinery approach for both protein and sugar—one treatment. Hydrolysis at subcritical and supercritical conditions may provide an efficient process for recovering useful chemicals from biomass wastes and for the disposal of biomass wastes.

Description: Enzymatic hydrolysis is one of the key steps in biofuel production from lignocellulosic material. High consistency of biomass slurry in the hydrolysis step improves the economics and energy efficiency of biofuel processes. However, it has been shown that the high consistency also decreases the hydrolysis yield and affects the rheology of hydrolysis slurry. In this study, mixing related effects on the hydrolysis of old corrugated cardboard have been studied in two different scales. Results from small pressure tube scale studies show that the dosing order of enzyme and substrate (16 % ( w / v )) affect both hydrolysis rate and yield. The best result was achieved by the addition of all enzyme to dilute hydrolysis slurry with subsequent stepwise addition of the substrate (52.8 ± 1.2 % yield). The highest initial rate was achieved by adding the enzyme into the vessel before substrate. Further studies in a scale of a stirred-tank reactor showed that enzyme addition before substrate is advantageous mainly due to the mixing behavior of hydrolysis slurry at high substrate consistencies (〉15 % ( w / v )). The dosing of substrate before enzyme resulted in thick slurry that could not be kept in full motion within the first hours of hydrolysis. Full motion was reached by the dosing of the enzyme before substrate followed by the dosing of substrate within an hour after the enzyme. The effect of the dosing order on hydrolysis yield at high consistency in the studied reactor scale is negligible.

Description: Biodiesel production from non-edible oils has become one of the most crucial areas in search for renewable fuels due to rapid depletion of fossil fuels and food versus fuel issues. Aleurites trisperma , a tree species belonging to Euphorbiaceae family yields about 25–30-kg seeds per tree per year during July–August. Seeds contain about 38–40 % oil which is rich in nervonic acid. The oil is highly viscous (100.2 mm 2 /s) with high content of free fatty acids (7.14 %). Biodiesel production has been carried out adopting a two stage process, involving acid esterification and alkali catalyzed transesterification. Transesterification using 1:6 oil to methanol molar ratio at 60 °C for 60 min was optimum with maximum conversion of 96.62 %, indicating this tree oil as a potential non-edible source for biodiesel production.

Description: An internal reformer is developed for in situ catalytic reforming of tar and methane (CH 4 ) in allothermal gasifiers. The study has been performed in the 150 kW dual fluidised bed (DFB) biomass gasifier at Mid Sweden University (MIUN). The MIUN gasifier is built for research on synthetic fuel production. Reduction of tars and CH 4 (except for methanation application) in the syngas is a major challenge for commercialization of biomass fluidised-bed gasification technology towards automotive fuel production. The MIUN gasifier has a unique design with an internal reformer, where intensive contact of gas and catalytic solids improves the reforming reactions. This paper presents an initial study on the internal reformer operated with and without Ni-catalytic pellets, by evaluation of the syngas composition and tar/CH 4 content. A novel application of Ni-catalyst in DFB gasifiers is proposed and studied in this work. It can be concluded that the reformer with Ni-catalytic pellets clearly gives a higher H 2 content together with lower CH 4 and tar contents in the syngas than the reformer without Ni-catalytic pellets. The gravimetric tar content decreases down to 5 g/m 3 and the CH 4 content down below 6 % in the syngas. The tar content can be decreased further to lower levels, with increased gas contact to the specific surface area of the catalyst and increased catalyst surface-to-volume ratio. The new design in the MIUN gasifier increases the gasification efficiency, suppresses the tar generation and upgrades the syngas quality.

Description: For environmental reasons, the use of biokerosene as a fuel for aviation has been recently discussed more frequently especially due the fact that some air carrier accomplished regular flights with different types of such alternative fuels. Against this background, the overall goal of this paper is to provide an overview about possible conversion routes for the provision of biokerosene including an assessment of the biomass availability. Then, selected biokerosene production options are discussed in detail from a process engineering point of view. Based on these data, various conversion pathways are assessed, taking technical and economic criteria throughout the overall conversion chain into consideration. The assessment shows significant differences within the various provision routes for biokerosene. So far, only hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids (HEFA) kerosene is commercially available. Nevertheless, this possibility is not the very best choice regarding the possible feedstock and the high hydrogen consumption. Despite the biogas-to-liquid (Bio-GtL) process, all other routes need more R&D efforts to produce biokerosene in an industrial scale.

Description: The thermal properties affected by particle size of microbial cell were investigated by the simultaneous thermogravimetry (TG) and differential thermal analysis (DTA). The particle size, which could affect the heat evolved, occurred from the combustion of the microbial cells. The model microorganism used in this study is Nostoc , a genus of flamentous, heterocystous, and cyanobacteria, known as a freshwater microalga, which can accumulate a large amount of lipid in the cell. As a result, the marked difference in heat energy between the different particle sizes of microbial sample was detected in the temperature range from 310 to 351 °C. So, the two-step linear temperature program is used for resolving the overlapping exothermic peaks in the DTA curves in the temperature range from 310 to 315 °C. The heat evolved from 45 μm-sized particle sample in this temperature range was 3.78 ± 0.19 kJ/g which was 1.1- to 1.4-fold greater than those from the other particle size samples. The heat evolved occurred in 310–351 °C was inversely proportional to the particle size of dried microbial cells. In conclusion, exothermic heat per dry sample mass (kJ/g) in the temperature range from 310 to 351 °C is highly dependent on the particle size of dried microbial cell.

Description: This paper presents an overview of the main challenges in the production of biodiesel. Whereas the cost of biodiesel is determined for about 85 % by the cost of the raw material and that the most employed feedstock are oils used also for nutrition, it seems obvious that it is necessary to search for nonedible feedstock with low cost for the production of biodiesel. The choice of feedstock is based on variables such as the oil yield, local availability, cost, and government support. Feedstocks with higher oil yields are more preferable in the biodiesel industry because they can reduce the production cost. In Brazil, approximately 80 % of the biodiesel produced is made from soybean despite of its low oil content (18–21 %). The leadership of soybeans as feedstock for biodiesel production is explained by the increasing demand for more protein meal. Coconut and babassu with more oil yield respectively with 62 and 60 % of oil content are likely substitutes for soybean. Castor bean, despite of its high oil content (50 %) and advantages, such as low production cost and its resistance to hydric stress, has some difficulties to meet the ANP regulations, mainly due to its high viscosity. However, castor bean biodiesel-diesel blends of up to 40 % are within specifications. Yield per hectare is another factor that should be considered in the choice of raw material for the production of biodiesel. Among the various oilseeds, oil palm deserves to be highlighted as the most productive.

Description: A novel magnetic biochar was obtained via pyrolysis of Fe(NO 3 ) 3 -impregnated spent shiitake substrate (SSS). The product was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), N 2 -adsorption, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis. The pyrolysis process was investigated by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and XRD, and the pyrolysis kinetic was analyzed via Coats-Redfern method. Experimental results demonstrated that the magnetic FeO·Fe 2 O 3 crystals and porous char structure were effectively formed via pyrolysis, and the magnetic biochar had a saturation magnetization value of 20.83 emu/g. The product had a surface area of 177 m 2 /g and a total pore volume of 0.188 cm 3 /g, respectively, and it consisted basically of micropores with diameter of 1.5 nm and mesopores with diameter between 2 and 10 nm. Moreover, Fe can decrease the thermal stability of SSS, and the magnetic crystals were mainly formed between the temperature region of 420 and 530 °C. In addition, the activation energy needed to break down the structure of SSS was lowered by 12.12 kJ/mol with the presence of Fe.

Description: In this work, the experimental performance of sorption-enhanced reforming using limestone as bed material, which is used in raw iron production, is presented. Steam gasification of solid biomass by sorption-enhanced reforming process (SER) leads to product gas with high hydrogen content and low tar content. The product gas can be used for a wide range of applications. This includes heat and electricity production, synthetic fuels, and other downstream processes. On the basis of dual fluidized bed steam gasification of biomass (dual fluid gasification), a reactive bed material is used to enhance the formation of hydrogen. Blast furnaces in iron production operate on the principle of chemical reduction, whereby carbon monoxide and hydrogen reduce the iron to its elemental form. The present paper summarizes the results of an experimental investigation into SER with limestone usually used as a part of iron production. The illustrated results reflect the operation of sorption-enhanced reforming within an experimental facility at the Vienna University of Technology.

Description:    This paper evaluates the production of free fatty acids (FFAs) from waste oil by means of low-frequency high-intensity ultrasound application under atmospheric pressure. To evaluate the potential of this technology, the reaction between waste palm oil and ethanol was carried out. Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to evaluate the influence of alcohol-to-oil weight ratio, potassium hydroxide-to-oil weight ratio, and temperature on the yield of waste oil into FFA. Analysis of the operating conditions by RSM showed that the most important operating conditions affecting the reaction were ethanol-to-oil weight ratio and potassium hydroxide-to-oil weight ratio. The highest yield observed was of 97.3 % after 45 min of reaction. The best operating condition was obtained by applying an ethanol-to-oil weight ratio of 2.4, a potassium hydroxide-to-oil weight ratio of 0.3, and temperature of 60 °C. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Article Pages 1-7 DOI 10.1007/s13399-012-0056-0 Authors Larissa P. Lima, Departamento de Engenharia Quimica, Universidade Federal do Ceara, Campus do Pici, Bloco 709, 60455-760 Fortaleza, CE, Brazil Francisco F. P. Santos, Departamento de Engenharia Quimica, Universidade Federal do Ceara, Campus do Pici, Bloco 709, 60455-760 Fortaleza, CE, Brazil Enio Costa, Departamento de Engenharia Quimica, Universidade Federal do Ceara, Campus do Pici, Bloco 709, 60455-760 Fortaleza, CE, Brazil Fabiano A. N. Fernandes, Departamento de Engenharia Quimica, Universidade Federal do Ceara, Campus do Pici, Bloco 709, 60455-760 Fortaleza, CE, Brazil Journal Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery Online ISSN 2190-6823 Print ISSN 2190-6815

Description:    Sugarcane is being used for centuries as a feedstock for sugar production, and all breeding programs around the world are producing new varieties with the objective to improve the sucrose yield per hectare, among other properties. In Brazil, ethanol became a significant coproduct of sugar mills more than a century ago and the first mandate to blend ethanol in the gasoline dates back to 1931. Toward the end of the of twentieth century, many countries, including Brazil, Mauritius and Reunion Islands, Guatemala, and India, started to generate significant amounts of surplus electricity, and this practice is becoming a trend for new sugar/ethanol mills. With this changing picture of the sugarcane industry, some specialists in the sector started to look at sugarcane as an energy feedstock rather than a food feedstock in such a way that other characteristics related to total primary energy content became important quality parameters. The second point is how efficiently this primary energy is converted to useful energy products (ethanol and surplus electricity). Now, from the energy viewpoint, not only the sucrose but also the fibers in the cane are important quality parameters. Taking the Brazilian average conditions, the primary energy content of sugarcane is around 7,400 MJ/tonne of cane or 510 GJ/ha/year, and in an average distillery, less than 30 % of it is converted into useful energy products. This work analyzes the present situation of the Brazilian sugarcane industry focused on the production of energy products and evaluates areas for improvements and new cane breeding goals for an energy-minded industry. The impacts of these improvements in the primary energy conversion efficiency will be estimated, and the barriers for maximum recovery will be pointed out. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Article Pages 1-10 DOI 10.1007/s13399-012-0055-1 Authors Manoel Regis L. V. Leal, Brazilian Bioethanol Science and Technology Laboratory, Rua Guiseppe Máximo Scolfaro, 10.000, Campinas, SP, Brazil 13083-970 Arnaldo Silva Walter, Brazilian Bioethanol Science and Technology Laboratory, Rua Guiseppe Máximo Scolfaro, 10.000, Campinas, SP, Brazil 13083-970 Joaquim E. A. Seabra, Brazilian Bioethanol Science and Technology Laboratory, Rua Guiseppe Máximo Scolfaro, 10.000, Campinas, SP, Brazil 13083-970 Journal Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery Online ISSN 2190-6823 Print ISSN 2190-6815

Description:    The European Union has set a 10 % target for the share of renewable energy in the transportation sector for 2020. To reach this target, second generation biofuels from, for example, forest residues are expected to replace around 3 % of the transport fossil fuel consumption. However, forest residues could also be utilised in the heat and electricity sectors where large amounts of fossil fuels can be replaced, thus reducing global fossil CO 2 emissions. This study investigates the use of forest residues for second generation biofuel (ethanol or methanol) or combined heat and power (CHP) production at the European level, with focus on the influence of different economic policy instruments, such as carbon cost or biofuel policy support. A techno-economic, geographically explicit optimisation model is used. The model determines the optimal locations of bioenergy conversion plants by minimising the cost of the entire supply chain. The results show that in order to reach a 3 % second generation biofuel share, a biofuel support comparable to today’s tax exemptions would be needed. With a carbon cost applied, most available forest residues would be allocated to CHP production, with a substantial resulting CO 2 emission reduction potential. The major potential for woody biomass and biofuel production is found in the region around the Baltic Sea, with Italy as one of the main biofuel importers. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Article Pages 1-14 DOI 10.1007/s13399-012-0054-2 Authors Elisabeth Wetterlund, Division of Energy Systems, Department of Management and Engineering, Linköping University, 581 83 Linköping, Sweden Sylvain Leduc, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), 2361 Laxenburg, Austria Erik Dotzauer, School of Sustainable Development of Society and Technology, Mälardalen University, P.O. Box 883, 721 23 Västerås, Sweden Georg Kindermann, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), 2361 Laxenburg, Austria Journal Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery Online ISSN 2190-6823 Print ISSN 2190-6815

Description:    Commercial-grade limestone used in whitewashing which is a low-cost material has been used as a catalyst for the synthesis of fatty acid methyl esters. The catalyst was characterized by differential thermal analysis/thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy for the study of its physicochemical nature. The catalyst was calcined at 900 °C for 2.5 h for the decomposition of calcium carbonate to calcium oxide. The catalyst was further activated by dissolving 1.5 wt% of catalyst in 30 ml methanol (7.5:1, methanol to used frying oil molar ratio) and stirred at 25 °C for 1 h on a magnetic stirrer. The transesterification reaction was performed using calcium oxide as a catalyst and then with the “activated calcium oxide.” The conversion obtained was 94.4 % with calcium oxide and was found to be lower for the “activated calcium oxide” (i.e., 87.36 %). The conversion increased to 96.8 % on increasing the catalyst amount to 2.0 wt% in 5 h. A high yield (〉95 %) of fatty acid methyl esters was observed when either calcium oxide or “activated calcium oxide” was taken as catalyst. The catalytic activity of calcium oxide obtained from low-grade limestone has been found to be comparable with the laboratory-grade CaO. Content Type Journal Article Category Original Article Pages 1-8 DOI 10.1007/s13399-012-0052-4 Authors Shweta Agrawal, Department of Applied Chemistry, Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, 221 005 India Bhaskar Singh, Department of Applied Chemistry, Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, 221 005 India Amado Enrique N. Frómeta, Universidad Tecnológica de Izúcar de Matamoros, Puebla, Mexico Yogesh C. Sharma, Department of Applied Chemistry, Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, 221 005 India Journal Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery Online ISSN 2190-6823 Print ISSN 2190-6815

Description: Globally, due to rising mobility in the future, the fuel demand will continue to increase significantly. Thus, in addition to other options, like efficiency increase, traffic reduction and relocation of transportation tasks as well as electro mobility, biofuels are strongly required to cover at least part of the expected additional fuel consumption in the years to come. But the respective options are controversially discussed. Thus, for benchmarking different biofuel options and concepts, a methodical approach for the technical, economic and environmental analysis and evaluation of future biofuel concepts has been developed. This easily transferable multi-criteria approach is based on technical development prospects along the overall fuel supply chain and applied for selected biofuel options (i.e. ethanol, Fischer-Tropsch diesel, synthetic natural gas) based on lignocelluloses' biomass (i.e. willow as short rotation crop) provided in Central Europe. For each of these investigated biofuel options, reference concepts are developed relevant for the short, medium and long term taking into account detectible technical development prospects. They are analysed and evaluated according to selected technical, economic and environmental parameters. Finally, an overall assessment is done for all concepts.

Description: Lignocellulosic biomass such as corn stover can contain high ash content, which may act as an inhibitor in downstream conversion processes. Most of the structural ash in biomass is located in the cross-linked structure of lignin, which is mildly reactive in basic solutions. Four organic acids (formic, oxalic, tartaric, and citric) were evaluated for effectiveness in ash reduction, with limited success. Because of sodium citrate’s chelating and basic characteristics, it is effective in ash removal. More than 75 % of structural and 85 % of whole ash was removed from the biomass by treatment with 0.1 g of sodium citrate per gram of biomass at 130 °C and 2.7 bar. FTIR, fiber analysis, and chemical analyses show that cellulose and hemicellulose were unaffected by the treatment. ICP–AES showed that all inorganics measured were reduced within the biomass feedstock, except sodium due to the addition of Na through the treatment. Sodium citrate addition to the preconversion process of corn stover is an effective way to reduced physiological ash content of the feedstock without negatively impacting carbohydrate and lignin content.

Description: Hydrothermal treatment can be used for the on-farm processing of lignocellulosic materials. This study investigated the hydrothermal treatment of sweet sorghum bagasse (SSB) powder for the extraction of hemicellulose from it. Changes in chemical composition of SSB and the formation of sugars and hydrolytic products were studied. The optimum conditions of 12.54 % (g/g) substrate concentration and 90 min of isothermal treatment residence time at 394 K were conducive to the extraction of 72.61–72.77 % hemicellulose and producing a hydrolysate containing 56.06–63.54 g/L reducing sugars and 5.52–6.80 g/L furfurals. The treated SSB residue contained about 56.30–56.42 % (g/g) cellulose and 31.40–31.43 % (g/g) lignin in it. The substrate concentration and isothermal treatment residence time were significant in the responses observed.

Description: Bio-oil and bio-char were produced from potato peel waste (PPW) and PPW fermentation residue (PPW-FR) using a laboratory-scale auger pyrolyzer at 450 °C. Proximate and ultimate analyses of the feedstock materials PPW and PPW-FR were determined. The bio-oils were fractionated and analyzed by gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). The bio-chars were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and butane activity (BA) measurement. The PPW and PPW-FR bio-oils had a relatively high level of lipid and suberin-derived compounds as compared with hybrid poplar (HP) pyrolysis bio-oil. The BA measurement also suggested that PPW and PPW-FR bio-chars have better adsorption performances than HP bio-char.