scholarly journals Recent Advances in Thermochemical Conversion of Biomass

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meegalla R. Chandraratne ◽  
Asfaw G. Daful

The chapter focuses on recent trends of biomass conversion into valuable energy, chemicals, gaseous and liquid fuels. Biomass is presently the largest source of renewable energy and the primary bioenergy resource in the world. A comprehensive discussion on different types, sources and compositions of biomass is presented. The most abundant biomass on the earth is lignocellulose and it represents a major carbon source for chemical compounds and biofuels. The chapter presents a thorough review of lignocellulosic biomass and the importance of biomass as a renewable source. It then reviews biomass classification and composition. It introduces the analysis of biomass feedstock. Biomass is converted to energy, chemicals and clean fuels using various conversion techniques such as thermochemical, chemical and biochemical. The chapter provides a thorough examination of thermochemical conversion processes that use high temperatures to break down the bonds of organic matter. It briefly introduces combustion and gasification, followed by a comprehensive review of different pyrolysis techniques.

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (2S8) ◽  
pp. 1803-1805

In recent trends, most of the countries in the world are switching over to renewable source of energy instead of conventional sources of energy. Bio gas is one of the most used source of renewable energy. Bio gas is clean and renewable energy source.Due to the changes in environment condition by burning of fossil fuels and others this has led to the development of Eco friendly practises. the one we are talking about is bio gas which is Eco friendly and can be produced easily just by using vegetable waste, rice, cow dung and the bio gas can be used for our day to day activities. In this review paper we are discussing about the various type’s production and purification sources of Bio Gas.


Author(s):  
Noor Mohammad Osmani ◽  
Tawfique Al-Mubarak

Samuel Huntington (1927-2008) claimed that there would be seven eight civilizations ruling over the world in the coming centuries, thus resulting a possible clash among them. The West faces the greatest challenge from the Islamic civilization, as he claimed. Beginning from the Cold-War, the Western civilization became dominant in reality over other cultures creating an invisible division between the West and the rest. The main purpose of this research is to examine the perceived clash between the Western and Islamic Civilization and the criteria that lead a civilization to precede others. The research would conduct a comprehensive review of available literatures from both Islamic and Western perspectives, analyze historical facts and data and provide a critical evaluation. This paper argues that there is no such a strong reason that should lead to any clash between the West and Islam; rather, there are many good reasons that may lead to a peaceful coexistence and cultural tolerance among civilizations


Author(s):  
Ahmed I. Osman ◽  
Neha Mehta ◽  
Ahmed M. Elgarahy ◽  
Amer Al-Hinai ◽  
Ala’a H. Al-Muhtaseb ◽  
...  

AbstractThe global energy demand is projected to rise by almost 28% by 2040 compared to current levels. Biomass is a promising energy source for producing either solid or liquid fuels. Biofuels are alternatives to fossil fuels to reduce anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. Nonetheless, policy decisions for biofuels should be based on evidence that biofuels are produced in a sustainable manner. To this end, life cycle assessment (LCA) provides information on environmental impacts associated with biofuel production chains. Here, we review advances in biomass conversion to biofuels and their environmental impact by life cycle assessment. Processes are gasification, combustion, pyrolysis, enzymatic hydrolysis routes and fermentation. Thermochemical processes are classified into low temperature, below 300 °C, and high temperature, higher than 300 °C, i.e. gasification, combustion and pyrolysis. Pyrolysis is promising because it operates at a relatively lower temperature of up to 500 °C, compared to gasification, which operates at 800–1300 °C. We focus on 1) the drawbacks and advantages of the thermochemical and biochemical conversion routes of biomass into various fuels and the possibility of integrating these routes for better process efficiency; 2) methodological approaches and key findings from 40 LCA studies on biomass to biofuel conversion pathways published from 2019 to 2021; and 3) bibliometric trends and knowledge gaps in biomass conversion into biofuels using thermochemical and biochemical routes. The integration of hydrothermal and biochemical routes is promising for the circular economy.


2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-36
Author(s):  
Raquel P. F. Guiné ◽  
Paula Correia ◽  
Catarina Coelho ◽  
Cristina A. Costa

Abstract This review is focused on the utilization of insects as a new opportunity in food and feed products, including their commercialization both in traditional and new markets. It has been suggested that insects are considerably more sustainable when compared with other sources of animal protein, thus alleviating the pressure over the environment and the planet facing the necessity to feed the world population, constantly increasing. Many chefs have adhered to the trend of using insects in their culinary preparations, bringing insects to the plan of top gastronomy, highlighting their organoleptic qualities allied to a recognized high nutritional value. However, in some markets, insects or insect-based products are not readily accepted because of neophobia and disgust. Moreover, the insect markets, farming, and commercialization are experiencing a huge growth, in which the domain of animal feed is undoubtedly a very strong component. The future of insects as human food and animal feed seems promising in view of the recent trends and challenges.


Author(s):  
Roger A. Sheldon

This paper is based on a lecture presented to the Royal Society in London on 24 June 2019. Two of the grand societal and technological challenges of the twenty-first century are the ‘greening' of chemicals manufacture and the ongoing transition to a sustainable, carbon neutral economy based on renewable biomass as the raw material, a so-called bio-based economy. These challenges are motivated by the need to eliminate environmental degradation and mitigate climate change. In a bio-based economy, ideally waste biomass, particularly agricultural and forestry residues and food supply chain waste, are converted to liquid fuels, commodity chemicals and biopolymers using clean, catalytic processes. Biocatalysis has the right credentials to achieve this goal. Enzymes are biocompatible, biodegradable and essentially non-hazardous. Additionally, they are derived from inexpensive renewable resources which are readily available and not subject to the large price fluctuations which undermine the long-term commercial viability of scarce precious metal catalysts. Thanks to spectacular advances in molecular biology the landscape of biocatalysis has dramatically changed in the last two decades. Developments in (meta)genomics in combination with ‘big data’ analysis have revolutionized new enzyme discovery and developments in protein engineering by directed evolution have enabled dramatic improvements in their performance. These developments have their confluence in the bio-based circular economy. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘Science to enable the circular economy'.


1981 ◽  
Vol 61 (2) ◽  
pp. 185-201 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. A. VAN VEEN ◽  
E. A. PAUL

The decomposition rates of 14C-labelled plant residues in different parts of the world were characterized and mathematically simulated. The easily decomposable materials, cellulose and hemicellulose, were described as being decomposed directly by the soil biomass; the lignin fraction of aboveground residues and the resistant portion of the roots entered a decomposable native soil organic matter. Here it could be decomposed by the soil biomass or react with other soil constituents in the formation of more recalcitrant soil organic matter. The transformation rates were considered to be independent of biomass size (first–order). Data from 14C plant residue incorporation studies which yielded net decomposition rates of added materials and from carbon dating of the recalcitrant soil organic matter were transformed to gross decomposition rate constants for three soil depths. The model adequately described soil organic matter transformations under native grassland and the effect of cultivation on organic matter levels. Correction for microbial growth and moisture and temperature variations showed that the rate of wheat straw decomposition, based on a full year in the field in southern Saskatchewan, was 0.05 that under optimal laboratory conditions. The relative decay rates for plant residues during the summer months of the North American Great Plains was 0.1 times that of the laboratory. Comparison with data from other parts of the world showed an annual relative rate of 0.12 for straw decomposition in England, whereas gross decomposition rates in Nigeria were 0.5 those of laboratory rates. Both the decomposable and recalcitrant organic matter were found to be affected by the extent of physical protection within the soil. The extent of protection was simulated and compared to data from experimental studies on the persistence of 14C-labelled amino acids in soil. The extent of protection influenced the steady-state levels of soil carbon upon cultivation more than did the original decomposition rates of the plant residues.


2003 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 193-208 ◽  
Author(s):  
HENRY Y. H. ZHAO

The 25 years of the post-Mao era of Chinese fiction is divided into two distinct stages: the pre-1989 period, and the post-1989 period. If this division is true about almost everything else in China, it is especially true with literature. This is because literature had been used as a lethal weapon for political struggle by Mao before and during his regime, and this tradition, though strongly challenged in the post-Mao era, still lingers, though in very different forms now and much watered down. Even the recent trends of art for art's sake, or for the sake of entertainment, or for the sake of religious consciousness, could also be read as political gestures, and are indeed treated as such by Chinese literary officialdom, and also by Western China experts. Despite the fact that Chinese fiction has been highly politicized, this paper will examine, as much as possible, the development of fiction as an art. Only the artistic quality can support my argument that recent novels from China deserve not only more scholarly attention but also more reader appreciation than they have hitherto received around the world.


2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 225-228
Author(s):  
Amar Nath Singh ◽  

The Rudraksha beads are traditionally used as prayer beads in Hinduism (especially Shaivism) throughout India. Apart from the religious importance, medicinal, bio-magnetic and electrical properties of the Rudraksha beads have also been reported. This commodity is in high demand from the devotees across the world. Therefore, this is in trade throughout the country and abroad. The recent trends in import and export of Rudraksha beads in India have been described in the present article, considering scant publications on this aspect.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 1493-1504
Author(s):  
Bharatlal Sain ◽  
Manohar M ◽  
Gowda D V

Anti-microbial resistance (AMR) is the ability of a microbe to resist the effect of antibiotics. It has become the most important cause of concern throughout the world. AMR may develop a variety of mechanisms, including resistance, weakness or due to a certain therapeutic failure. The three major causes of resistance were identified to be over usage of anti-microbials, over-prescription, increased agricultural usage. The mechanism which leads to the development of AMR were found to be Metabolic Inactive Persister cells biofilm formation, Swarming, Obligate intracellular microbes, Reduced uptake and efflux pumps, Modification of the antibiotic binding site, Production of competitive inhibitors. Research is still being carried out and few methods successfully  delay or inhibit the progress of Resistance namely: Photodynamic therapy, which works on the principle of photosensitization, results in formation of ROS which destroy pathogenic cells, Vaccines, which strengthen the defence system to fight against foreign microorganisms efficiently, Antibiotic adjuvants, work by inhibiting any kind of mechanism related to the resistance increasing the drug’s antibacterial efficiency, Nano antibiotics which acts by interfering with the mechanisms for the development of the resistance and microfluidics give a better understanding of the bacteria and its superior antimicrobial susceptibility testing. Hence, in this review the above mechanisms of antimicrobial resistance as well the latest AMR combating strategies are been discussed.


2015 ◽  
pp. 54-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. G. Varekhov ◽  
O. V. Smirnov

The article reviews the world experience of technological diversification in the fuel hydrocarbons production sphere. It is shown that the lost classical technologies, such as coals destructive hydrogenation and coals gasification, are reviving on a new technology basis. Some technological methods of receiving liquid fuels from biomass of various origin are analyzed. The technological schemes of production of biofuels of three generations using a natural vegetable material, various productions wastes, as well as biomass of water organisms as a carbon source are presented. The estimation was made of production outputs and costs of synthetic fuels (dimethyl ether, biodimethyl ether, biodiesel, gasoline and others). The conditions for development of biofuel technologies were formulated.


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