Title:
Characterization of Canadian Lignocellulosic Biomass for Next Generation Biofuels- Butanol
Author(s):
Nanda, S., Dalai, A.K., Kozinski, J.
Document(s):
Paper
Abstract:
The use of lignocellulosic biomass as a renewable energy source is becoming progressively essential to address the mitigation of global warming and promote the utilization of sustainable energy supply. Biomass is a complex heterogeneous mixture of key structural organic components such as cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin along with accessory organic and inorganic composites. The primary aspect in using biomass for fuel is to understand its basic composition and properties. The current study emphasizes on some commonly available forestry and herbaceous biomass in Canada such as pinewood, timothy grass and wheat straw for their usage towards next generation biofuels. The biomasses were investigated for physicochemical and biochemical characteristics through CHNS, ICP-MS, FTIR and Raman spectroscopy, TG/DTG, XRD and HPLC analyses. Cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin with other organic components were identified in the spectroscopic and chromatographic analyses. All the biomass samples demonstrated significant cellulose and hemicelluloses levels, whereas lignin content was high in pinewood. ICP-MS of ash samples revealed substantial quantity of alkali elements indicating their compatibility towards soil amendment for reclaiming acidic soils. A combination of physiochemical and biochemical characterization signifies pinewood as a suitable feedstock for thermochemical conversion, and timothy grass and wheat straw for biochemical conversion to biofuels, respectively.
Keywords:
biofuels, biomass, lignocellulosic sources, characterisation
Topic:
R&D on Biomass Conversion Technologies for Heating, Electricity and Chemicals
Subtopic:
Biorefineries
Event:
20th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition
Session:
2CV.1.29
Pages:
1216 - 1221
ISBN:
978-88-89407-54-7
Paper DOI:
10.5071/20thEUBCE2012-2CV.1.29
Price:
FREE
