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2018 | Book

Biomass and the Green Chemistry Principles Read chapter Read first chapter

Biomass and Green Chemistry

Building a Renewable Pathway

Editor: Dr. Sílvio Vaz Jr.

Publisher: Springer International Publishing

Part of: Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik" , Springer Professional "Technik"

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About this book

This book investigates the main vegetable biomass types, their chemical characteristics and their potential to replace oil as raw material for the chemical industry, according to the principles of green chemistry. Authors from different scientific and technical backgrounds, from industry and academia, give an overview of the state of the art and ongoing developments. Aspects including bioeconomy, biorefineries, renewable chemistry and sustainability are also considered, given their relevance in this context. Furthermore, the book reviews green chemistry principles and their relation to biomass, while also exploring the main processes for converting biomass into bioproducts.

The need to develop renewable feedstock for the chemical industry to replace oil has been identified as a major strategic challenge for the 21st century. In this context, the use of different types of vegetable biomass – starch, lignocellulosic, oleaginous, saccharide and algae – can be seen as a viable alternative to the use of non-renewable, more expensive raw materials. Furthermore, it offers a model for adding economic value to the agro industrial chains such as soybean, sugarcane, corn and forests, among others. This will in turn contribute to the sustainability of a wide range of chemicals, mainly organics and their transformation processes, which are widely used by modern society.

Table of Contents

Frontmatter
Chapter 1. Biomass and the Green Chemistry Principles
Abstract
The need to develop renewable raw materials for industrial chemistry as a substitute for oil has been shown to be a strategic challenge for the twenty-first century. In this context, the use of plant biomass can be construed as both the alternative of using cheaper and less polluting raw materials and as a model of aggregation of economic value to the agro-industrial chains. Green chemistry (GC), based on 12 principles, emerged in the 1990s as a new philosophy in both academia and industry to break old paradigms of chemistry such as the generation of large amounts of waste and the intensive use of petrochemicals through a holistic view of processes in laboratories and industries. In the case of plant biomass, the seventh principle—use of renewable raw materials—is notable as a great strategic opportunity for segments related to several areas of GC worldwide. Thereby, biomass is a renewable source of a large variety of bioproducts, and green chemistry principles can be applied for its exploitation to promote sustainable processes and products. In this chapter, the application of GC principles, especially in conversion processes for biomass, is discussed with the aim to demonstrate their feasibility.
Sílvio Vaz Jr.
Chapter 2. Saccharide Biomass for Biofuels, Biomaterials, and Chemicals
Abstract
This chapter is a description of the main applications of saccharides in industry for obtaining energetic and nonenergetic products by means of the biorefinery concept allied to green chemistry principles. A biorefinery seeks to use the entire biomass completely, exploiting polysaccharides, proteins, and lignin in various manufacturing processes, to obtain food, pharmaceutical products, biomaterials, bioproducts, and biopolymers, in addition to energetic products, in a sustainable manner. After analyzing demand aspects, costs, transformation technology to be used, and possibilities for the molecule to be a source for many technological applications, the most promising saccharide applications are succinic acid, bioethanol, and 3-HP (3-hydroxypropionic acid).
Luz Marina Flórez Pardo, Jorge Enrique López Galán, Tatiana Lozano Ramírez
Chapter 3. Oleaginous Biomass for Biofuels, Biomaterials, and Chemicals
Abstract
Concerns about negative environmental impacts and questions of future availability surrounding the long-term use of fossil sources as a basis for production of fuels, and a plethora of derivatives, are matters of increasing importance. Consequently, plant biomass sources capable of efficiently replacing fossil fuel resources are gaining relevance as biofuels and in the oleochemical industry. The array of chemical compositions of vegetable oils and fats, the possibility of producing biomass in a sustainable way, and the development of routes for their transformation are the main drivers of this growing demand. This chapter covers topics of global production and consumption of the principal vegetable oil commodities, the comparative chemical composition of oils and fats, the potential use of the biological storage structures of oils and fats, the main processes of transforming oils into biofuels, and the production of bio-based polymers. Also, mechanisms of the functionalization of vegetable oils are stressed.
Simone P. Favaro, Cesar H. B. Miranda, Fabricio Machado, Itânia P. Soares, Alan T. Jensen, Anderson M. M. S. Medeiros
Chapter 4. Starch Biomass for Biofuels, Biomaterials, and Chemicals
Abstract
The success of modern biorefineries, including those using starch-based feedstocks, should be based on versatile biomass supply chains and on the production of a wide spectrum of competitive bio-based products. This chapter summarizes the current knowledge of bio-based products obtained mainly from biochemical platforms from starch- and sugar-based feedstocks. After an initial review of starch production sources and starch properties as well as starch-based end applications, this chapter reviews the state of the art of starch hydrolytic enzymes, focusing on a bio-based platform for the main value-added (bio)chemicals, biofuels, and biomaterials that can be obtained from sugar-based feedstocks.
At the present time, food and biofuels applications still dominate most of the uses of starch-based raw materials. Although bio-based chemicals and biomaterials still do not account for a significant share of current biomass use, new bioeconomy sectors are emerging such as biomaterials and green chemistry, and several markets (e.g., bioplastics, biolubricants, biosolvents, and biosurfactants) are expected to grow in the near future. Several examples of biological production routes are described in this chapter, namely, for ethanol, lactic acid, and polylactic acid (PLA), polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), succinic acid, 1,4-butanediol (BDO), farnesene, isobutene, acrylic acid, adipic acid, ethylene, and polyethylene. One example of using a chemical catalytic route to obtain furan-2,5-dicarboxylic acid (FDCA) is also reported.
Susana Marques, Antonio D. Moreno, Mercedes Ballesteros, Francisco Gírio
Chapter 5. Lignocellulosic Biomass for Energy, Biofuels, Biomaterials, and Chemicals
Abstract
The main objective of this chapter is to explore the lignocellulose feedstock (LCF) biorefinery for industrial usage according to green chemistry principles. In particular, the isolation and valorization of lignin as one of the most interesting intermediates of LCF biorefineries is discussed, including lignin isolation, purification, and structure analysis. Structure elucidation involves various chromatographic, spectroscopic, microscopic, and thermochemical methods. Thus, basic structure–property relationships regarding the influence of biomass source and isolation process on lignin amount, constitution, and 3D structure are highlighted. Furthermore, storage effects on lignin structure and degradation effects are presented. Finally, potential applications are discussed, including novel lignin-based hydrogels, composite compounds (hybrids), and nanomaterials. Focus is drawn to antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of lignin for applications in packaging and biomedicine, that is, biomaterials for drug release and tissue engineering.
Abla Alzagameem, Basma El Khaldi-Hansen, Birgit Kamm, Margit Schulze
Chapter 6. Microalgae for Industrial Purposes
Abstract
The use of microalgae for the production of compounds of commercial relevance has received substantial interest in recent years, mostly because these organisms contain a plethora of valuable compounds and their high turnover rate and functional plasticity make them relatively easy to cultivate for the production of biomass and added-value molecules. The metabolic flexibility of algae allows using them for many commercial applications, but it also makes it easy for cultures to diverge from the intended biomass quality. A thorough comprehension of the principles that control growth and carbon allocation is therefore of paramount importance for effective production of algal biomass and derived chemicals. In this review, we intend to provide basic but exhaustive information on how algae grow and on their biotechnological potential. In addition to this primary goal, we also give the reader a succinct panorama of culturing systems and possible applications.
Mario Giordano, Qiang Wang
Chapter 7. Enzymatic Conversion of First- and Second-Generation Sugars
Abstract
Processes for the hydrolytic conversion of polysaccharides to fermentable sugars as feedstocks for biofuels and commodity chemicals are discussed. The production of first-generation biofuels, for example, bioethanol, involves the conversion of sucrose or starch; the latter requires initial enzymatic hydrolysis of the starch to glucose in a two-step process catalyzed by α-amylase and glucoamylase. These methods are established industrial processes that are conducted on an enormous scale. Although the enzymes involved are relatively inexpensive, they are used on a single-use, throw-away basis, and substantial cost savings can be achieved by immobilization of the enzymes to enable their recycling. In particular, immobilization of the enzymes as magnetic cross-linked enzyme aggregates (mCLEAs), in combination with magnetic separation using commercially available equipment, offers possibilities for achieving substantial cost reductions.
The production of second-generation biofuels involves, in the long term, more sustainable conversion of waste lignocellulose to fermentable sugars, a much more complicated process requiring multiple enzymes. The hydrolytic step is preceded by a pretreatment step that opens the structure of the recalcitrant lignocellulose to make it accessible for the hydrolytic enzymes. This step is usually conducted in water, in which the lignocellulose is insoluble, but there is currently much interest in the use of ionic liquids or deep eutectic solvents in combination with water. Subsequent hydrolysis of the cellulose and hemicellulose to fermentable sugars involves a complex cocktail of enzymes referred to as “cellulase.” In this case the percentage cost contribution of the enzymes to the biofuel is even higher than with first-generation biofuels. Consequently, it is even more important to reduce the costs of enzyme usage by immobilization, and magnetic separation of magnetic immobilized enzymes, such as magnetic CLEAs, is a potentially attractive way to achieve this.
Roger A. Sheldon
Chapter 8. Sustainability of Biomass
Abstract
The bio-based economy is considered one of the options for mitigating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and is pursued by many countries seeking not only emissions reductions but also greater independency and security. In this context, biofuels production has expanded in the first decade of this century, and the same increase can occur with biomaterials in the years to come. However, despite the large appeal of biofuel, various concerns regarding its sustainability have been raised, constraining production and imposing the necessity to attest compliance with some principles and criteria. As a result of interest group advocacy, a diversity of sustainability initiatives has emerged in recent years in the bioenergy context, which may soon be extended to chemicals and biomaterials as well. This chapter presents the main technical regulations and standards for bioenergy currently in place and discusses the social, economic, and environmental issues these address. Guided by the set principles and criteria, there is evidence supporting that, if implemented correctly, the bio-based economy can indeed offer significant contributions toward sustainable development.
Arnaldo Walter, Joaquim E. A. Seabra, Pedro Gerber Machado, Bruna de Barros Correia, Camila Ortolan Fernandes de Oliveira
Erratum to: Lignocellulosic Biomass for Energy, Biofuels, Biomaterials, and Chemicals
Abla Alzagameem, Basma El Khaldi-Hansen, Birgit Kamm, Margit Schulze
Backmatter
Metadata
Title
Biomass and Green Chemistry
Editor
Dr. Sílvio Vaz Jr.
Copyright Year
2018
Electronic ISBN
978-3-319-66736-2
Print ISBN
978-3-319-66735-5
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-66736-2