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Opportunities and Obstacles in Large-Scale Biomass Utilization The Role of the Chemical Sciences and Engineering Communities: A Workshop Summary (2012) / Chapter Skim
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3 Fuels and Chemicals from Biomass via Biological Routes
Pages 17-20

The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.


From page 17...
... A 50-millionand chemicals is already feasible, but the costs of doing so gallon facility built using the NREL process could produce make the resulting products uncompetitive economically up to one billion gallons a year of wastewater that contains at present with those produced from petroleum. According as much as 2 percent solids, necessitating the construction to Chris Somerville, professor of alternative energy and of a large wastewater treatment facility.
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From page 18...
... ing at the required high pressures are substantial. In a hypothetical continuous process that Somerville Studies on continuous pretreatment technologies have discussed, biomass would be ground and fed into a lignin examined weak acid/high temperature and strong acid/low removal process that feeds polysaccharides into a poly­ temperature combinations, as well as the use of aqueous saccharide depolymerization process using enzymes or bases, with or without ammonia and with or without added chemical catalysts that can be recycled.
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From page 19...
... The argument was made that preparing biomass onstrating efficient continuous fermentation of C12 sugars for processing should be one component, that deconstruction rather than C6 sugars. Tom Richard asked Somerville to to produce sugars would be a second component, and that discuss some of his work on developing new enzymes of conversion of sugar into fuel or chemicals would be a third pretreatment, and Somerville noted that his group has identi- process.
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From page 20...
... One idea from the group was that it may be necessary to The breakout group discussed the need to solve techno- subsidize stover collection by secondary harvesting services logical issues involving economical production of enzymes to meet supply considerations if the market develops for to meet a variety of demands. Many members of the group the products of biomass conversion given that there is little concurred that technology development was needed to design economic incentive today for farmers to collect stover.
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Key Terms

  • batch processes
  • produce mixtures
  • converting biomass
  • continuous fermentation
  • biological conversion

  • sugar solution
  • sugar production
  • chemical catalysts
  • process engineering
  • somerville noted

  • reactor concept
  • ionic solvents
  • organic chemicals
  • hydrochloric acid
  • wastewater treatment

  • fuel separation
  • plugged reactor
  • integrated biorefinery
  • capital costs
  • hypothetical continuous

  • continuous removal
  • little process
  • continuous operating
  • developing continuous
  • biomass conversion

  • continuous processing
  • produce sugar
  • lignin produce
  • continuous pretreatment
  • continuous flow


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