Tuesday, April 20, 2010
11-08
Third generation biorefinery: Review of potential applications for the biofuels industry
Antonio Carlos A. da Costa, Programa de Pós-graduação em Engenharia Quimica, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro - Instituto de Quimica, Rua São Francisco Xavier, 524 - PHLC - sala 310, Rio de Janeiro, 20559900, Brazil and Nei Pereira Jr, Biochemical Engineering, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Avenida Athos da Silveira Ramos, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Biorefinery defines an industrial structure base don the use of biomasses for the production of a wide variety of molecules. Its purpose is to obtain high-cost products from low-cost feedstocks. The stronger candidates for this technology include residual and agro-industrial biomasses.
The first generation biorefinery is based on the use of structurally simple and accessible molecules, such as carbohydrates. It is characterized by mature and industrially consistent technologies. Examples of this generation include the production of alcohol from sugarcane or corn, the so called first-generation ethanol.
The second generation biorefinery is equivalent to the first one, however, based on the use of lignocellulosic materials. Presently, this concentrates the stronger efforts on research and development for the production of biofuels.
The third generation biorefinery is similar to the previous ones, however the nature of the feedstocks is different, mainly coming from the sea. Seaweeds, polysaccharide-rich organisms, are the main target for this new generation of biorefinery. They present several advantages over residual biomasses, not presenting lignin, beyond their higher growth rate and productivity.
This work includes a review on the state-of-the-art on the production of seaweeds in the world, as well as their occurrence and cultivation. This information brings important data for the evaluation of the potential use of these biomasses for the production of ethanol, serving as a starting point for a prospective technology for the production of ethanol, based on the use of a renewable source and producing a less polluting biofuel.
The first generation biorefinery is based on the use of structurally simple and accessible molecules, such as carbohydrates. It is characterized by mature and industrially consistent technologies. Examples of this generation include the production of alcohol from sugarcane or corn, the so called first-generation ethanol.
The second generation biorefinery is equivalent to the first one, however, based on the use of lignocellulosic materials. Presently, this concentrates the stronger efforts on research and development for the production of biofuels.
The third generation biorefinery is similar to the previous ones, however the nature of the feedstocks is different, mainly coming from the sea. Seaweeds, polysaccharide-rich organisms, are the main target for this new generation of biorefinery. They present several advantages over residual biomasses, not presenting lignin, beyond their higher growth rate and productivity.
This work includes a review on the state-of-the-art on the production of seaweeds in the world, as well as their occurrence and cultivation. This information brings important data for the evaluation of the potential use of these biomasses for the production of ethanol, serving as a starting point for a prospective technology for the production of ethanol, based on the use of a renewable source and producing a less polluting biofuel.
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See more of The 32nd Symposium on Biotechnology for Fuels and Chemicals (April 19-22, 2010)
See more of General Submissions
See more of The 32nd Symposium on Biotechnology for Fuels and Chemicals (April 19-22, 2010)