Biomass
“Biomass, a renewable energy source,is biological material from living, or recently living organisms, such as wood, waste, (hydrogen) gas, and alcohol fuels. Biomass is commonly plant matter grown to generate electricity or produce heat. In this sense, living biomass can also be included, as plants can also generate electricity while still alive. The most conventional way in which biomass is used, however, still relies on direct incineration. Forest residues, for example (such as dead trees, branches and tree stumps), yard clippings, wood chips and garbage are often used for this. However, biomass also includes plant or animal matter used for production of fibers or chemicals. Biomass may also include biodegradable wastes that can be burnt as fuel. It excludes such organic materials as fossil fuels, which have been transformed by geological processes into substances such as coal or petroleum.”
“Industrial biomass can be grown from numerous types of plants, including miscanthus, switchgrass, hemp, corn, poplar, willow, sorghum, sugarcane and a variety of tree species, ranging from eucalyptus to oil palm (palm oil. The particular plant used is usually not important to the end products, but it does affect the processing of the raw material.”
“Although fossil fuels have their origin in ancient biomass, they are not considered biomass by the generally accepted definition because they contain carbon that has been "out" of the carbon cycle for a very long time. Their combustion therefore disturbs the carbon dioxide content in the atmosphere.”
(Wikipedia, Biomass, 5/12/2011)
Biomass Chemicals
Biomass Fuels
Materials
Sustainable /Renewable Materials
Recent Journal Articles
Click synthesis and adhesive properties of novel biomass-based polymers from lignin-derived stable metabolic intermediate
(648-653) Polymer Journal 43 #7 (2011)
Abstract
Michinobu et al of Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology and Nagaoka University of Technology, Japan isolated biomass-based polymers composed of 2-pyrone-4,6-dicarboxylic acid (PDC), from lignin as a chemically stable metabolic intermediate, were synthesized by the copper (Cu) (I)-catalyzed, but ligand-free azide-alkyne cycloaddition reaction. The in-situ prepared PDC polymers displayed adhesive properties to various metal surfaces. Among the investigated metals, the tensile strength with Cu, prepared at 70 °C for 4 h, was the highest (3.70 MPa). This specific adhesion to Cu is probably due to the promoted polymerization using the leached CuI as a catalyst and the crosslinking ability through the interactions with the formed triazole rings. (RDC 7/7/2011)
Quantitative Interpretation of IR Spectra and Heat Capacity Calculations for Environment friendly Polymer
(230-238) Journal of Polymers and the Environment 19 #1 (2011)
Pathak and Kumar of Jaypee University of Science and Technology, India, has extracted poly(5-hydroxylevulinic acid) (PHLA), a biodegradable polymer, from biomass. (RDC 4/22/2011)