Biomass as a source of energy and chemicals

The full utilisation of biomass is now seen as an alternative to using non-renewable fossil fuel feedstocks as a source of both chemicals and hydrogen. This chapter discusses the various biomass sources and their requirements for adequate growth (e.g. their dependence on the use of chemical fertilisers, the need for organic matter in the soil on which they are grown, etc.). Having discussed the use of wood as a fuel and its treatment for paper production, it then discusses the chemistry involved in a number of routes for the conversion of a variety of different forms of biomass by methods including hydrolysis, gasification and pyrolysis. The wide range of possible products includes biogas, alternatives for transportation fuels and chemicals for use in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals and polymers.