Chemicals and energy from biomass

Abstract

Approximately 89 million metric tonnes of organic chemicals and lubricants are produced annually in the United States (T.M. Carole, J. Pellegrino, and M.D. Paster. Appl. Biochem. Biotechnol. 115, 871 (2004)). The majority of these materials are fossil fuel based and may load the environment during use and at the end of their life cycle. Issues, such as disposal, pollution, and degradation, must be considered and weighed. As a result, the need to decrease pollution caused by petrochemical usage is currently impelling the development of green technologies. It is virtually inarguable that the dwindling hydrocarbon economy will eventually become unsustainable. The cost of crude oil continues to increase, while agricultural products see dramatic decreases in world market prices. These trends provide sufficient basis for renewed interest in the use of biomass as a feedstock and for the development of a carbohydrate-based economy as the logical alternative to fossil fuel resources.Résumé : Au cours d'une année, aux États-Unis d'Amérique, il se produit environ 89 millions de tonnes métriques de produits chimiques et de lubrifiants organiques. La majorité de ces produits sont obtenus à partir de combustibles fossiles et ils peuvent encrasser l'environnement durant leur cycle d'utilisation et de fin de vie. On doit donc considérer et pondérer des sujets tels que l'élimination, la pollution et la dégradation. En conséquence, la nécessité de diminuer la pollution qui est causée par l'usage des produits de l'industrie pétrochimique propulse le développement de technologies vertes. Il est pratiquement impossible de nier que l'économie basée sur les hydrocarbures ne pourra pas continuer. Le coût du brut continue d'augmenter alors que les prix des produits agricoles sur les marchés mondiaux font face à des réductions dramatiques. Ces tendances sont les bases du nouvel intérêt dans l'utilisation de la biomasse comme matière première ainsi que pour le développement d'une économie basée sur les hydrates de carbone comme alternative logique pour les ressources à base de combustibles fossiles.

Production of renewable polymers from crop plants

“…Itaconic acid is also listed as one of the 12 top added value chemicals that may be derived from biomass (Werpy, 2004). Approximately 15 000 tonnes is produced annually in fermentation processes, and it is a rather expensive compound that is currently mainly used in specialties (Lucia et al, 2006).…”

Thermal and dynamic mechanical properties of organic–inorganic hybrid composites of itaconate‐containing poly(butylene succinate) and methacrylate‐substituted polysilsesquioxane

“…[15][16][17][18][19][20] We already reported the crosslinking reaction and biodegradability of itaconateunit-incorporated poly(butylene succinate) (PBSI) prepared by the reaction of SA, BD, and itaconic acid (IA), 21 all of which are inexpensive and can be derived from biomass resources. 22 The itaconate C¼ ¼C bond of PBSI can be reacted with acryl groups incorporated into polysilsesquioxanes. This study describes the synthesis and properties of new organic-inorganic hybrid composites of PBSI and methacryl-group-substituted polysilsesquioxanes (ME-PSQ) prepared from relatively inexpensive 3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl methacrylate (TMSPM).…”

“Green” Chemicals from Renewable Agricultural Biomass - A Mini Review

“…In the United States, the 250 billion kilograms of wasted plant biomass produced each year far exceeds the current total consumption of 100 billion kilograms for organic chemicals, plastic resins, and fibers [7]. However, presently, only 5% of chemicals are derived from renewable resources [12]. Therefore, there is huge potential for biobased chemicals to share markets with their fossil based counterparts.…”