237
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
K. K. Pant et al. (eds.), Catalysis for Clean Energy and Environmental
Sustainability, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-65017-9_9
Sustainability of the Catalytic Process
for Biomass Conversion: Recent Trends
and Future Prospects
Rohidas Bhoi, Virendra Kumar Saharan, Suja George, and Sonal
Abstract Depleting conventional resources and increasing energy demand have
placed immense pressure on the environment and forced mankind to look for
alternate and sustainable energy resources. Biomass is a promising resource which
is environment friendly as well as sustainable. Lignocellulosic biomass can be
fractionated into cellulose, hemicelluloses, and lignin, out of which the structure of
lignin makes catalytic processing more challenging. The selection of suitable
solvent, catalysts, and reaction conditions for biomass conversion has a vital role in
the yield and composition of targeted products. Biomass can be converted into oil,
gas, and char using a suitable catalyst and conversion processes. Valuable chemicals
and transportation fuel can be generated from oil obtained from sustainable biomass
such as agricultural waste, forestry products, inedible plants, etc. The product
obtained from most of the conversion processes is a complex mixture of chemicals
demanding further separation and upgradation. Catalytic oil upgradation is necessary
before being used as a transportation fuel. It is essential to identify the basic/
platform components that can be produced from biomass and serve as feedstock for
the synthesis of the majority of the chemicals. Catalyst can facilitate the selective
transformation of molecules provided it is sustainable in terms of its activity and
regeneration. An emerging approach integrates various routes of biomass conversion
technologies such as catalytic pyrolysis, hydrolysis, and liquefaction over a suitable
solid catalyst to transform biomass into useful chemicals and fuels. This chapter
summarizes the technological challenges to selectively convert biomass to oil or
basic chemicals and fuels by catalytic processes.
R. Bhoi
Department of Chemical Engineering, Malaviya National Institute of Technology,
Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay,
Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
V. K. Saharan · S. George · Sonal (*)
Department of Chemical Engineering, Malaviya National Institute of Technology,
Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
e-mail: sonal.chem@mnit.ac.in
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
K. K. Pant et al. (eds.), Catalysis for Clean Energy and Environmental
Sustainability, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-65017-9_9
Sustainability of the Catalytic Process
for Biomass Conversion: Recent Trends
and Future Prospects
Rohidas Bhoi, Virendra Kumar Saharan, Suja George, and Sonal
Abstract Depleting conventional resources and increasing energy demand have
placed immense pressure on the environment and forced mankind to look for
alternate and sustainable energy resources. Biomass is a promising resource which
is environment friendly as well as sustainable. Lignocellulosic biomass can be
fractionated into cellulose, hemicelluloses, and lignin, out of which the structure of
lignin makes catalytic processing more challenging. The selection of suitable
solvent, catalysts, and reaction conditions for biomass conversion has a vital role in
the yield and composition of targeted products. Biomass can be converted into oil,
gas, and char using a suitable catalyst and conversion processes. Valuable chemicals
and transportation fuel can be generated from oil obtained from sustainable biomass
such as agricultural waste, forestry products, inedible plants, etc. The product
obtained from most of the conversion processes is a complex mixture of chemicals
demanding further separation and upgradation. Catalytic oil upgradation is necessary
before being used as a transportation fuel. It is essential to identify the basic/
platform components that can be produced from biomass and serve as feedstock for
the synthesis of the majority of the chemicals. Catalyst can facilitate the selective
transformation of molecules provided it is sustainable in terms of its activity and
regeneration. An emerging approach integrates various routes of biomass conversion
technologies such as catalytic pyrolysis, hydrolysis, and liquefaction over a suitable
solid catalyst to transform biomass into useful chemicals and fuels. This chapter
summarizes the technological challenges to selectively convert biomass to oil or
basic chemicals and fuels by catalytic processes.
R. Bhoi
Department of Chemical Engineering, Malaviya National Institute of Technology,
Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay,
Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
V. K. Saharan · S. George · Sonal (*)
Department of Chemical Engineering, Malaviya National Institute of Technology,
Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
e-mail: sonal.chem@mnit.ac.in