613
© 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_18
Catalytic Production of High-Value
Chemicals from High Volume Non-food
Biomass
Md. Imteyaz Alam
Abstract Growing population and energy crises with depletion in fossil resources
have necessitated efforts to find a sustainable solution. With circular production and
abundant availability, biomass is regarded as an effective renewable option to produce chemicals and fuels. Every year, over 40 million tons of non-food biomass
such as sugarcane bagasse, wheat straw, paddy straw, and wood shavings are produced. Many of them are thrown or burned in the open air leading to environmental
pollution. Converting these discarded biomasses into chemicals and fuels could
minimize waste disposal issues and reduce dependency on fossil fuels without competing with the demand for increased food production, which the world is facing
due to shrinking landholdings and growing population. Indeed, it has the potential
to reduce environmental issues associated with climate change and employment
generation in rural areas. Herein, recent advances in non-food biomass conversion
processes via chemo-catalytic routes are discussed. This chapter will not only give
a better understanding of the current catalytic process on biomass but also provide
proper direction in the development of successful biorefinery for a sustainable future.
Keywords Biomass · Catalysis · 5-Hydroxymethyl furfural · Biofuel · Acid
catalyst
1 Introduction
The past century has witnessed a close network between petrochemical and everyday needs. A variety of simple molecules derived from fossil resources are employed
to produce complex chemicals that are used as polymers, drugs, pharmaceuticals,
fuels, solvents, and flavors in the chemical industry. The growing concerns on environmental pollution with marked depletion in fossil feedstocks have prompted
researchers to investigate the sustainable process and related technologies for providing solutions to alternate energy and climate change by deriving chemicals and
M. I. Alam (*)
WowChemE M&C Pvt. Ltd, Delhi, India
© 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_18
Catalytic Production of High-Value
Chemicals from High Volume Non-food
Biomass
Md. Imteyaz Alam
Abstract Growing population and energy crises with depletion in fossil resources
have necessitated efforts to find a sustainable solution. With circular production and
abundant availability, biomass is regarded as an effective renewable option to produce chemicals and fuels. Every year, over 40 million tons of non-food biomass
such as sugarcane bagasse, wheat straw, paddy straw, and wood shavings are produced. Many of them are thrown or burned in the open air leading to environmental
pollution. Converting these discarded biomasses into chemicals and fuels could
minimize waste disposal issues and reduce dependency on fossil fuels without competing with the demand for increased food production, which the world is facing
due to shrinking landholdings and growing population. Indeed, it has the potential
to reduce environmental issues associated with climate change and employment
generation in rural areas. Herein, recent advances in non-food biomass conversion
processes via chemo-catalytic routes are discussed. This chapter will not only give
a better understanding of the current catalytic process on biomass but also provide
proper direction in the development of successful biorefinery for a sustainable future.
Keywords Biomass · Catalysis · 5-Hydroxymethyl furfural · Biofuel · Acid
catalyst
1 Introduction
The past century has witnessed a close network between petrochemical and everyday needs. A variety of simple molecules derived from fossil resources are employed
to produce complex chemicals that are used as polymers, drugs, pharmaceuticals,
fuels, solvents, and flavors in the chemical industry. The growing concerns on environmental pollution with marked depletion in fossil feedstocks have prompted
researchers to investigate the sustainable process and related technologies for providing solutions to alternate energy and climate change by deriving chemicals and
M. I. Alam (*)
WowChemE M&C Pvt. Ltd, Delhi, India