Linocellulose biomass is a good consistent material for hydrogen production. In
an integrated process pretreated lignocellulose biomass as barley malt by-product
may be used to produce hydrogen by bacterial fermentation in fuel cell or can be
co-produced along with other amino products to yield electricity when used with
sewage sludge fermentation and fuel cell fermentation (Kapdan and Kargi 2006;
Ni et al. 2006). In an advanced biorefinery, it may be suitable to use any cellulose
or municipal wastes and use them to produce methane or hydrogen with a high
yield.
Degradation and conversion of lignocellulosic biomass may used for the production of many organic molecules of economic value; biomass-released sugars
can be fermented to fuels and commodity chemicals by the appropriate microbes
both natural and engineered (Elmekawy et al. 2013). It is reported that primary
base chemicals ethylene, propylene, benzene, toluene, and xylene can be used to
synthesize more than 75 % of organic chemicals (Morris and Ahmed 1992).
Vanillin and gallic acids are two interesting monomers for the pharmaceutical
industry that can be obtained from lignocellulose biomass. Vanillin is used as a
flavoring molecule in the food industry and has antimicrobial and antioxidant
properties and used as an intermediate in the production of herbicides, drugs, and
household products (Davidson and Naidu 2000; Walton et al. 2003). Vanillin is
synthesized from ferulic acid that can be released from corn cob alkaline treatment
(Torres et al. 2009). Hemicellulose is an interesting part of plant biomass and is a
good source of xylose that can be converted into xylitol and furfural. Xylitol has
properties as teeth hardener, remineralizer agent, and food sweetener, so it is used
in toothpaste and chewing gum industries (Roberto et al. 2003), and furfural is
used in the production of furfural phenol plastics and pesticides (Montane et al.
2002; Rahman et al. 2007). Lignin can represent up to 35 % of lignocellulos
biomass and is formed by guayacil, syringyl, and coumaryl alcohols that can be
separated by solvent dissolution in alkali or organosolv and the insoluble lignin
can be separated by acid hydrolysis of cellulose and hemicellulose and composting. Together, these treatments release high quantities of highly valuable
sulfur-free phenolic groups (Argyropoulos and Menachem 1997; Bridgwater 2004;
Buranov and Mazza 2008).
7.8 Conclusion
Many advances have been made in lignocellulose degradation and many more are
needed before an economy based in this material substitute oil-based economy.
Biorefineries must be able to use almost any feedstock to produce almost any
material the society demands. A big part of that technology does not exist currently, but needs to be developed before lignocellulose can be managed to supply
our needs of fuels and chemicals.
248
S. de J. Romero-Gómez
an integrated process pretreated lignocellulose biomass as barley malt by-product
may be used to produce hydrogen by bacterial fermentation in fuel cell or can be
co-produced along with other amino products to yield electricity when used with
sewage sludge fermentation and fuel cell fermentation (Kapdan and Kargi 2006;
Ni et al. 2006). In an advanced biorefinery, it may be suitable to use any cellulose
or municipal wastes and use them to produce methane or hydrogen with a high
yield.
Degradation and conversion of lignocellulosic biomass may used for the production of many organic molecules of economic value; biomass-released sugars
can be fermented to fuels and commodity chemicals by the appropriate microbes
both natural and engineered (Elmekawy et al. 2013). It is reported that primary
base chemicals ethylene, propylene, benzene, toluene, and xylene can be used to
synthesize more than 75 % of organic chemicals (Morris and Ahmed 1992).
Vanillin and gallic acids are two interesting monomers for the pharmaceutical
industry that can be obtained from lignocellulose biomass. Vanillin is used as a
flavoring molecule in the food industry and has antimicrobial and antioxidant
properties and used as an intermediate in the production of herbicides, drugs, and
household products (Davidson and Naidu 2000; Walton et al. 2003). Vanillin is
synthesized from ferulic acid that can be released from corn cob alkaline treatment
(Torres et al. 2009). Hemicellulose is an interesting part of plant biomass and is a
good source of xylose that can be converted into xylitol and furfural. Xylitol has
properties as teeth hardener, remineralizer agent, and food sweetener, so it is used
in toothpaste and chewing gum industries (Roberto et al. 2003), and furfural is
used in the production of furfural phenol plastics and pesticides (Montane et al.
2002; Rahman et al. 2007). Lignin can represent up to 35 % of lignocellulos
biomass and is formed by guayacil, syringyl, and coumaryl alcohols that can be
separated by solvent dissolution in alkali or organosolv and the insoluble lignin
can be separated by acid hydrolysis of cellulose and hemicellulose and composting. Together, these treatments release high quantities of highly valuable
sulfur-free phenolic groups (Argyropoulos and Menachem 1997; Bridgwater 2004;
Buranov and Mazza 2008).
7.8 Conclusion
Many advances have been made in lignocellulose degradation and many more are
needed before an economy based in this material substitute oil-based economy.
Biorefineries must be able to use almost any feedstock to produce almost any
material the society demands. A big part of that technology does not exist currently, but needs to be developed before lignocellulose can be managed to supply
our needs of fuels and chemicals.
248
S. de J. Romero-Gómez