Page 16 - Academic Press Encyclopedia of Physical Science and Technology 3rd BioTechnology

P1: GNH 2nd Revised Pages Qu: 00, 00, 00, 00
Encyclopedia of Physical Science and Technology EN002G-61 May 19, 2001 19:33

Biomass, Bioengineering of

Bruce E. Dale
Michigan State University

I. Background
II. Characteristics of Biomass
III. Uses of Biomass
IV. Bioprocessing of Biomass
V. Potential and Limitations of Biomass
and Biobased Industrial Products

GLOSSARY (sugar) while hemicellulose is a polymer made up of
a variety of sugars. Lignin is a complex polymer of
Biomass Plant material. phenylpropane units.
Bioprocessing Any chemical, thermal, physical or bi- Sustainable development Economic development that
ological processing done to biomass to increase its meets the legitimate needs of current generations with-
value. out compromising the ability of future generations to
Biobased industrial products Plant-derived chemicals, meet their own needs.
fuels, lubricants, adhesives, plastics—any and all in-
dustrialproductsderivedfrombiomassthatarenotused
for human food or animal feed. For purposes of this ar- BIOMASS is the only potentially renewable source of
ticle, biomass is bioprocessed into biobased industrial organic chemicals, organic materials and liquid transport-
products. ation fuels. The biomass resource is huge. While esti-
Biorefineries Large, highly integrated facilities, analo- mates are necessarily imprecise, it is believed that photo-
gous to petroleum refineries, that process biomass to synthesis fixes approximately 150 billion tons of new plant
biobased industrial products and other value-added matter annually on the planet. Production of biobased in-
products. dustrial products has the potential to benefit both the econ-
Life cycle analyses Comprehensive inventories of the omy and the environment and to provide new pathways for
material and energy flows required to produce, use and sustainable economic development.
dispose of specific products throughout their entire life The energy value of our renewable plant resource is ap-
cycles. proximately ten times the total energy value of all other
Lignocellulose The structural portion of most plants, forms of energy used by humanity including all fossil fu-
composed of a complex mixture of cellulose, hemi- els, hydropower, nuclear energy and so on. Biomass is
cellulose and lignin and comprising the vast major- also relatively inexpensive and compares favorably with
ity of all biomass. Cellulose is a polymer of glucose petroleum on a cost per pound basis and, frequently, on

141