Page 20 - Lignocellulosic Biomass to Liquid Biofuels

CHAPTER 1

Fundamentals of lignocellulosic

biomass

1
2
Abu Yousuf , Domenico Pirozzi and Filomena Sannino 3
1
Department of Chemical Engineering & Polymer Science, Shahjalal University of Science
and Technology, Sylhet, Bangladesh
2
Department of Chemical, Materials and Production Engineering, University of Naples
“Federico II”, Naples, Italy
3
Department of Agriculture, University of Naples “Federico II”, Naples, Italy
Contents
1.1 Introduction 1
1.2 Components of lignocellulosic biomass 3
1.2.1 Cellulose 3
1.2.2 Hemicellulose 4
1.2.3 Lignin 4
1.3 Sources of lignocellulosic biomass 6
1.3.1 Annual and perennial energy grasses 6
1.3.2 Woody biomass 6
1.3.3 Nonwoody biomass 6
1.4 Chemistry of lignocellulosic biomass 7
1.5 Biorefinery of lignocellulosic biomass 11
1.6 Conclusion 14
References 14

1.1 Introduction
Lignocellulosic biomass (LCB), also known as lignocellulose, is the most
abundant biorenewable material on the earth [1], produced from atmo-
spheric CO 2 and water using the sunlight energy through the photosyn-
thesis process. It is a complex matrix, mainly made of polysaccharides,
phenolic polymers, and proteins that constitute the essential part of
woody cell walls of plants. LCB has a complex spatial structure, in which
cellulose (a carbohydrate polymer) is wrapped by the dense structure
formed by hemicellulose (another carbohydrate polymer) and lignin (aro-
matic polymer).

Lignocellulosic Biomass to Liquid Biofuels © 2020 Elsevier Inc.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-815936-1.00001-0 All rights reserved. 1