Page 421 - Refining Biomass Residues for Sustainable Energy and Bioproducts

Agroindustry wastes: biofuels and biomaterials feedstocks for sustainable rural development 379

related to waste management but now brought back to society due to the fast deple-
tion of natural resources, need for more sustainable, and cost-efficient waste man-
agement protocols. Several valorization methods are currently showing promise in
satisfying industrial demands. One among such promising waste valorization strate-
gies is the application of flow chemical technology to process waste to valuable
products (Arancon et al., 2013).
Herein this chapter, the prime focus is given to present the lignocellulosic
biomes waste (2G) and algal biomass (3G) scenario in the world with particular
reference to India. Lignocellulosic biomass waste includes agroindustry and other
woody biomass that is mainly composed of the postharvest activities of processing
and preserving agricultural products for intermediate or final consumption.
Agroindustry is an extended arm of agriculture, which can help to make agricul-
ture more profitable in terms of wastes to broad-based value-added products
through cascading of various approaches in a biorefinery model. It can create
employment opportunities at the production, marketing stages, and improve the
socioeconomic status of India. The current production and the use of bioethanol
and biodiesel processes are a starting point. We believe that the next generational
change in the use of bioresources will come from a total integration of innovative
plant resources, synthesis of biomaterials, and generation of biofuels and
biopower.
Although biomass waste valorization is an attractive approach for sustain-
ability, with broader perspective, however it still remains a significant chal-
lenge in terms of purification, processing, and even the degradation of
stable natural polymers (e.g., lignin) into simple usable chemicals. Valorization
is essentially a concept of recycling waste into more usable industrial chemi-
cals. Using established Green Processing technologies, various types of waste
can be converted into high-value chemicals and fuels with the purpose of mini-
mizing waste disposal volumes and eventually protecting the environment
(Arancon et al., 2013)(Fig. 16.5).
Lignocellulosic biomass is principally composed of cellulose, hemicellulose, and
lignin. Cellulose, the main component of biomass, represents half of the organic
carbon on the earth. The integrated biorefinery employed various waste biomass
and conversion technologies to produce biofuels and bio-based chemicals (Kohli
et al., 2019). The improvement of processes and technologies to transform lignocel-
lulosic biomass to fuels and value-added chemicals (Fig. 16.6) remains a significant
challenge. In this context the main challenge in producing a high yield of target
chemicals and fuels is the complex chemical composition of lignocellulosic biomass
feedstocks. Industrial biorefinery requires the most efficient conversion processes
for the production of high-value chemicals and biofuels. Agricultural residues and
wood chips waste constitute an inexpensive renewable resource for large-scale com-
mercial biorefineries and are widely available. The chemicals include alcohols,
organic acids, such as formic acid and levulinic acid, furfurals, and 5-
hydroxymethylfurfural can further be converted to a range of derivatives that have
potential applications in biofuels, polymers, and solvent industries. The possible
scheme for a chemo-catalytic biorefinery is shown in Fig. 16.6.