Chemicals, Materials, and Energy from Biomass: A Review

摘要

There are approximately 89 million metric tonnes of organic chemicals and lubricants produced annually in the United States (1). The majority of these are fossil fuel-based materials that have the potential to become environmental pollutants during use and that carry end-of-life cycle concerns such as disposal, pollution, and degradation. As a result, the need to decrease pollution caused by petrochemical usage is currently impelling the development of green technologies. It is virtually inarguable that the dwindling hydrocarbon economy will eventually become unsustainable. The cost of crude oil continues to increase, while agricultural products see dramatic decreases in world market prices. These trends provide sufficient basis for renewed interest in the use of biomass as a feedstock and for the development of a lignocellulosic-based economy as the logical alternative to fossil fuel resources.