CHARACTERIZATION OF CANADIAN LIGNOCELLULOSIC BIOMASS FOR NEXT GENERATION BIOFUELS- BUTANOL

摘要

The use of lignocellulosic biomass as a renewable energy source is becoming progressively essential toaddress the mitigation of global warming and promote the utilization of sustainable energy supply. Biomass is acomplex heterogeneous mixture of key structural organic components such as cellulose, hemicellulose and ligninalong with accessory organic and inorganic composites. The primary aspect in using biomass for fuel is to understandits basic composition and properties. The current study emphasizes on some commonly available forestry andherbaceous biomass in Canada such as pinewood, timothy grass and wheat straw for their usage towards nextgeneration biofuels. The biomasses were investigated for physicochemical and biochemical characteristics throughCHNS, ICP-MS, FTIR and Raman spectroscopy, TG/DTG, XRD and HPLC analyses. Cellulose, hemicellulose andlignin with other organic components were identified in the spectroscopic and chromatographic analyses. All thebiomass samples demonstrated significant cellulose and hemicelluloses levels, whereas lignin content was high inpinewood. ICP-MS of ash samples revealed substantial quantity of alkali elements indicating their compatibilitytowards soil amendment for reclaiming acidic soils. A combination of physiochemical and biochemicalcharacterization signifies pinewood as a suitable feedstock for thermochemical conversion, and timothy grass andwheat straw for biochemical conversion to biofuels, respectively.