In this chapter, the general procedures for the biomass and bio-ethanal manufacturing processes are explained. The various physical and chemical pre-treating methods for biomass are elaborated. The various acid hydrolysis methods, enzyme immobilisation methods, fermentation methods, and optimising the parameters and factors for hydrolysis have been exemplified. The stage-by-stage bioethanol production processes from Sunn hemp seed has been illustrated. Biomass preparation, pre-treatment processes, hydrolysis, synthesis of ferrites, and study of bioethanol characterizations are graphically exemplified. The microstructure of untreated and treated hemp biomass has been displayed. The variations in bioethanol concentration with increasing treatment time have been discussed. The incorporation of optimization parameters for producing quality bioethanol is also interpreted.
TopIntroduction
Coal, oil, and gas are the main types of conventional fossil fuels used for primary energy today. Increasing energy demand, greenhouse gas emissions, and global climate change have propelled a number of experts to create new solutions. Around 80% of the energy generated by global renewable energy carriers comes from biomass. When needed, it can be stored and used to generate energy, fuel, and heat. These are referred to as bioenergy, which is defined as fuels derived from biological sources that are solid, liquid, or gaseous. Examples of bioenergy produced from first-generation feedstock include bio-alcohol made from corn, wheat, sugar beets, and sugarcane. Syngas, which may then be processed into biofuels and power, can be created from biomass (Khoo, Wen, Tang, & Chen, 2020). Biogas has been commercially created via anaerobic digestion. The heat and electricity produced by the biogas have been used for cooking and lighting. The various sources of biomass production are illustrated in Figure 1.
Figure 1. Various sources for the biomass production
Despite significant scientific progress, it still takes technical advancements to make bioenergy production competitive with fossil fuels. For instance, a considerable challenge still exists in the large-scale cultivation of algae for the production of microalgal biofuels. Due to a lack of adequate infrastructure for the production process and high production costs, there are obvious technological limitations in the production of biofuels. Before beginning the processes for producing biofuel, pre-treatment techniques must be devised to remove fermentable sugars from lignocellulosic biomass.
The core idea behind nanoscience and nanotechnology applications is nanomaterials. It is possible to increase the energy and financial efficiency of bioenergy production. To obtain excellent quality and a high yield, pre-treatment, enzymes, and fermentation processes can be investigated. Materials considered to be nanoscale are those whose minimum dimension is less than or equal to 100 nm. This incredibly small size results in high surface area-to-volume ratio. These nanoparticles can also display many morphologies, which has expanded the range of applications for them (Alonso et al., 2010). Nanomaterials are excellent candidates in various biofuel systems because of their vast surface areas and special qualities like high catalytic activity, crystallinity, durability, storage, stability, and adsorption capacity. Nanostructured materials can react with other molecules more quickly than large particles. Energy crops are used to produce bioethanol, which is used as an alternative to petroleum. Many different feedstocks, including first-, second-, and third-generation corn, have been used to make bioethanol. Additionally, efforts are being made to create gasoline ethanol using municipal solid wastes. The bioethanol sector requires a steady flow of trustworthy raw materials. Softwoods and hardwoods are included in forest biomass, whereas sawdust, pruning, bark thinning residues, and wood chips are included in forest waste. Softwoods, which have lower density and rapid growth, include hemlock, redwood, spruce, pine, cedar, and fir. Municipal solid waste.
TopPre-Treatment Of Lignocellulosic Biomass
Yield is limited by hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass without pre-treatment. Pre-treatment is required to improve enzyme hydrolysis. There have been adopted a number of physical, chemical, physiochemical, and biological pre-treatment methods. The purpose of pre-treatment is to make more cellulose available for hydrolysis. The development of degradation products that prevent the enzymatic hydrolysis and fermentation of biomass is constrained by an optimum pre-treatment technique (Jha et al., 2022). To minimise the complex matrix of lignocellulosic biomass, various pre-treatment techniques are needed, depending on the kind of biomass. Pre-treatment techniques ought to be affordable and efficient on a variety of substrates with little preparation. Pre-treatment methods for Biomass production is shown in Figure 2.