Synthetic Lignin Oligomers: Analytical Techniques, Challenges, and Opportunities.

Lignin is the second most abundant renewable material after cellulose. However, its economic use is currently relegated to low-value energy production. This biomaterial holds great potential as a source of renewable biofuels, bio-based chemicals, advanced materials, and integrated biorefineries.

Fast Pyrolysis of Biomass Residues in a Twin-screw Mixing Reactor.

Fast pyrolysis is being increasingly applied in commercial plants worldwide. They run exclusively on woody biomass, which has favorable properties for conversion with fast pyrolysis. In order to increase the synergies of food production and the energetic and/or material use of biomass, it is desirable to utilize residues from agricultural production, e.

Hydrothermal conversion of biomass to fuels and energetic materials.

Available biomass, preferentially residues, can be divided in two groups: biomass with a high or natural water content ('wet' or 'green' biomass) and biomass with low water content such as wood and straw. In 'dry' biomass gasification processes, originating in most coal processing technologies, biomass of low water content is necessary to avoid the energy loss by water evaporation. In contrast, hydrothermal processes need water as reaction medium; therefore, these processes are preferentially used for wet or 'green' biomass.

Heat of reaction measurements for hydrothermal carbonization of biomass.

This paper presents a set of calorimetric measurements with the aim of better understanding the calorific nature of hydrothermal carbonization. Presented values so far show an inadequately high scatter to do so, preventing a well funded assessment of the energetic feasibility of this process. The heat released during hydrothermal carbonization at 240°C measured with the applied differential calorimetry setup is -1.