Introduction to Renewable Biomaterials

Chapter 3Conversion Technologies

Maurycy Daroch

Peking University, School of Environment and Energy, Shenzhen, China

(…) a new type of thinking is essential if mankind is to survive and move toward higher levels

Albert Einstein, May 25, 1946

3.1 Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, students should be familiar with and cognisant of the following concepts:

1. 1. Major energy resources and their alternatives in the context of energy return on investment and environmental impact.
2. 2. Biomass and fossil fuels as forms of solar energy that has been captured and stored in a form of chemical molecules.
3. 3. Types of biomolecules present in biomass and their potential for bio-fuels and biomaterials.
4. 4. Biomass conversion platforms and energy perspective on conversion of biomass-derived molecules.
5. 5. Themochemical and biochemical methods of biomass conversion.
6. 6. Policy aspects of bioenergy and biomaterials development.

3.2 Energy Scenario at Global Level

3.2.1 Why Our Energy is so Important?

It may sound like a trivial question at the first glance and an immediate answer ‘of course it is important, we need it for everything from cooking the food to moving our cars’ may sound like an obvious answer to most of us. Since for at least three generations we are living in the world of cheap and abundant energy, we sometimes forget the effects of the abundant energy supply on how our societies function in broader context. Our modern life is fundamentally connected to the energy use. ...