Chemicals from lignocellulosic biomass: A critical comparison between biochemical, microwave and thermochemical conversion methods. Issue 14 (18th July 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Yu, Iris K. M.; Chen, Huihui; Abeln, Felix; Auta, Hadiza; Fan, Jiajun; Budarin, Vitaly L.; Clark, James H.; Parsons, Sophie; Chuck, Christopher J.; Zhang, Shicheng; Luo, Gang; Tsang, Daniel C.W
• Is Part Of: Critical reviews in environmental science and technology. Volume 51:Issue 14(2021)
• Page Start: 1479
• Page End: 1532
• Publication Date: 2021-07-18
• Subjects: Bio-based chemicals -- lignocellulosic biomass -- sustainable biorefinery; Pollution -- Environmental aspects -- Periodicals; Environmental protection -- Periodicals; Environmental engineering -- Periodicals; Environmental health -- Periodicals; Nature -- Effect of human beings on -- Periodicals; 363.73
• DOI: 10.1080/10643389.2020.1753632
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1064-3389

Abstract

Abstract: The past decades have seen an increasing interest in developing pathways to produce bio-based chemicals from lignocellulosic biomass and organic waste as renewable resources. Using biomass as a source of chemical building blocks is critical to a future sustainable chemical industry. The successful development of bio-chemicals will also have a profound impact in terms of the innovations of new polymers and materials, new solvents, and new bio-active compounds. This article provides a broad review of conventional thermal heating, microwave processing, and biochemical processing for the production of value-added bio-based chemicals. The potentially important but currently little exploited microwave-assisted processes are given particular attention and the microwave-specific, non-thermal effects are explored. The comparative merits of different approaches are evaluated from the techno-economic and environmental perspectives. The opportunities of integrated biorefineries are articulated, with the aim to actualize carbon-efficient valorization of lignocellulosic biomass and organic waste for synthesizing an array of products. Graphical abstract: UF0001