Conversion of biomass to selected chemical products

Abstract

This critical review provides a survey illustrated by recent references of different strategies to achieve a sustainable conversion of biomass to bioproducts. Because of the huge number of chemical products that can be potentially manufactured, a selection of starting materials and targeted chemicals has been done. Also, thermochemical conversion processes such as biomass pyrolysis or gasification as well as the synthesis of biofuels were not considered. The synthesis of chemicals by conversion of platform molecules obtained by depolymerisation and fermentation of biopolymers is presently the most widely envisioned approach. Successful catalytic conversion of these building blocks into intermediates, specialties and fine chemicals will be examined. However, the platform molecule value chain is in competition with well-optimised, cost-effective synthesis routes from fossil resources to produce chemicals that have already a market. The literature covering alternative value chains whereby biopolymers are converted in one or few steps to functional materials will be analysed. This approach which does not require the use of isolated, pure chemicals is well adapted to produce high tonnage products, such as paper additives, paints, resins, foams, surfactants, lubricants, and plasticisers. Another objective of the review was to examine critically the green character of conversion processes because using renewables as raw materials does not exempt from abiding by green chemistry principles (368 references).

A colloidoscope of colloid-based porous materials and their uses

“…It is estimated that biomass could provide about 25% of global energy requirements. 329,405,406 Agricultural crops, waste from food processing, litter from animal feedlots and many other sources of biomass can be converted into fuel gas, bio-alcohol, or biodiesel, or into a syngas from which chemicals and fuels can be synthesized. Biodiesel in particular has emerged as one of the best potential renewable energy sources to replace current petroleum-based transportation fuel.…”

Polymer precursors from catalytic reactions of natural oils

“…4 During the twentieth century, the industrial-scale production of chemicals involved for instance the synthesis of flavours from terpenes and the conversion of vegetable oils into surfactants. 5 However, as the conventional route for synthesising chemicals from hydrocarbons was much cheaper than the preparation from biomass, the hydrocarbon route was obviously the preferred one. Converting biomass into chemicals can be achieved in two different approaches depending on the chemicals that are targeted.…”

Bio-Renewable Sources for Synthesis of Eco-Friendly Polyurethane Adhesives—Review

“…This provides a hydroxyl value of between 160 and 180 mg KOH g −1 [111] [112]. However, this low hydroxyl value along with the presence of secondary hydroxyls results in low functionality and low reactivity [113] [114], leading to low crosslinking density, which consequently produces semiflexible and semi-rigid materials among other limitations [115]. Open Journal of Polymer Chemistry PU adhesive was prepared using polyols obtained from castor oil modified by a trans-esterification reaction with pentaerythritol [116].…”