Integrated Forest Biorefineries: Challenges and Opportunities Hardback - 2012

Integrated Forest Biorefineries: Challenges and Opportunities describes how bioprocessing and biotechnology could enhance the value extracted from wood-based lignocellulosic fiber by employing both biochemical and thermochemical conversion processes. It documents recent accomplishments and suggests future prospects for research and development of integrated forest biorefineries (IFBR) as the path forward for the pulp, paper and other fiber-processing industries. This is the only book to cover this area of high economic, social, and environmental importance. It is aimed at industrialists and academics from diverse science and engineering backgrounds including chemical and biotechnology companies, governmental and professional bodies, and scholarly societies. The Editor and contributors are internationally recognized scientists and many are leaders in their respective fields. The book starts with an introductory overview of the current state of forest biorefining, technological challenges and perspectives for future developments. The next three chapters deal with economic, environmental and sustainability issues related to policy regulations, biomass production, supply chains, product development and market conditions for the forest products industry. The subsequent four chapters focus on the selective removal of hemicellulose, lignin and extractives from woody biomass and their potential utilization through economic modeling and process integration to obtain biofuels and value-added bioproducts. The last three chapters review the latest developments in utilization of woody biomass for production of hydrocarbon fuels through gasification and pyrolysis; biohydrogen by anaerobic dark fermentation; and bio-based composite materials. The economics of the described IFBR processes and products, and their environmental impact, is a major focus in most of the chapters. Practical examples are presented where relevant and applicable.