Progressive Thermochemical Biorefining Technologies

Considering the deleterious impacts of fossil fuels on the environmental and natural ecosystems, it has become imperative to make a paradigm shift toward renewable fuels, chemicals, and materials. The exhaustive everyday usage of fossil fuels and processed petrochemical products are the leading causes for the increase in greenhouse gas emissions, global warming, climate changes, acid rain, ozone layer depletion, pollution of air, water, and soil as well as for the accumulation of nonbiodegradable materials in the soil and oceans. On the contrary, biofuels, biochemicals, and biomaterials derived from renewable wastes such as nonedible plant biomass (e.g., agricultural and forestry biomass), energy crops, microalgae, municipal solid waste, sewage sludge, and other biogenic residues seem to be carbon neutral. Therefore, the global interest in biorefining technologies, especially thermochemical and biological conversion processes, is gaining momentum in academic and industrial perspectives.

offers all-inclusive coverage of the most crucial topics as follows:

• State-of-the-art information on the production and utilization of biofuels through thermochemical biorefining technologies
• Conversion of waste biomass through pyrolysis, liquefaction, torrefaction, carbonization, gasification, reforming, and other clean technologies
• Waste-to-energy/chemical generation
• Fuel upgrading technologies
• Techno-economic analysis and life-cycle assessment of biorefining processes

Specifically designed to be instantly applicable, this volume serves as a reference book for undergraduate and graduate students, scientific investigators, and research scholars working in the areas relating to energy and fuels.

Dr. Sonil Nanda is a Research Associate at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. He received his Ph.D. degree in Biology from York University, Canada; M.Sc. degree in Applied Microbiology from Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT University), India; and B.Sc. degree in Microbiology from Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology, India. Dr. Nanda’s research areas are related to the production of advanced biofuels and biochemical through thermochemical and biochemical conversion technologies such as gasification, pyrolysis, carbonization, torrefaction, and fermentation. He has gained expertise in hydrothermal gasification of various organic wastes and biomass including agricultural and forestry residues, industrial effluents, municipal solid wastes, cattle manure, sewage sludge, food wastes, waste tires, and petroleum residues to produce hydrogen fuel. His parallel interests are also in the generation of hydrothermal flames for the treatment of hazardous wastes, agronomic applications of biochar, phytoremediation of heavy metal contaminated soils, as well as carbon capture and sequestration. Dr. Nanda has published 14 books, 50 book chapters and over 100 peer-reviewed journal articles. He is the editor of books entitled "New Dimensions in Production and Utilization of Hydrogen" (Elsevier), "Recent Advancements in Biofuels and Bioenergy Utilization" (Springer Nature), "Biorefinery of Alternative Resources: Targeting Green Fuels and Platform Chemicals" (Springer Nature), "Fuel Processing and Energy Utilization" (CRC Press), "Bioprocessing of Biofuels" (CRC Press) and "Biotechnology for Sustainable Energy and Products" (I.K. International Publishing House Pvt. Ltd.). Dr. Nanda serves as a Fellow Member of the Society for Applied Biotechnology in India, as well as a Life Member of the Indian Institute of Chemical Engineers, Association of Microbiologists of India, Indian Science Congress Association, and the Biotech Research Society of India. He is also an active member of several chemical engineering societies across North America such as the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, the Chemical Institute of Canada, the Combustion Institute-Canadian Section, and Engineers Without Borders Canada. Dr. Nanda is an Assistant Subject Editor of the International Journal of Hydrogen Energy (Elsevier) as well as an Associate Editor of Environmental Chemistry Letters (Springer Nature) and Applied Nanoscience (Springer Nature). He has also edited several special issues in renowned journals such as the International Journal of Hydrogen Energy (Elsevier), Chemical Engineering Science (Elsevier), Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery (Springer Nature), Waste and Biomass Valorization (Springer Nature), Topics in Catalysis (Springer Nature), SN Applied Sciences (Springer Nature), and Chemical Engineering & Technology (Wiley).

Dr. Dai-Viet N. Vo is currently the Director of the Center of Excellence for Green Energy and Environmental Nanomaterials at Nguyen Tat Thanh University in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. He received his Ph.D. degree in Chemical Engineering from The University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia in 2011. He has worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of New South Wales in Sydney and Texas A&M University in Qatar, Doha. Formerly, he was a Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Chemical & Natural Resources Engineering in the Universiti Malaysia Pahang in Kuantan, Malaysia (2013-2019). His research areas are in the production of green synthetic fuels via Fischer-Tropsch synthesis using biomass-derived syngas from various reforming processes. He is also an expert in advanced material synthesis and catalyst characterization. During his early career, he has worked as the principal investigator and co-investigator for 21 different funded research projects related to sustainable and alternative energy. He has published 5 books, 16 book chapters, more than 300 peer-reviewed journal articles and conference proceedings. He has served in the technical and publication committees of numerous international conferences in chemical engineering, catalysis and renewable energy. Dr. Vo is the editor of books entitled "New Dimensions in Production and Utilization of Hydrogen" (Elsevier), "Biorefinery of Alternative Resources: Targeting Green Fuels and Platform Chemicals" (Springer Nature) and "Fuel Processing and Energy Utilization" (CRC Press). Dr. Vo is an Assistant Subject Editor for the International Journal of Hydrogen Energy (Elsevier) and a Guest Editor for several Special Issues in high-impact factor journals such as the International Journal of Hydrogen Energy (Elsevier), Comptes Rendus Chimie (Elsevier), Waste and Biomass Valorization (Springer), Topics in Catalysis (Springer), Journal of Chemical Technology & Biotechnology (Wiley), Chemical Engineering & Technology (Wiley) and several others. He is the Assistant Subject Editor of the International Journal of Hydrogen Energy (Elsevier) and Associate Editor of Environmental Chemistry Letters (Springer Nature) and Applied Nanoscience (Springer Nature). He is also an Editorial Board Member of many international journals including SN Applied Sciences (Springer), Scientific Reports (Springer Nature) and PLOS One. Dr. Vo has been awarded as a Top Peer Reviewer 2019 powered by Publons.