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.

Progressive Thermochemical Biorefining Technologies 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 I