Converting low value biomass into hydrogen

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The continued growth of the Canadian (and global) population seems to disproportionately increase the demands on the nation's natural resources and ultimately results in the development greater quantities of waste byproducts. The reuse of biomass to generate a renewable energy source is of critical importance to the Canadian government, research sectors, inudstries, and the public because of our nation's commitment to Kyoto Protocol. The proposed research will investigate the conversion of feedstock chemical produced from agriculture residues and organic municipal waste to H2 and other carbon byproducts. Hydrogen is a valuable energy source and a potential transportation fuel. The carbon byproducts could be converted into H2 and CO2 in an electrochemically assisted bioreactor. Note the latter is beyond the scope of the proposed research work. Carbon dioxide can be captured for used in green-houses to enhance plant growth or alternatively used by algae to produce long chain fatty acids (LCFAs) for biodiesel production. In the 1st part of the proposed process, biomass is thermal treated to release valuable sugars and in a 2nd process, these sugars are fermented to produce H2 and carbon byproducts.