Physico-chemical Characterization during the Preparation of Biomass as Feedstock for Bioenergy and Bioproducts

木质纤维生物质在用作生物制品和生物能源生产的原料时面临着许多挑战。如果要将其用于直接能源生产、热化学和生物化学转化，它的形式必须是运输和转化成本合算的。此外，如果要将其用作生化转化的原料，木质纤维素基质必须被分解成纤维素、半纤维素和木质素。这项研究计划将研究来自农业作物残渣和城市固体废物的生物质的物理和化学性质(组成、吸水性和极性)及其相互作用，以基本了解生物质颗粒在为生产生物材料、生物能源、生物燃料和其他生物产品进行加工和准备时所经历的命运。生物质颗粒可以通过微生物、微波、射频能量、脉冲电场、蒸汽爆炸和烘干等不同的预处理方案进行处理。农作物秸秆生物质的前处理也是致密化的重要环节，以避免使用粘结剂，并获得高质量的致密化产品。经过处理和预处理的生物质要经过致密化(造粒、挤压和团聚)，因为致密化形式易于和有效地运输到最终用户。

Lignocellulosic biomass has many challenges when used as feedstock for bioproducts and bioenergy production. If it were to be used for direct energy production, thermochemical and biochemical conversion, it must be in a form that is cost effective to transport and convert. Furthermore, if it were to be used as feedstock for biochemical conversion, the lignocellulosic matrix has to be broken down into cellulose, hemicelluloses and lignin. This research program will examine the physical and chemical (composition, water adsorption and polarity) properties of biomass from agricultural crop residues and municipal solid waste and their interaction to gain basic understanding of the fate that biomass particles undergo as they are processed and prepared for the production of biomaterials, bioenergy, biofuel and other bioproducts. Biomass particles may be subjected to different pretreatment options by use of microbial, microwave, radio frequency energy, pulsed electric field, steam explosion and torrefaction pretreatments. The pretreatment of biomass from crop residue is also very important for densification so as not to use binders and to have high quality densified products. The processed and pretreated biomass is subjected to densification (pelletization, extrusion and agglomeration) because densified forms are easy and efficient to transport to end users.