Large renewable energy and biochemical consulting firms like Lee Enterprises Consulting have biomaterials specialists of all types willing to serve as biomaterials expert witnesses in related claims, litigation, arbitration and mediations, or to help attorneys evaluate their biodiesel case. Although expert witness work is only a small part of what they do, most of these…
Alternative energy refers to a wide range of energy generation processes that do not deplete natural resources or harm the environment. Are alternative and renewable energy the same thing? While they certainly contain a great deal of overlap, there are differences. Alternative energy is energy that is generated in ways that do not deplete natural…
What is biomass conversion? In the context of Industrial Biotechnology (IB) biomass is a feedstock used to supply sugars or other chemicals which are used for energy to drive fermentation processes or as feedstocks for biochemical transformations. The biomass should be of low value so that the manufacturing processes are economic and the products will…
In countries around the globe, biomass pyrolysis is increasingly being used to convert useless waste into useful fuel and other materials. Pyrolysis of biomass—an ancient technique that applies high heat to organic materials, decomposing them into something else entirely (such as the charred wood that various civilizations have created and utilized over the centuries)—has in…
Co-processing biomass with fossil carbon feeds and/or wastes? The adoption of renewable chemicals and fuels is a necessity for the future. However, our current fossil carbon-based economy has created a highly efficient infrastructure for processing and distributing fuels. The vision of those desiring to reduce fossil carbon was to slowly transition by leveraging this infrastructure. …
Ethanol gas is the mixture of ethanol with gasoline. Ethanol is an alcohol fuel made from plant material, such as corn, sugar cane, grasses, or woody biomass. The worldwide use of ethanol as a fuel has increased dramatically. Ethanol has a higher-octane number than gasoline, giving it the ability to be blended into lower octane…
Bio-Oil is a generic term for a complex mixture of chemicals obtained from the thermochemical conversion of biomass including lignocellulose agricultural wastes and wood products. The composition of the oil can vary significantly depending on the biomass source, pretreatment, the method of pyrolysis, and the use of catalysts. Bio-oil typically contains significant amounts of…
Climate change realities are upon us. The scientific evidence is clear. NASA tells us that the current warming trend is of particular significance because it is unequivocally the result of human activity since the mid-20th century and is proceeding at an unprecedented rate. Human activities have warmed the atmosphere, ocean, and land and widespread and…