Forestry feedstocks utilized in the renewable industry include woody biomass such as: logging residue (e.g. slash, saw dust), forest management waste (e.g. wildfire mitigation, diseased tree removal), and dedicated energy forestry crops (e.g. poplar trees and willow stands). A sustainable future requires solid forest management practices to maintain habitats for wildlife and minimize the devastating…
Agricultural Feedstocks for the renewable energy industry include starch and sugar crops (e.g., corn, sorghum), grass crops (e.g., switch grass, miscanthus), oil crops (e.g., soybean, sunflowers), and crop residues (e.g., corn stover, corn cobs, nut shells). Agricultural feedstocks can create sustainable paths by using marginal croplands to generate energy products, and by adding value or…
Forest biomaterials are a class of solid materials derived from trees and shrubs. Forest biomaterials are a source of renewable products that offer many benefits in terms of abundance, low density, strength, cost, easily shaped or used and performance. Obvious examples include building products, furniture and paper board, but the list also includes high-tech materials,…
Methane (CH4) is a chemical compound with one atom of carbon and four atoms of hydrogen. It is the simplest alkane and is the main constituent of natural gas. The abundance of methane makes it an attractive fuel, although capturing and storing can pose challenges. Naturally occurring methane is found both below ground and under the…
Carbon black is an essential industrial chemical used to impart special properties to finished goods. It is composed of nucleated clusters of elemental carbon adding color, UV stabilization, heat dissipation and anti-static properties to plastic films, electrical parts, inks, and strength and wearability to automotive tires to name a few of its ubiquitous applications. The…
Catalysis is the process of increasing the rate of some chemical reaction by adding a substance known as a catalyst. In today’s world many different things like petroleum products, plastics, textiles, pharmaceutical products, and various other chemicals are prepared through some catalytic processes. Catalysts speed up chemical reactions but can be recovered unchanged at the…
Polyurethane is a polymer composed of organic units joined by urethane links. Polyurethanes are one of the most versatile plastic materials. Polyurethanes can be molded into unusual shapes and to enhance industrial and consumer products, and are used in such items as foam seats, foam insulation, seals, gaskets, sprays, durable elastomeric wheels and tires (such as those found…
A stage gate approach (also known as a phase-gate or waterfall approach) is a common project management technique in which a project is divided into phases or stages that are separated by decision making points known as gates). At each “gate” the decision is made as to whether to stop, move forward with the existing scope, schedule,…