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ARS Home » Plains Area » Las Cruces, New Mexico » Cotton Ginning Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #396719
Research Project: Improving the Production and Processing of Western and Long-Staple Cotton and Companion Crops to Enhance Quality, Value, and Sustainability

Location: Cotton Ginning Research

Title: A comprehensive evaluation of the various routes of biochemical conversion of pelletized biomass

Author
item PAUL, ANINDITA - State University Of New York- College Of Environmental Science And Forestry
item JUNEJA, ANKITA - Archer Daniels Midland
item Tumuluru, Jaya Shankar
item KUMAR, DEEPAK - State University Of New York- College Of Environmental Science And Forestry

Submitted to: Book Chapter
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/18/2022
Publication Date: 6/29/2023
Citation: Paul, A., Juneja, A., Tumuluru, J., Kumar, D. 2023. A comprehensive evaluation of the various routes of biochemical conversion of pelletized biomass. In: Tumuluru, J.S. Densification Impact on Raw, Chemically and Thermally Pretreated Biomass. First Edition. Singapore: World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd. p. 291-316. https://doi.org/10.1142/9781800613799_0011.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1142/9781800613799_0011

Interpretive Summary: This chapter discusses the biochemical conversion routes of densified lignocellulosic biomass. Densification increases the bulk density of biomass, off-setting high cost of biomass handling, storage, and transportation. Pelleting increases the bulk density of raw biomass by 5-10 times and has shown tremendous improvement in its utilization for large-scale applications. In addition, the sugar yields of the biomass after densification have been shown to increase. Pelleting the biomass improves not only the physical properties but also the sugar yields. This chapter discusses how the densification of various biomass helps to increase the sugar yields for biofuel production.

Technical Abstract: Lignocellulosic biomass (LCB) represents abundant biomass that is economically feasible and environmentally sustainable to produce biofuels and bioproducts. Despite these lucrative advantages, LCB faces logistical and technological challenges in its utilization. Low bulk density and high moisture content hinder the biomass’s efficient transportation and storage. Densification has become an essential step for efficient transport, storage, and utilization of biomass, pelletization being one of the most common densification methods. Pellets (and other densification techniques) have been studied in great detail for the thermochemical conversion of biomass. However, the extent of knowledge of its effect on sugar yields during biochemical conversions is limited. This chapter summarizes the densification methods used for biomass for biochemical conversion and their possible merits and limitations.