This book will attempt to provide an account of knowledge on biomass available for biomass-based biorefineries. Its focuses on understanding the recalcitrance of biomass and how it limits the overall conversion efficiency. It also gives an insight what are different conventional approaches available for pretreatment and hydrolysis of the biomass. The chapters deals with highlights how enzymes can be a powerhouse and play pioneering roles in biomass valorization. The book will also throw light on how technical aspects of thermochemical conversion strategies such as pyrolysis, gasification, organosolv methods for the generation of value-added materials such as high-quality bio-oil, biochars, and biobased chemicals. These high-value compounds can be put to widespread application in biofuel, biocatalyst, waste bioremediation (heavy metal removal), air purification and effluent treatment applications. The book will provide literature on the limitations of already existing technologies and provide prospects of each technology. This book is of interest to teachers, researchers, bioenergy scientists, capacity builders, and policymakers. Also, the book serves as additional reading material for undergraduate and graduate students of energy studies, chemical engineering, biotechnology, and environmental sciences. National and international energy scientists and policymakers will also find this to be a useful read.

Written by a team of industry experts and edited by one of the most prolific and well-respected engineering authors in the industry, this exciting new volume covers the latest processes, equipment, and applications for clean biofuel production. With renewable and alternative energy sources becoming more and more important, and the growth in percentage of the overall energy used, biofuels production is more important than ever and is a huge part of taking up the slack in the transition from fossil fuels. This volume covers many of the newest state-of-the art processes, trends, and changes in the industry, combining information from many disciplines to deliver have-to-have solutions for the engineer or scientist’s daily problems. Whether in the plant or in the classroom, this exciting new volume is a must-have for any engineer, scientist, student, or other industry professional working in biofuel production. Audience Engineers, scientists, faculty and students, and industry professionals working in the biofuel industry.

Hydrogen has wide applications across many industries, including petroleum refineries, hydrotreating processes, and metallurgy applications. In addition, a number of valuable chemicals, such as ammonia, alcohols, and acids, are manufactured directly or indirectly with hydrogen. Hydrogen Applications and Technologies covers the utilization of hydrogen in petrochemical products, vehicles, and power generation systems, as well as in refinery hydrotreating, metallurgy, welding, annealing, and the heat‐treating of metals. Describes the application of hydrogen in producing valuable chemicals in detail Comprehensively discusses hydrogen utilization as an energy source Covers the application of hydrogen in power generation systems and across various industries Reviews hydrogen’s role as an agent in chemical reactions Part of the multivolume Handbook of Hydrogen Production and Applications, this stand-alone book guides researchers and academics in chemical, environmental, energy, and related areas of engineering interested in development and implementation of hydrogen production technologies.

Biomass presents an attractive source for the production of fuels and chemicals, mainly due to the concerns over the depleting fossil fuel, growing awareness of environmental issues associated with fossil fuel consumption, and increasing world energy demand. Biomass resources include agricultural and forest residues, energy crops, livestock residues as well as municipal solid waste. These biomass resources are first processed into a conversion-friendly form, followed by the transformation to a wide range of energy and/or chemical products using two primary biorefinery platforms: biochemical and thermochemical. This book covers the most recent advances in biomass processing, biochemical and thermochemical conversion technologies, and thus, serves as a useful reference to agriculture engineers, chemical engineers, biotechnology engineers and engineering students. The contents of the book are divided into three sections: biomass overview and processing, biomass thermochemical and biochemical conversion technologies, and integrated biorefinery processes.

AGRO-WASTE DERIVED BIOPOLYMERS AND BIOCOMPOSITES This comprehensive book describes the fundamental principles and major advancements in the utilization of agro-waste for deriving biopolymers, and their applications to fabricate composite, nanocomposite, and hybrid food packaging films and coatings. The book serves as a complete, systematic, comprehensive account of the contemporary developments in the area of novel and environment-friendly valorization of agro- and food wastes into value-added products like biodegradable polymer and active functional agents for food packaging applications. It also describes the hurdles and challenges in the commercialization of these novel biopolymer-based materials, including their composites, their applications, safety, and legal ramifications. This book consists of fifteen chapters covering different aspects of agro- and food waste utilization, the development of biodegradable polymers, and their composites for sustainable food packaging applications. The first thirteen chapters detail the processing of various agro- and food wastes of plant and animal origin to synthesize different biopolymers, such as starch, cellulose, chitosan, silk proteins, pectin, etc., and their applications for the fabrication of sustainable food packaging materials and composites that are attractive alternatives to synthetic plastic packaging. These chapters also summarize the effectiveness of these biopolymers and their composites in developing active films and edible coatings for shelf-life extension and preservation of perishable foods. A chapter is devoted to issues of biodegradability, including analyses of various biodegradation reactions, such as depolymerization, mineralization, biochemical, and abiotic degradation both in soil and aquatic environments. The book concludes with a chapter addressing the concerns associated with the possible migration of components or additives from these biodegradable packaging into packaged food items. Audience The primary audience for this book is researchers, scientists, and engineers working in food science and technology, food engineering and technology, food biotechnology, sustainable food packaging, etc. Additionally, food entrepreneurs and associated businesses, such as the packaging and coatings industries, will also have a keen interest in the book.

CLEAN and RENEWABLE ENERGY PRODUCTION According to the World Renewable Energy Council (WREC), by the year 2100, the world's population will increase to 12 billion and the worldwide energy demand will increase steeply to about five times the present scenario. Researchers are striving to find alternative forms of energy, and this quest is strongly forced by the increasing worry over climate change and planetary heating. Among the diverse varieties of alternative energy sources, biomass has the singular advantage of being carbon neutral. The carbon that is discharged to the atmosphere during its exercise is read back during the utilization of biomass resources for energy output. Currently, biomass provides approximately 13% of the world's primary energy supply and more than 75% of global renewable energy. Indeed, it is estimated that bioenergy could contribute 25–33% of the global energy supply by 2050. Continued adoption of biomass will require efficient conversion rates and avoidance of competition with food and fibers. This book focuses on the recent practices in clean energy and renewable energy. The contributors highlight how newer technologies are reducing the dependency on non-renewable resources, benefiting the researchers who are working in the area of clean and renewable energy production. This new volume will also benefit mechanical engineers, electrical engineers, and bioengineers as they will be updated with the recent work progressing all over the globe. It will benefit the professionals working in the renewable energy sector such as solar, wind, hydrothermal, hydrogen, and bioenergy, including professors, research scholars, industry professionals, and students working in this field.

Improving and Tailoring Enzymes for Food Quality and Functionality, Second Edition covers the most relevant information demanded in the production, engineering, and application of enzymes. The title is very detailed and is in the important cross-field of academia and industry. This totally revised new edition covers a broad range of topics related to enzymes and their use in food, presenting both the fundamental theory and practical application, updated with interesting novel information on biosensors, waste, valorization, up-cycling and engineering perspectives, besides an increased focus on sustainability. - Thoroughly updated revision covering a broad range of topics related to enzymes and their use in the food industry - Presents both the fundamental theory and recent examples from the literature, including the fundamentals of protein folding and enzyme catalysis, the preparation of enzymes from natural and recombinant sources, immobilizing enzymes, and a range of specific food applications - Covers new research directions in enzymes, thus helping those trying to solve a technical issue or develop a new product

Comprehensive discussion of production and purification strategies for microbial enzymes important to various industries, from food and beverages to pharmaceuticals Microbial Enzymes provides expert insight into diverse aspects of microbial enzymes, highlighting strategies for their production, purification, and manipulation, elucidating eco-friendly industrial applications, and discussing several production processes, such as the production of cellulose and non-synthetic indigo dye. This book emphasizes recent technological interventions in microbial enzyme technology like metagenomics, system biology, molecular biology, genomics, directed evolution, and bioinformatics. The important microbial enzymes highlighted in this book include xylanases, ureases, methane monooxygenase, polyhydroxyalkanoates, pectinases, peroxidases, α-L-rhamnosidase, alkane hydroxylases, laccases, proteases, gallic acid decarboxylase, chitinases, beta-glucosidase, lipases, inulinases, tannase, mycozyme, ACC deaminase, ligninolytic enzymes, and many more. Novel treatment methods involving strains of microorganisms with desirable properties applicable in the process of bioremediation through mitigating climate concern, increasing green production technology, improving agriculture productivity, and providing a means of earning a livelihood are discussed. Readers will also gain state-of-the-art background knowledge on existing technologies and their current challenges and future prospects. Contributed to by leading experts in the field and edited by four highly qualified academics, Microbial Enzymes explores important topics including: Strategies for the discovery and enhancement of enzyme function, and potentials of system biology to better understand the kinetics of industrially important enzymes Production and therapeutic applications of monoclonal antibodies in cancer and other diseases, and characterization of tannase as a virulence factor Opportunities to produce enzymes through food waste and byproducts, and recent developments in computational tools Use of Omics tools in the discovery of fungal enzymes and secondary metabolites Microbial Enzymes is a thorough and highly practical reference on the subject for students, scientists, biotechnologists, microbiologists, and policymakers working in environmental microbiology, biotechnology, and environmental sciences.