Grants and Contributions:

Grant or Award spanning more than one fiscal year. (2017-2018 to 2022-2023)

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.

The program will be subdivided into two activities (where each activity is interdependent upon one another and may be conducted simultaneously), namely a) the pretreatment of biomass and b) the densification of biomass. After being subjected to pretreatment and densification, the composition of biomass and the distribution of components within the different parts of the biomass will be determined both using standard chemical methods and the use of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and the soft x-ray beamline at the Canadian Light Source. Rapid characterization of the components (quantity and distribution) of biomass will be one potential contribution of this research program. The physicochemical properties of the pretreated biomass for the compression and compaction processes during densification will also be determined to generate information required for the design and development of the equipment required for this operation. After the pretreatment and densification of biomass, the physicochemical characterization of the densified biomass will also be carried to determine the extent and ease of the breakdown of the lignocellulosic matrix into their basic components and its suitability and ease of biochemical or thermochemical conversion.