Emerging Technologies for Biorefineries, Biofuels, and Value-Added Commodities

This book provides in-depth coverage on the latest concepts, systems, and technologies that are being utilized in biorefineries for the production of biofuels and value-added commodities. Written by internationally recognized experts, the book provides a comprehensive overview of pretreatment technology for biorefineries and biofuels, enzymatic hydrolysis and fermentation technology for biofuel production, and lignin valorization for developing new products from waste lignin. The book will be a valuable resource for researchers and professionals working in process engineering, product engineering, material science, and systems and synthetic biology in the fields of biorefining, biofuel, biomaterials, environmental waste utilization, and biotechnology.

1) Challenges and Perspectives of Biorefineries

Zhi-Hua Liu, PhD, is a tenured associate professor at School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University. He received B.S. (2010) and M.S. (2013) degrees from Tianjin University and a Ph.D. (2016) degree in Biochemical Engineering from the Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China. Prior to starting his academic career at Tianjin University in 2020, he worked as a research scientist at College of Agricultural and Life Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States from 2016. Dr. Liu’s research interests include biorefinery, biofuels, lignin valorization, sustainable bioproducts and systems and synthetic biology. He has authored or co-authored more than 30 peer-reviewed articles and 5 book chapters. He has also contributed to more than 10 presentations at international conferences.

Art Ragauskas, PhD, held the first Fulbright Chair in Alternative Energy and is a Fellow of American Association for the Advancement of Science, the International Academy of Wood Science and TAPPI. He started his academic career in 1989 at the Institute of Paper Science and Technology and in 2003 transferred to the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the Georgia Institute of Technology. In the spring of 2014 he joined the University of Tennessee, as a Governor’s Chair in Biorefining. His program is directed at understanding and exploiting innovative sustainable bioresources. This multifaceted program is targeted to develop new and improved applications for nature’s premiere renewable biopolymers for biofuels, biopower, and bio-based materials and chemicals. He has authored or co-authored more than 300 technical papers and has contributed to over 300 technical presentations at national and international conferences.