Integral management of lignocellulosic biomass by biorefining

Abstract

The constant rise in oil prices, along with the projected end to the world's oil reserves, forces to find a substitute feedstock for fuel and chemical commodities production. Lignocellulosic biomass is the material that can substitute oil at least partially as it can be produced in high quantities in a sustainable way as a by-product of many agricultural and industrial processes, contains precursors of many chemicals, and can even be converted into fuel by relatively easy processes. Biorefineries are industrial facilities that can transform feedstock into fine chemicals of biofuels. This work reviews the existing advances, especially in the ability to process lignocellulosic material in a fast and economically sustainable manner, and what is necessary to do in several fields to make sustainable biorefining a reality.