Sustainable world through sustainable materials and integrated biorefineries

Abstract

Issue Title: Special Issue: Proceedings of The Second KACST-Oxford Petrochemical Forum, 2012. 9 - 12 September 2012, Riyadh. The present world, with all its advancement, is not a sustainable world, simply because it is based on non-renewable raw materials (non-RRMs). Sustainable world is best expressed in terms of sustainable development and non-RRMs must be replaced by sustainable materials. The sustainable materials needed by modern society are very wide and the main pillars are biofuels and bioproducts. Both pillars are best related through integrated biorefineries (IBRs) formed of related concepts which are very important for the economic development and sustainability of all countries on our planet. Integrated biorefineries include the production of biofuels and bioproducts and utilizing novel technologies. An IBR contains at least two routes: a biochemical route based on a sugar platform and a thermochemical-catalytic route based on a syngas platform. It is a multiple inputs-multi outputs (MIMO) system with design flexibility to accept a wide range of biofeedstock, especially wastes. If the biorefinery consists of only one route/platform, or is limited with regard to MIMO or biofuels/bioproducts produced, then it should be considered an elementary biorefinery (EBR). Sustainable development engineering which is a subsystem of sustainable development (and sustainable world) is more general than Environmental Engineering; and Clean and Green Technology, because it also includes the utilization of RRMs to achieve not only sustainability but also clean environment. An integrated system approach based on system theory is used to analyse sustainable development, sustainable world, sustainable materials, IBRs, EBRs and their interactions.