Biogas from Waste and Renewable Resources

Most modern surfactants are readily biodegradable and exhibit low toxicity in the aquatic environment, the two criteria for green surfactants. However the majority are synthesised from petroleum, so over the past decade the detergent industry has turned its attention to developing greener routes to create these surfactants via renewable building blocks. Surfactants from Renewable Resources presents the latest research and commercial applications in the emerging field of sustainable surfactant chemistry, with emphasis on production technology, surface chemical properties, biodegradability, ecotoxicity, market trends, economic viability and life-cycle analysis. Reviewing traditional sources for renewable surfactants as well as recent advances, this text focuses on techniques with potential for large scale application. Topics covered include: Renewable hydrophobes from natural fatty acids and forest industry by-products Renewable hydrophiles from carbohydrates, amino acids and lactic acid New ways of making renewable building blocks; ethylene from renewable resources and complex mixtures from waste biomass Biosurfactants Surface active polymers This book is a valuable resource for industrial researchers in companies that produce and use surfactants, as well as academic researchers in surface and polymer chemistry, sustainable chemistry and chemical engineering.

Biodegradable Polymer Blends and Composites from Renewable Resources provides a comprehensive, current overview of biopolymeric blends and composites and their applications in various industries. The book is organized according to the type of blend or composite. For each topic, the relationship between the structure of the blends/composites and their respective properties is explored, with particular focus on interface, compatibility, mechanical, and thermal properties. Real-life applications and potential markets are discussed. This is a premier reference for graduate students and researchers in polymer science, chemical and bio engineering, and materials science.

Designing polymers and developing polymerization processes that are safe, prevent pollution, and are more efficient in the use of materials and engergy is an important topic in modern chemistry. Today, green polymer research can be seen increasingly in academia nd industry. It tackles all aspects of polymers and polymerization – everything from chemical feedstocks, synthetic pathways, and reaction media to the nature of the final polymer as related to its inherent nontoxicity or degradability. This book summarizes and evaluates the latest developments in green polymerization methods. Specifically, new catalytic methods and processes which incorporate renewable resources will be discussed by leading experts in the field of polymer chemistry. This book is a must-have for Polymer Chemists, Chemists Working with/on Organometallics, Biochemists, Physical Chemists, Chemical Engineers, Biotechnologists, Materials Scientists, and Catalytic Chemists.

A technical and economic review of emerging waste disposal technologies Intended for a wide audience ranging from engineers and academics to decision-makers in both the public and private sectors, Municipal Solid Waste to Energy Conversion Processes: Economic, Technical, and Renewable Comparisons reviews the current state of the solid waste disposal industry. It details how the proven plasma gasification technology can be used to manage Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) and to generate energy and revenues for local communities in an environmentally safe manner with essentially no wastes. Beginning with an introduction to pyrolysis/gasification and combustion technologies, the book provides many case studies on various waste-to-energy (WTE) technologies and creates an economic and technical baseline from which all current and emerging WTE technologies could be compared and evaluated. Topics include: Pyrolysis/gasification technology, the most suitable and economically viable approach for the management of wastes Combustion technology Other renewable energy resources including wind and hydroelectric energy Plasma economics Cash flows as a revenue source for waste solids-to-energy management Plant operations, with an independent case study of Eco-Valley plant in Utashinai, Japan Extensive case studies of garbage to liquid fuels, wastes to electricity, and wastes to power ethanol plants illustrate how currently generated MSW and past wastes in landfills can be processed with proven plasma gasification technology to eliminate air and water pollution from landfills.

This book provides the vision of a successful biorefinery—the lignocelluloic biomass needs to be efficiently converted to its constituent monomers, comprising mainly of sugars such as glucose, xylose, mannose and arabinose. Accordingly, the first part of the book deals with aspects crucial for the pretreatment and hydrolysis of biomass to give sugars in high yield, as well as the general aspects of bioprocessing technologies which will enable the development of biorefineries through inputs of metabolic engineering, fermentation, downstream processing and formulation. The second part of the book gives the current status and future directions of the biological processes for production of ethanol (a biofuel as well as an important commodity raw material), solvents (butanol, isobutanol, butanediols, propanediols), organic acids (lactic acid, 3-hydroxy propionic acid, fumaric acid, succinic acid and adipic acid), and amino acid (glutamic acid). The commercial production of some of these commodity bioproducts in the near future will have a far reaching effect in realizing our goal of sustainable conversion of these renewable resources and realizing the concept of biorefinery. Suitable for researchers, practitioners, graduate students and consultants in biochemical/ bioprocess engineering, industrial microbiology, bioprocess technology, metabolic engineering, environmental science and energy, the book offers: Exemplifies the application of metabolic engineering approaches for development of microbial cell factories Provides a unique perspective to the industry about the scientific problems and their possible solutions in making a bioprocess work for commercial production of commodity bioproducts Discusses the processing of renewable resources, such as plant biomass, for mass production of commodity chemicals and liquid fuels to meet our ever- increasing demands Encourages sustainable green technologies for the utilization of renewable resources Offers timely solutions to help address the energy problem as non-renewable fossil oil will soon be unavailable

Energy and environmental issues have caused a marked increase in electricity production from renewable energy sources since the beginning of the 21st Century. The concept of sustainable development and concern for future generations challenge us every day to produce new technologies for energy production, and new patterns of use for these energies. Their rapid emergence can make the understanding and therefore the perception of these new technologies difficult. This book aims to contribute to a better understanding of the new electricity generation technologies by addressing a diverse audience. It presents the issues, sources and means of conversion into electricity using a general approach and develops scientific concepts to understand their main technical characteristics. Systems of electricity generation from renewable energy resources of small to medium powers are presented. The basic electrical concepts necessary for understanding the operating characteristics of these energy converters are introduced, and the constraints and problems of integration in the electrical networks of those means of production are discussed. Several exercises are provided to the reader for evaluation purposes. Contents 1. Decentralized Electricity Production from Renewable Energy, Beno?t Robyns. 2. Solar Photovoltaic Power, Arnaud Davigny. 3. Wind Power, Bruno Francois and Beno?t Robyns. 4. Terrestrial and Marine Hydroelectricity: Waves and Tides, Beno?t Robyns and Antoine Henneton. 5. Thermal Power Generation, Jonathan Sprooten. 6. Integration of the Decentralized Production into the Electrical Network, Beno?t Robyns.

Presents the synthesis, technology and processing details of a large range of polymers derived from renewable resources It has been a long-term desire to replace polymers from fossil fuels with the more environmentally friendly polymers generated from renewable resources. Now, with the recent advancements in synthesis technologies and the finding of new functional monomers, research in this field has shown strong potential in generating better property polymers from renewable resources. A text describing these advances in synthesis, processing, and technology of such polymers not only provides the state-of-the-art information to researchers, but also acts to stimulate research in this direction. The contents are based on a wide range of functional monomers and the contributions are written by eminent researchers. Specifically Renewable Polymers: Demonstrates the design, synthesis, properties and applications of plant oil-based polymers Presents an elaborate review of acid mediated polymerization techniques for the generation of green polymers Details the production of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) from olive oil based wastewater Describes the use of atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) techniques Reviews the renewable polymers derived from transgenic crop plants Provides an overview of a range of biomass-based polymers Concludes with the recent efforts and approaches exploiting the natural materials in developing drug delivery systems.

Following on from the successful first edition of Waste Treatment & Disposal, this second edition has been completely updated, and provides comprehensive coverage of waste process engineering and disposal methodologies. Concentrating on the range of technologies available for household and commercial waste, it also presents readers with relevant legislative background material as boxed features. NEW to this edition: Increased coverage of re-use and recycling Updating of the usage of different waste treatment technologies Increased coverage of new and emerging technologies for waste treatment and disposal A broader global perspective with a focus on comparative international material on waste treatment uptake and waste management policies