Making Biofuels Part 1

Lecture Notes

Here are the results of research conducted with different feedstocks that present the variability of the amounts of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin, as well as other materials, in biomass. There are a number of things that can affect the quality of the feedstocks or the amounts of these components in the feedstocks. Feedstock chemical makeup can vary based on the species or the cultivars of the plants being grown, the soils, and the climate in which the crops are grown. Harvest date can also cause some variability. As you recall, early harvests in the normal harvest cycle result in more biomass, but the quality is usually lower than if we harvest late. With later harvests , biomass quantity is typically reduced, but the quality is improved. Finally, the chemical makeup can also change depending on how it's stored. If it's stored dry and for a short time the feedstock will typically have higher quality than if it's stored for long periods of time or if stored in unfavorable conditions such as wet conditions.