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Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation
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This report describes the production of second generation biofuels that are obtained from lignocellulose (a collective term for lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose – components of plants and wood) with a particular focus on conversion processes. Cellulose and hemicellulose are polymers of sugars and are among the most abundant natural polymers on earth. Therefore, they have the potential to supply a considerable proportion of low cost transport fuels if cost effective conversion processes are available. The processing steps required for the conversion of lignocellulose plant material into fuels and potential fuels, and their techno-economic barriers are described in detail in this report. After harvest, lignocellulose usually undergoes pretreatment, at least size reduction, and up to complete solvolysis, before it is further processed. Two major processing platforms exist: enzymatic or thermochemical conversion of lignocellulose.
