Biorefinery feed
material sampling and
characterization
The feed material of a Biorefinery may cover a wide range depending on
the source; from forest to agroindustry and from fresh plants to
industrial waste or recycled fibres. Therefore, necessary pretreatments
will be evaluated and standardised. Comparison of isolation methods,
and evaluation of their advantages and disadvantages, including the
representativeness of the obtained sample, will hence be part of the
Action. The isolation and analysis of specific compounds are also
critical steps to understand the process chemistry.
The isolation and analysis of intact polymers is a challenge for the
Biorefineries. Plant polysaccharides or lignin can be the starting
material for advanced natural materials or a potential source for
sustainable bioenergy production. The molar mass, polymer structure,
physico-chemical properties, as well as the molecular building blocks
are critical factors offering analytical challenges. Inorganic
compounds may be a problem especially in Biorefineries using feed
material from the agroindustry. Their analysis is critical for the
outcome of the process or to control the quality of, e.g. biofuels.
Extractives represent an interesting source of bioactive compounds,
specialty chemicals, and biofuels, where the analytical methods also
are extremely challenging.
