Contents



Preface

Global demand and environmental pollution are the two inevitable issues that dictate the urge for finding alternative energy sources. The energy demand is positively correlated to population growth, as population increases, this directly increases the sophistication and eventual energy demand. From another perspective, environmental concerns are alarming, such as the adversity of global warming because of fossil fuel usage. It is evident and reported that the continued use of fossil fuels has resulted in excessive emissions of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, leading to the depletion of the ozone layer and this has led to global warming. To address both the issues of an unprecedented increase in energy demand and environmental adversity, bioenergy has become appropriately attractive because of its renewable and ecofriendly nature. For almost two decades, biofuel research has received more interest and eventual growth and development. In general, it is widely accepted that biomassderived products can reduce the current dependence on fossil-based products.

Biomass is the most abundant photosynthetic renewable resource on Earth, with a huge global annual production rate. Lignocellulosic wastes have been widely discussed as a promising natural chemical source and alternative feedstock for secondgeneration biofuels, without competition on the human food demand, fresh water, or arable lands. However, there are still many technical and economic challenges facing its utilization. Lignin is one of the components of lignocellulosic biomass. It is the most rigid constituent and can be considered as a glue providing the cell wall with stiffness and the plant tissue with compressive strength. In addition, it provides resistance to chemical and physical damage. Resistance of lignocelluloses to hydrolysis is mainly from the protection of cellulose by lignin and cellulose binding to hemicellulose. The present book provides basic knowledge and recent research on different applications of biomass, focusing on the bioenergy and different pretreatment methods that overcome the aforementioned hurdles. The book is divided into two main sections with a total of eleven chapters. The first section focuses on the challenges of biomass utilization and the different methods used for the pretreatment of lignocelluloses. The second section presents experimental studies and a literature survey for recent applications of biomass in biofuel production.

I would like to express my gratitude to the faculty members of the School of Energy and Power Engineering and to the postgraduate students of the New Energy

Department, School of Energy and Power Engineering, Jiangsu University. Last but not least, I would like to thank Mr. Ivan Butkovic, Author Service Manager, IntechOpen, for being generously helpful throughout the process of submission and review.

> **Abd El-Fatah Abomohra** New Energy Department,

> > Jiangsu University,

China

School of Energy and Power Engineering,
