Preface

This book aims to fill the gaps in the field of converting biomass to specialty chemicals and fuels and to communicate the most interesting and relevant thinking. The utilization of biomass as a feedstock is a potential route to decreasing global reliance on fossil fuels, which will help to reduce CO₂ emissions and thereby contribute to replacing the existing fossil-based value chains with renewable and sustainable technologies. In this way, the book suggests an approach to help address the looming global warming crisis that the world is facing.

Fischer–Tropsch technology is gaining interest as a low-carbon route to producing liquid fuels and specialty chemicals from biomass and other nonconventional resources, such as waste. This book reviews the issues, solutions, novel ideas and technologies that could support the transition to a low-carbon future, making it a significant addition to contemporary literature on the subject of alternative fuels. The book serves as a reference that summarizes state-of-the-art technology and outlines the knowledge and technology development gaps. We believe it makes a contribution to addressing climate change by educating, promoting research and highlighting the latest developments in the waste-to-energy sector. We hope that this will help to bring together the research community and the private sector and to influence government policies and decision making.

To this end, this book:

1. Provides an up-to-date overview of specialty chemicals and fuels that can be produced from biomass via the Fischer–Tropsch synthesis pathway.

2. Focuses on the key challenges that impede the use of biomass as a feedstock for manufacturing chemicals and fuels.

3. Integrates technological and business development challenges to highlight the key technological developments that are necessary to commercialize biofuels on a global scale.

4. Looks at how to tailor the biomass to hydrocarbons pathways in order to produce a specific group of chemicals, with the ultimate aim of reducing downstream processing.

5. Considers new developments, including process synthesis, catalysts and reactors.

A book such as this could not have appeared without the sustained help of many people. Experts from around the world contributed chapters in their fields of expertise and reviewed the material. Thank you to all the contributing authors, the reviewers who participated in checking the scientific accuracy and the relevance of the material, and Juliet Gillies for editing the book.

Joshua Gorimbo

Yali Yao

X. Liu

Diane Hildebrandt