ABSTRACT
There are numerous ways to convert biomass resources discussed in Chapter 1 into useful energy, chemicals, fuels, or mechanical and electrical power. In some ways, the conversion process is dependent on specic properties of the biomass, such as moisture and ash content. However, some conversion processes are not affected much by the biomass properties but simply by the energy content of the biomass resource. There are also various ways to categorize these conversion processes. One may focus on the nal products of the process while others may focus on the specic conditions used during the conversion process, such as temperature or heat. Thus, biomass resources that have very low moisture upon harvest and have high energy density are mostly suitable for thermal conversion processes since removing the moisture will signicantly affect the overall efciency of the conversion process. Biomass resources very high in moisture are traditionally used in the biological conversion pathway primarily because this conversion process relies on living microorganisms that normally thrive under high-moisture conditions. Finally, there are biomass conversion processes that use neither heat nor microorganisms but rely on simple chemicals or catalysts for converting extracted biomass constituents into useful energy-related products.
