ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the process of biomass deconstruction, methods of biomass assessments, and future challenges. Technically speaking, the commercial viability of lignocellulosic biomass depends on the initial conversion rate of cell wall polymers to sugar monomer, followed by further conversion into value-added products through fermentation. Lignocellulose present in biomass is a heteropolymer compound which is essentially composed of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. Transformation of plant biomass into fermentable sugars is the key requirement of fermentation. The process of fermentation takes place in three steps: conversion of lignocellulosic biomass into sugars, bioethanol production by fermentation of these sugars, and separation and purification of ethanol. The process of separate hydrolysis and fermentation could be conducted at its optimum conditions, which subsequently enhances the possibility of product recovery. The use of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy is also important for finding further information regarding chemical changes occurring during pretreatment and in the process of fermentation.
