ABSTRACT
Biomass is a collective term that represents several types of natural plant material, each constituent of which is a complex mixture of chemicals and materials and, as such, has a high potential as feedstock for a wide range of chemicals and materials. Biomass is a term used to describe any material of recent biological origin (being of distant origin, fossil fuels are excluded from the definition), including plant materials such as trees, grass species, and agricultural crops as well as animal manure.
The focus of the chapter is the conversion of biomass to biogas and bio-oil followed by the use of solvents to convert the biogas and the bio-oil to products that would fit into conventional refinery operation.
