ABSTRACT

The sky-rocketing crude oil prices in recent years and the continuous exploitation of fossil fuels demand that we make serious efforts toward sustainable biofuel and bioenergy production. Renewable energy derived from plant-based feedstocks, organic residues, and biowastes is expected to reduce our dependency on fossil fuels, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and enhance the rural economy (Schmer et al., 2008). In the United States, liquid biofuels such as ethanol and biodiesel are primarily derived

14.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................303 14.2 Ultrasound Applications in Bioethanol Production ......................................305