What is Biomass?

In industrial contexts, biomass refers to living and recently living biological material, usually plant matter grown for use as biofuel. It excludes organic material which has beentransformed by geological processes into substances such as coal or petroleum. It is usually measured by dry weight.
Most plant matter that can be processed into various industrial material:
• biofuel (including biodiesel, methanol fuel, and ethanol fuel)
• building materials
• biodegradable plastics and paper (using cellulose fibers)
In industry, biomass is grown from several plants, including switchgrass, hemp, corn, and sugarcane.
Biomass is a growing industry as interest in sustainable fuel is growing.

Biomass

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Types of Biofuels

Classes of Biofuels

• Solid biofuels
• Wood — see Wood heat
• Liquid biofuels
• Bioalcohols — see alcohol as a fuel.
• Ethanol (not produced from petroleum) - A significant amount of ethanol produced from sugar cane is being used as automotive fuel in Brazil. Ethanol produced fromcorn is being used as a gasoline additive (oxygenator) in the United States.
• Methanol - Currently, methanol is produced from natural gas. It is possible, but not economically viable at anywhere near current price levels, to produce methanol from biomass (biomethanol).
• Straight vegetable oil (SVO) - used in modified diesel engines.
• Waste vegetable oil (WVO)
• Biodiesel - obtained from animal fats and vegetable oil (vegoils), using transesterification. Properly processed biodiesel is satisfactory for use in diesel cars.

Biofuel

Energy obtained from biomass, this is, from renewable sources, not like petrol and fossil fuels.
There is two main classes :
• Ethanol and methanol natural alcohols: you cannot use a 100 % bioalcohol in your gasoline petrol car.
• Significant amounts of ethanol (produced from sugar beets) are used as automotive fuel in Brazil.
• Significant amounts of ethanol (produced from corn) are used as a gasoline additive (oxygenator) in the United States.
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• Currently, methanol is produced from natural gas. It is possible, but not economical at anywhere near current price levels, to produce methanol from biomass.
• Biodiesel: you can use a 100 % biodiesel in your nowadays diesel petrol car. Biodiesel is obtained from animal fats and vegetable oil (vegoils).

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