Rethinking ThermoChemical conversion of biomass into biofuel

The rising cost of the petroleum requires to rethink thermochemical conversion (TCC) technology for the biomass conversion for the sustainability of energy and for the protection of the environment. TCC is a chemical reforming process of biomass in a heated and usually pressurized, oxygen deprived enclosure, where long chain organic compounds (solid biomass) break into short chain hydrocarbons. The green energy potential and the avoided cost of waste disposal can enhance the value of the fuel produced from the TCC. TCC may hold a substantially greater potential to shorten the fermentation time of lignocellulose whereas the traditional use of acid hydrolysis requires a large capital investment for the necessary corrosion-resistant equipment. TCC conversion also breaks down the long carbon chain much faster than biological degradation, typically on the order of the minutes instead of days.