Vegetable biomass composition: The key parameter for biomass valorization and biorefinery design

Abstract

Effective valorization of vegetable biomass under the biorefinery concept depends on taking full advantage of its chemical composition, which must be accurately quantified to appropriately valorize each one of its fractions. For this, it is necessary to use comprehensive and reliable compositional analysis methods. Also, the classification of different types of biomasses, greatly contributes to the accuracy of the compositional analysis while facilitating the selection pathways (operations, processes, products) during the design process based on a specific feedstock. This work proposes a pioneer methodological framework for biorefinery design that suggests using the composition of vegetable biomass as a key parameter for biomass valorization and biorefinery design. Novel techniques that involve the use of data clustering, a form of unsupervised learning, will be implemented to find patterns that could help in the classification of vegetable biomass composition. This results in the formation of groups that, together with biomass cascading criteria which prioritizes the use of materials and products over energy were used as a guide to obtain experimental data regarding yields of different products under various processing conditions to maximize the recovery of valuable substances in a biorefinery from orange residues. This work included a systematic literature review about compositional analysis methods and biomass characterization techniques that could be used for biorefinery design, the construction of a biomass composition database used to obtain different groups through data clustering, a revision on how lignocellulosic biomass and fruit-derived biomass are currently valorized considering their composition, and finally the valorization of valuable fractions recovered from orange residues the formulation of a baked good, the evaluation of different valorization techniques for orange residues, and finally an experimental cascade to integrate several processing options into a biorefinery.