Improvements in Bio-Based Building Blocks Production Through Process Intensification and Sustainability Concepts

The production of bio-based chemicals is not new. Current global bio-based chemical is estimated to be around 50 million tonnes. From a technical point of view, almost all industrial materials made from fossil resources could be substituted by their bio-based counterparts. However, the cost of bio-based production in many cases exceeds the cost of petrochemical production. Also, new products must be proven to perform at least as good as the petrochemical equivalent they are substituting and to have a lower environmental impact. The low price of crude oil acted as a barrier to bio-based commodity chemical production and producers focussed on the specific attributes of bio-based chemicals such as their complex structure to justify production costs. Also, the consumer demand for environmentally friendly products, population growth and limited supplies of non-renewable resources have now opened new windows of opportunity for bio-based chemicals and polymers. The industry is increasingly viewing chemical production from renewable resources as an attractive area for investment. Improvements in Bio-Based Building Blocks Production Through Process Intensification and Sustainability Concepts outlines the application of process intensification techniques which allow the generation of clean, efficient and economical processes for bio-based chemical blocks production.