Content
Biorefinery
Subject / field of study: Chemical Engineering
Level: All
Ects points: 7.5
Location: Göteborg, sweden
Link to registration: http://www.chalmers.se/en/sections/education/study_advisors
Organiser information:
Institution / university: Chalmers University of TechnologyAddress: Chalmers University of Technology Kemivägen 10 SE-41296 Göteborg
Country: Sweden
Phone: +46 (0)31 7722992
Contact person: Hans Theliander, hanst@chemeng.chalmers.se, Direct: +46 (0)31 7722992
URL: http://www.chalmers.se/chem/EN
The aim of this course is to give basic knowledge needed to understand how biomaterial can be used and how different biorefinery concepts can be developed based on both environmental and economical criteria.
The aim of the course
Within the next 50 years we will se a gradual transition from an oilbased society to a biobased society. In this transition there will be a necessity to find new process routes to produce some of the materials used today as well as new materials that can replace some of the materials normally used today.
The aim of this course is to give basic knowledge needed to understand how biomaterial can be used and how different biorefinery concepts can be developed based on both environmental and economical criteria.
After this course the students should have knowledge in: The chemical composition of the most common sources of biomaterial; methods of extracting components; the most important chemical reactions; the most common processes for extracting components and post treatment of extracted materials.
Course content
The course will shed light upon some general questions such as what type of biomaterial that are available, how these can be used as well as important reactions and how biomaterial can be processed.
The course can be divided in the following parts:
Part I An overview: what biomaterial and biorefinery are; common types of biomaterial and where those can be found; finally, some common process routes will also be discussed
Part II This part will be dedicated to some basic items: the chemical composition and the structure of biomaterial will be discussed. Also some important reactions with different constitutes in biomaterial is treated. A special emphasis will be on the most abundant biomaterial, the wood material.
Part III Process concepts: In this part different process concepts will be learned. Both hot methods (e.g. gasification) and wet methods (eg. pulping and ethanol production) will be treated.
Part IV Post treatment of components from biomaterial: In this part, examples of post treatment routes to products are discussed.
Course organization
The course consists of lectures, tutorials with hand-in assignments and laboratory tasks. To form larger and more realistic tasks, the tutorials and laboratory tasks will be integrated.
Examination
There will be a written examination of the course. There will also be hand-in assignments and laboratory tasks which must be approved to pass the course. The grade of the curse will be based on both the written exam and the hand in-assignments.