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The Renewable Chemicals Industry
Author(s) -
Christensen Claus Hviid,
RassHansen Jeppe,
Marsden Charlotte C.,
Taarning Esben,
Egeblad Kresten
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
chemsuschem
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.412
H-Index - 157
eISSN - 1864-564X
pISSN - 1864-5631
DOI - 10.1002/cssc.200700168
Subject(s) - renewable energy , renewable resource , raw material , environmentally friendly , chemical industry , biomass (ecology) , fossil fuel , biochemical engineering , environmental economics , environmental science , natural resource economics , waste management , engineering , economics , chemistry , ecology , environmental engineering , organic chemistry , electrical engineering , biology
The possibilities for establishing a renewable chemicals industry featuring renewable resources as the dominant feedstock rather than fossil resources are discussed in this Concept. Such use of biomass can potentially be interesting from both an economical and ecological perspective. Simple and educational tools are introduced to allow initial estimates of which chemical processes could be viable. Specifically, fossil and renewables value chains are used to indicate where renewable feedstocks can be optimally valorized. Additionally, C factors are introduced that specify the amount of CO 2 produced per kilogram of desired product to illustrate in which processes the use of renewable resources lead to the most substantial reduction of CO 2 emissions. The steps towards a renewable chemicals industry will most likely involve intimate integration of biocatalytic and conventional catalytic processes to arrive at cost‐competitive and environmentally friendly processes.