Abstract
There are 4 major items of work in this study, dealing respectively with: 1) Converting energy plant materials, in particular tree seeds, into biofuels; 2) Pretreating the lignocellulosic biomass materials from forest and field for subsequent microbial or enzyme saccharification and fermentation to produce bioethanol etc.; 3) In order to facilitate transforming existing pulp mills into biorefineries that through autocausticization and black liquor gasification (BLG), produce extra energy and fuel products in addition to pulps. BLG is calculated to have 2.4 times the energy efficiency of the existing incinerating boilers. A sulfur-free pulping process shall be beneficial to the gasification needs; and 4) Using organic solvent (regenerative) to digest grass plants (bamboos, in particular) to produce pulp, energy, and biomaterials. The studies are meant to provide a information platform linking silviculture, laboratory bench-top to pilot scale experiments that can readily expand into actual production unit. These efforts shall allow domestic wood-based industry to obtain the necessary clean production and biomass conversion technologies.