Biomass
In energy production and industry, biomass refers to living and recently living biological material which can be used as fuel or for industrial production. Most commonly biomass refers to plant matter grown for use as
biofuel, but also includes plant or animal matter used for production of fibres,
chemicals or heat. It excludes organic material which has been transformed by geological processes into substances such as
coal or
petroleum. It is usually measured by dry weight.
The term
biomass is especially useful for
plants, where some internal structures may not always be considered living tissue, such as the
wood of a tree.
Encyclopedia
In energy production and industry,
biomass refers to living and recently living biological material which can be used as fuel or for industrial production. Most commonly biomass refers to plant matter grown for use as
biofuel, but also includes plant or animal matter used for production of fibres,
chemicals or heat. It excludes organic material which has been transformed by geological processes into substances such as
coal or
petroleum. It is usually measured by dry weight.
The term
biomass is especially useful for
plants, where some internal structures may not always be considered living tissue, such as the
wood of a tree.
Biofuels include
bioethanol, biobutanol and
biodiesel; these two last ones are direct biofuels .
Biomass is grown from several plants, including
switchgrass,
hemp,
corn,
willow and
sugarcane. The particular plant used is usually not very important to the end products, but it does effect the processing of the raw material. Production of biomass is a growing
industry as interest in sustainable fuel sources is growing.
Biomass may also include
animal waste, which may be burnt as fuel.
Other uses of biomass, besides fuel:
- building materials
- biodegradable plastics and paper
Though biomass is a
renewable fuel, it can still contribute to
Global Warming. This happens when the natural carbon equilibrium is disturbed; for example by deforestation or urbanization of green sites.
Biomass is part of the
carbon cycle. Carbon from the atmosphere is converted into biological matter by
photosynthesis. On decay or combustion the carbon goes back into the atmosphere. This happens over a relatively short timescale and plant matter used as a fuel can be constantly replaced by planting for new growth. Therefore a reasonably stable level of atmospheric carbon results from its use as a fuel.
Although
fossil fuels have their origin in ancient biomass, they are not considered biomass by the generally accepted definition because they contain carbon that has been 'out' of the carbon cycle for a very long time. Their combustion therefore disturbs the carbon dioxide content in the atmosphere.
See also
External links
