Critical Assessment of Processes and Products for Valorization of Agroforestry Industrial Wastes for Biorefinery

Abstract

The technical and economic assessment of biorefinery processes is complex, mainly due to the uncertainties related to the cost and type of lignocellulosic biomass, energy consumption, production costs, market price of final products, required investment, and utilized processes and technologies. The design of biorefinery is based on the principles of conventional chemical process design. Within this design and process assessment, several uncertainties are involved. In process design, the primary uncertain factors are linked to the proposed conversion pathways and their estimations (including chemical and physical properties, transfer coefficients, and others), the involved processes (such as mass and energy flow rates and variations, integration strategies, and others), external factors (like availability of raw materials, product demands, prices, and environmental conditions), and technological factors (equipment availability, process maturity, others). Among the challenges encountered in assessing product and process selection, the following can be mentioned: (i) understanding aspects related to the product, such as the relationship between the product profits and manufacturing cost; (ii) accounting for evolving technologies, demands, and competition with new products over time; and (iii) comprehending the economic aspects to obtain maximum benefit. This chapter delves into the critical assessment of processes and products for the valorization of agroforestry industrial wastes for biorefinery contexts.