Analyses of Biomass Fibers by XRD, FT-IR, and NIR
This chapter involves the description and application of three advanced analytical techniques that are currently used to assess the potential of biomass for the production of biofuels, feeds, and chemicals. X-ray diffraction, FT-IR, and NIR may be used to
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Analyses of Biomass Fibers by XRD, FT-IR, and NIR Alexis Ferrer, Carlos Alciaturi, Alexis Faneite, and Josybel Ríos Abstract This chapter involves the description and application of three advanced analytical techniques that are currently used to assess the potential of biomass for the production of biofuels, feeds, and chemicals. X-ray diffraction, FT-IR, and NIR may be used to study the structure of fibers in native biomass as well as changes during conditioning, pretreatment, and processing in a modern biorefinery. X-ray diffraction is used mainly to study the crystallinity of the samples based on the cellulose fraction which is one of the two major barriers for hydrolysis. FT-IR is used to get insight about the presence and interactions of main components of the fiber such as cellulose, hemicelluloses, and lignin. NIR is mainly used for a fast chemical characterization of the biomass and it is gaining a place to study changes caused by the pretreatments. Keywords Biomass fibers • Molecular properties • X-Ray • Spectroscopy
3.1 Introduction Nowadays, there is a paramount need to look for alternative ways to produce fuels, feeds, and chemicals in the world. Biomass constitutes the major source of carbon and should play a major part in the bioeconomy. However, biomass is so diverse and A. Ferrer (*) Analytical Instrumentation Laboratory, Science Faculty, University of Zulia, Maracaibo, Venezuela e-mail: [email protected] C. Alciaturi Chemometrics and Optimization Unit, Zulian Institute of Technological Research, La Cañada de Urdaneta, Venezuela e-mail: [email protected] A. Faneite Chemical Engineering Laboratory, Chemical Engineering School, Engineering Faculty, University of Zulia, Maracaibo, Venezuela e-mail: [email protected] J. Ríos Agrifoods Unit, Zulian Institute of Technological Research, La Cañada de Urdaneta Venezuela e-mail: [email protected] © Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2016 S. Vaz Jr. (ed.), Analytical Techniques and Methods for Biomass, DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-41414-0_3
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heterogeneous that robust analytical methods are greatly needed to estimate its composition, potential for byproducts, and changes during pretreatment and processing, purity of the fractions, and so on. There are different sources of biomass, including forest and agricultural main materials as well as residues. Harvesting aquatic plants is also a potential source of fiber and feed and food protein. The chemical composition of a biomass feedstock varies as a function of many factors that introduce a great deal of variance. In this respect, the advanced analytical techniques of X-ray diffraction, FT-IR, and NIR comprise easy and rapid ways to assess the composition and changes in biomass fibers, which are critical for the establishment of a biorefinery. Both chemical and physical changes can be assessed by these techniques. The chemical changes are associated with cleavage of linkages, formation and disappearance of chemical groups and changes on the fiber surface,
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