Biofuels: Introduction

As compared with fossil fuels including coal, oil, and natural gas, biofuels are superior alternatives and receiving more and more interests due to their advantages such as environmental friendliness, renewability, abundance, biodegradability, sustainability, etc. This chapter gives a comprehensive introduction to biofuels. The definition, implications, and classifications of biofuels are introduced first. Then, the typical biofuel feedstocks including oil crops, lignocellulosic biomass, solid waste, and algae are detailed. The biofuel production technologies including physical technologies, chemical technologies, thermochemical technologies, and biochemical technologies are also introduced. Some important biofuels including solid biofuels (e.g., solid biomass, biochar), liquid biofuels (e.g., bioethanol, biodiesel, and biooil), and gaseous biofuels (e.g., biogas, biohydrogen, and biosyngas) are also introduced. Biofuel with its intrinsic advantages will eventually meet our energy demand while minimizing the negative impacts of energy production and application practices on the environment.