Biomass and Biorefineries Executive Report Assignment -

You are employed in the R&D facility of a large publically listed ago-forestry company that has been highly profitable in the past. There are early warning signs of rapidly changing dynamics that has the potential to significantly reduce sales and put the profitability of the company at high risk. You are called into an urgent meeting where you are tasked with a project with the objective to make recommendations to senior management (CEO and his direct reports) as to the best way forward. Everything and anything can be considered, but use must be made of existing plant and services, and you are to assume little money will be available for major capital works. You are left with the strong impression that the bio-refinery concept should be pursued.

Identify and develop the process for a new bio-refinery product or process for the company and prepare a 10-page Executive Report outlining this initiative.

To assist, you may choose any one from the suggested project list provided.

Topic - CARBON FIBER PRODUCTION FROM CELLULOSE RESIDUE.

When developing your new product or process, you must:

• Clearly define the main products (chemical, material, energy or food) and the complementary products streams as well as the biomass used as reactant,
• Clearly indicate and analyze all chemical reactions involved,
• Apply the green chemistry principles as much as possible,
• Perform rudimentary mass and energy balances,
• Define the capacity of the new plant,
• Design the unit operations needed,
• Analyze how the bio-refinery impacts the energy production/consumption of the mill.

Your report must include at least 10 peer-reviewed references (scientific journal articles), half of which must be less than 8 years old (from 2010 onwards).

Report Structure

Executive summary - 1 page maximum

Supporting documentation - 9 pages in total that includes

Title/presentation cover

Abstract

Introduction

• Objectives and hypothesis
• Definition of your bio-refinery: reactant, products, capacity, how it fits in the mill and an analysis of its impact.
• Discuss the market: new product, green replacement,

Literature review with references

Results and Discussion

• Present a flowchart for the transformation of reactant into products and the co-products.
• Present all chemical reactions and analyze the reactions involved
• Perform a mass and energy balance.
• Analyze how it affects the current mill operations, especially energy.

Conclusion.

References.