BCT422: Biomass Resources / Faculty of Applied Sciences

Biomass refers to 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 fibers, chemicals or heat. Biomass may also include biodegradable wastes that can be burnt as fuel. 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 (secondary xylem) of a tree. Biomass is grown from several plants, including bamboo, rattans, kenaf, jute, flax, hemp, sisal, corn stalk, wheat straw, sugarcane, and etc. The particular plant used is usually not very important to the end products, but it does affect the processing of the raw material. Production of biomass is a growing industry as interest in sustainable fuel sources is growing. This course introduces different biomass materials which include wood resources, agricultural tree crops and residues and non-wood fiber crop materials. The types, characteristics, assessment and management of these materials will be covered in this course.