Webinar on Importance of catalysis for the conversion of renewable resource biomass into energy and chemicals

Webinar Report
Science Appreciation Club, Department of Chemistry, School of Applied Sciences, REVA University, Bangalore, organized virtual webinar entitled “Importance of catalysis for the conversion of renewable resource biomass into energy and chemicals” on 9th December  2020 from 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM. 

Resource Person:
Dr. Ganapati V. Shanbhag
Materials Science Division, 
Poornaprajna Institute of Scientific Research (PPISR), 
Devanahalli, Bengaluru-562164, Karnataka State, India.
Mobile: 9916121369
Email: shanbhag@poornaprajna.org, gvshanbhag@gmail.com
Web : http://ppisr.res.in/faculty/ganapati-v-shanbhag

Abstract: 
Catalysts play a vital role in providing society fuels, commodity and fine chemicals, pharmaceuticals, polymers and means for protecting the environment. Around 90% of all industrial chemical processes are catalytic. Among the catalysts, heterogeneous catalysts have advantages over homogeneous counterparts such as easy catalyst separation, recyclability, no product contamination and environmentally friendly nature. The research in the present decade is mainly dedicated to “energy” because of the concerns over diminishing fossil fuels like LPG, petrol and diesel. A lot of efforts are made to make new biofuels from renewable sources such as non-edible vegetable oils, wet biomass and wood based biomass. Biodiesel synthesized from catalytic transesterification of vegetable oil was already tested to be fit to use as a blend with diesel. Biomass processing with multiple steps like hydropyrolysis and gasification yields mixture of hydrocarbons and oxygenated compounds which upon refining can yield biofuels with desired quality. However, easier said than done, it is a challenge to design catalysts to selectively produce the desired biofuels with high efficiency. The talk will cover the important aspects of biomass including importance of catalysis, energy scenario, traditional ideas, wood based biomass, catalytic conversion of biomass, biorefinery, first generation biofuel, few examples of catalytic biomass conversion, conversion of biomass derivatives etc. 
 
Link for the event: http://bit.ly/3he5CE6

Organizer:
Dr. Nagendra G. 
Assistant Professor and Science Appreciation Club Coordinator, 
Department of Chemistry, 
REVA University, Bangalore
nagendra.g@reva.edu.in (9844722805)