ABE Fermentation
ABE fermentation is short for “acetone butanol ethanol fermentation” by Clostridium acetobultylicum and related organisms. It is one of the oldest known industrial fermentation processes.
Acetone
Acetone is a colorless, volatile, extremely flammable liquid ketone, CH3COCH3, widely used as an organic solvent.
Agriculture
Agriculture is defined as the science, art or business of cultivating soil, producing crops or raising livestock.
Alternative Energy
Alternative energy is any energy derived from sources other than nuclear power or the burning of fossil fuels. Examples of alternative energy include renewable biofuels like butanol, solar power and wind power.
Alternative Fuels
Alternative fuels can be defined as any fuels that are substantially nonpetroleum and yield energy security and environmental benefits.
Bio-based Fuels
Bio-based fuels are any solid, liquid or gas fuels derived from biomass. Examples include butanol, ethanol, Bio-Diesel and hydrogen.
Bio-Diesel
Bio-Diesel is a biodegradable transportation fuel for use in diesel engines. Bio-Diesel is produced through the transesterfication of organically-derived oils or fats and may be used either as a replacement for or as a component of diesel fuel.
Bio-Energy
Bio-Energy is the use of biomass directly or indirectly produced by photosynthesis (including organic waste) to manufacture fuels and substitutes for petrochemical and other energy-intensive products.
Biofuel
Biofuel is any solid, liquid or gas fuel derived from biomass. Examples of biofuels include butanol, ethanol, bio-diesel and hydrogen.
Biomass
Biomass can be defined as any plant-derived organic matter. Examples of biomass that can be used for energy on a sustainable basis include trees, grasses, agricultural food and feed crops and agricultural crop wastes and residues. Sometimes referred to as cellulosic biomass, because ‘biomass’ contains cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin as the major components.
Butanol
Butanol is a second-generation, alcohol-based biofuel that is created from the fermentation of biomass such as corn, grass and agricultural waste.
Clostridium Acetobultylicum
A bacterium used in the fermentation process that produces butanol from biomass.
CO2
CO2 stands for carbon dioxide, a chemical compound composed of two oxygen atoms bonded to a single carbon atom.
Corn
Corn is a cereal grain that is the largest crop in all of the Americas. It is important grain in terms of renewable energy because it is a biomass that can be used to create biofuels.
Emissions
Emissions are defined as things that are sent out, or emitted. The term commonly refers to the carbon monoxide exhaust or flue gas that results from the combustion of fuels in automobiles.
Environmental Footprint
An environmental footprint, which is sometimes called an ecological footprint, refers to the overall impact something has on the environment, or its measure of consumption in terms of the environment.
Enzyme
An enzyme is a protein or protein-based molecule that speeds up chemical reactions occurring in living things. Enzymes act as catalysts for a single reaction, converting a specific set of reactants into specific products.
Ethanol
Ethanol (CH3CH2OH) is an alcohol-based, first-generation biofuel produced by the fermentation of sugars.
Fermentation
Fermentation can be defined as a biochemical reaction that converts carbohydrates very selectively to butanol, ethanol, other biochemicals, carbon dioxide, and water.
Forestry Residues
Forestry residues are the tops, limbs or other woody material not removed in commercial forest harvesting or forest management operations. These residues can be used to create biofuels.
Fossil Fuels
Fossil fuels are carbon or hydrocarbon fuels that form in the ground from the remains of dead plants and animals. It takes millions of years to form these fossil fuels, which include petroleum, natural gas and coal.
Future Fuels
Future fuels is a term that refers to the type of renewable fuels being researched and developed today for use in the future.
Greenhouse Effect
The greenhouse effect is a term used to describe the radiant heat from the Sun that gets trapped in our atmosphere due greenhouse gases produced from both natural and human sources.
Greenhouse Gas
Greenhouse gas can be defined as any gas, such as water vapor, carbon dioxide, tropospheric ozone, methane, and low-level ozone, which contributes to the greenhouse effect.
Jet Fuel
Jet fuel is a type of aviation fuel designed for use in jet-engined aircraft. The most common type of jet fuel is an unleaded/paraffin, oil-based fuel.
Ketone
Any of a class of organic compounds, such as acetone, having a carbonyl group linked to a carbon atom in each of two hydrocarbons.
Reducing Emissions
This term is commonly used to refer to decreasing harmful carbon monoxide emissions that lead to the greenhouse effect.
Renewable Resources
Renewable resources can be defined as sources of energy that can last indefinitely because they can be easily replaced through natural processes. Examples of renewable resources include trees and grasses.
Reuse
The term reuse means to use again, and often refers to using something in a different capacity once it has been reprocessed or recycled.
Science Advisory Board
A science advisory board is a group of independent scientific and engineering experts who are responsible for giving advice to a business or organization they have been asked to serve.
Sustainable
The term sustainable refers to anything that can continue on indefinitely into the future.
Transportation Fuels
Transportation fuels are the fuels used to power transportation vehicles like automobiles and airplanes.
