Page 95 - Malaysia Exporters of Biomass & Related Services Directory

FERMENTATION
A biochemical reaction that breaks down complex organic molecules (such as
carbohydrates) into simpler materials (such as ethanol, carbon dioxide and water).
Bacteria or yeast can ferment sugars to ethanol.
FURFURAL
An aldehyde derivative of certain biomass conversion processes; used as a solvent.
GASIFICATION
The process by which carbonaceous fuel (any fossil or biomass fuel consisting of /
or containing carbon) is converted to a useable gaseous product without complete
combustion of the fuel.
GLUCOSE
A six-carbon fermentable sugar.
HEMICELLULOSE
Hemicelluloses are polysaccharides in plant cell walls. Unlike cellulose,
hemicelluloseconsistsofshort,highlybranchedchainsofsugars.Incontrasttocellulose,
which is a polymer of only glucose, hemicellulose is a polymer of five different sugars.
Hemicelluloses include xylan, glucoronoxylan, arabinoxylan, glucomannan and
xyloglucan.
HYDROLYSIS
A chemical reaction that releases sugars that are normally linked together in complex
chains. In ethanol production, hydrolysis reactions are used to break down the cellu-
lose and hemicelluloses in the biomass.
KENAF FIBRE
The fibres in kenaf are found in the bast (bark)
and core (wood). The bast constitutes 40%
of the plant. These bast fibres are long (2 - 6mm)
and slender. The cell wall is thick. The core is
about 60 % of the plant. The core has thick
but short (0.5 mm) and thin walled fibres. Kenaf
is an annual or biennial herbaceous plant
growing 1.5 - 3.5 m tall with a woody base. The stems are 1 - 2 cm in diameter.
LIGNIN
A complex polymer that serves as a component of wood and vascular plants, making
them firm and rigid.
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GLOSSARY