Biomass
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Switchgrass, a hardy plant used in the biofuel industry in the United States |
In energy production and industry,
biomass refers to living and recently 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 fibres,
chemicals or heat. It excludes
organic material which has been
transformed by geological processes into substances such as
coal or
petroleum. 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.
Biofuels include
bioethanol,
biobutanol and
biodiesel; these two last ones are direct biofuels (so they can be used directly in petroleum engines).
Biomass is grown from several plants, including
switchgrass,
hemp,
corn, and
sugarcane. The particular plant used is usually not important to the end product. Production of biomass is a growing
industry as interest in sustainable fuel sources is growing.
Biomass may also include
animal waste, which may be burnt as fuel.
Other uses of biomass, besides fuel:
*building materials
*biodegradable plastics and paper (using cellulose fibers)
*
energy crop*
biofuel*
agroforestry*
Biomass gasification*
Biomass to liquid*
Everything Biomass *
Michigan Biomass Energy Program 
