Biomass terms starting with A

29 terms

  1. acetic acid An acid with the structure of C2H4O2. Acetyl groups are bound through an ester linkage to hemicellulose chains, especially xylans, in wood and other…
  2. ACID A solution that has an excess of hydrogen ions (H+).
  3. acid detergent fiber (ADF) Organic matter that is not solubilized after one hour of refluxing in an acid detergent of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide in 1N sulfuric acid.
  4. Acid hydrolysis A chemical process in which acid is used to convert cellulose or starch to sugar.
  5. acid insoluble lignin Lignin is mostly insoluble in mineral acids, and therefore can be analyzed gravimetrically after hydrolyzing the cellulose and hemicellulose fractions of…
  6. acid soluble lignin A small fraction of the lignin in a biomass sample is solubilized during the hydrolysis process of the acid insoluble lignin method.
  7. Adsorption The adhesion, in an extremely thin layer, of molecules (as in gases, solutions, or liquids) to the surface of solid bodies or liquids with which they are…
  8. Aerobic In biochemistry, reactions that need oxygen to happen or happen when oxygen is present.
  9. aerobic fermentation Fermentation processes that require the presence of oxygen.
  10. agricultural residue Agricultural crop residues are the plant parts, primarily stalks and leaves, not removed from the fields with the primary food or fiber product.
  11. alcohol (AL-kuh-hol) A chemical substance found in beer, wine, and liquor. Alcohol is also found in some medicines, mouthwashes, essential oils (scented liquid…
  12. aldehyde (AL-deh-hide) A type of chemical substance made from alcohol. Aldehydes are found in essential oils (scented liquid taken from plants).
  13. aldoses Occur when the carbonyl group of a monosaccharide is an aldehyde. (Source: Voet, D.; Voet, J. G. Biochemistry. New York: John Wiley, 1990.)
  14. Algae Simple plant organism (typically a single cell) commonly found in water.
  15. Alkali A soluble mineral salt.
  16. alkali lignin Lignin obtained by acidification of an alkaline extract of wood.
  17. alkaline hydrolysis The use of solutions of sodium hydroxide (or other alkali) in the treatment of cellulosic material (wood) to break down cellulose to simple sugars.
  18. amylase (AM-il-aze) An enzyme that helps the body digest starches.
  19. Anaerobic An environment or condition in which molecular oxygen is not available for chemical, physical or biological processes.
  20. anaerobic digestion Digestion of materials in the absence of oxygen. See: anaerobic respiration.
  21. Anhydrous A compound that does not contain water. For example, fuel ethanol is referred to as "anhydrous ethanol" because most of the water has been removed.
  22. annual For FDM purposes, you are an annual filer if last year you filed an OGE Form 450 (or an OGE Form 450-A).
  23. aquatic plants The aquatic biomass resources, such as algae, giant kelp, other seaweed, and water hyacinth.
  24. arabinan The polymer of arabinose with a repeating unit of C5H804. Can be hydrolyzed to arabinose. (Source: Voet, D.; Voet, J. G. Biochemistry.
  25. arabinose A five-carbon sugar - C5H1005. A product of hydrolysis of arabinan found in the hemicellulose fraction of biomass.
  26. aromatic (A-ruh-MA-tik) Having an odor, which often is pleasant or spicy.
  27. Ash The non-combustible residue of a combusted substance composed primarily of alkali and metal oxides.
  28. Attainment area A geographic region where the concentration of a specific air pollutant does not exceed federal standards.
  29. Auger A rotating, screw-type device that moves material through a cylinder. In alcohol production, it is used to transfer grains from storage to the grinding…