154— Alfalfa hay as non-human feedstock for second generation biofuels: Hope or hoax? Part II

The excessive use of fossil fuels has negatively impacted the environment because of greenhouse gas emissions. Researchers are now searching for ways to counterbalance the damage which has been done to the Earth after centuries of greenhouse gas emissions. Potential alternatives to fossil fuels include biofuels, an overlooked and cost-effective source of energy. Many efforts have been focused on the production of first-generation biofuels, fuels attained from human food sources, such as corn. First-generation biofuels have been linked to the increase in food prices, which is a problem because it negatively impacts many developing countries. Our research is geared towards the production of second generation biofuels, which rely on non-human food sources, specifically alfalfa hay. Second generation biomasses, such as alfalfa hay, are ideal as biofuel feedstock, because they are cheap, and have the power to constrain greenhouse gas emissions, while not taking away major human food sources or causing competition for new land. For this research project, the ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride was used in the pretreatment of the alfalfa hay, in order to produce glucose. Glucose quantification methods applied include UV spectroscopy and DNS analyses. The results are presented and discussed within

107— Investigating the Promise of Lignocellulosic Biofuels: Rice Husks as Non-Human Feedstocks

The Earth has endured years of damage caused by an overuse of fossil fuels. Many are combating the damage with alternative energy. Biofuels represent an economical and often overlooked alternative to fossil fuels. Efforts have been geared toward the use of human food sources such as sugarcane (first generation biofuel). Although first generation biofuels aid in curbing greenhouse gas emissions, they lead to increasing food prices which negatively impacts developing countries. This research focuses on the production of second generation biofuels which relies on non-human food sources which exceed first generation biofuels in that they do not take away from a food source. This project specifically focuses on the use of rice husks as a biofuel feedstock. Second generation biofuels are also relatively inexpensive. The outermost layer that is separated from the rice grains during the milling process is usually thrown away as a waste product. Rice husks are ideal as a biofuel feedstock, because they cheap if not free, and they have the power to curb greenhouse gas emissions. For this project, an ionic liquid (1- Butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride) was used for the pretreatment of the rice husks to yield glucose. Glucose quantification methods applied include refractometry, and DNS analyses

183— \u3ci\u3eCannabis Sativa\u3c/i\u3e: Pretreatment and Fiber Content Analysis

Cannabis Sativa commonly known as hemp, is one of the fastest growing plants whose refined products have immense commercial value. Refined hemp is included in various products: biofuels, biodegradable plastics, textiles, dietary supplements, paper, clothing and much more. Hemp fibers are also used in construction and manufacturing applications as a way to strengthen composite products. These qualities make hemp a high yielding, sustainable, and environmentally friendly crop with the potential to yield valuable raw materials for a large number of applications. Our research evaluates the pretreatment of hemp and the comparative analysis of the fiber content thereof. Our goal is to determine the suitability and the potential use of ionic liquid-based pretreatment (1-Butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride) for the breakdown of hemp lignocellulosic biomass. The collected data is presented and discussed