A-C

Bagasse – Bagasse is sugarcane waste, currently used as a feedstock for producing bioethanol.

Biobutanol – Biobutanol is an advantaged biofuel that offers a number of benefits over conventional biofuels. For example, biobutanol has an energy content closer to that of petroleum so consumers face less of a compromise on fuel economy. It can easily be added to conventional petrol due to low vapour pressure and can be blended at higher concentrations than bioethanol for use in standard vehicle engines. DuPont and BP are working together on a major project to produce biobutanol

Bioethanol – Bioethanol, or ethanol, is a biofuel that is traditionally produced from the fermentation of starch or sugar crops such as corn, sugar beet and sugar cane. Bioethanol can also be produced from other feedstocks, such as jatropha or switchgrass. This is known as second generation bioethanol. Bioethanol can be blended with petroleum for use in petroleum-engine vehicles.

Biofuel – The term biofuel applies to any solid, liquid, or gaseous fuel produced from organic (once-living) matter. The word biofuel covers a wide range of products, some of which are commercially available today, and some of which are still in research and development.

Biomass – Biomass is biological material, including corn, switchgrass, and oilseed crops, that can be converted into fuel

Bioreactor – A bioreactor is a vessel in which a chemical process occurs. This usually involves organisms or biochemically active substances derived from such organisms

By-product – A by-product is a substance, other than the principal product, generated as a consequence of creating a biofuel. For example, a by-product of biodiesel production is glycerine and a by-product of bioethanol production is DDGS.

Catalyst – A catalyst is a substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction, without being consumed or produced by the reaction. Enzymes are catalysts for many biochemical reactions.

Cellulose – Cellulose is the fibrous substance which is contained in leaves, stems, and stalks of plants and trees. It is the most abundant organic compound on earth and can be used to produce bioethanol.

Cellulosic ethanol - Cellulosic ethanol is ethanol fuel produced from cellulose, a naturally occurring complex carbohydrate polymer commonly found in plant cell walls. Cellulosic ethanol is chemically identical to ethanol from other sources, such as corn or sugar, and is available in a great diversity of biomass including waste from urban, agricultural, and forestry sources. However, it differs in that it requires an extra processing step called cellulosis – breaking cellulose down into sugars.

Concentrated acid hydrolysis - concentrated acid hydrolysis is a method of converting biomass into cellulosic ethanol.

Conventional biofuels - Conventional biofuels such as bioethanol and biodiesel are typically made from corn, sugarcane and beet, wheat or oilseed crops such as soy and rape.

D-F

DDGS – DDGS, or dried distillers grain with solubles is a by-product of dry mill ethanol production that is fed to livestock.

E85 – E85 is a mix of 85% ethanol and 15% petrol. E85 is a common bioethanol blend used in flex fuel vehicles.

Emissions: Emissions are classed as any waste substances released into the air or water.

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.

Feedstock – A feedstock is any biomass resource destined for conversion to energy or biofuel. For example, corn is a feedstock for ethanol production, soybean oil may be a feedstock for biodiesel and cellulosic biomass has the potential to be a significant feedstock source for biofuels.

Fermentation: Fermentation is a biochemical reaction that breaks down complex organic molecules (such as carbohydrates) into simpler materials (such as ethanol, carbon dioxide, and water). Bacteria or yeasts can ferment sugars to bioethanol.

Flex fuel vehicles – Flex fuel vehicles, or FFVs, are vehicles that can use either E85 and/or petroleum interchangeably.

Fuel - A fuel is described as any material with one type of energy that can be converted to another usable energy.

G-I

Hydrolysis – Hydrolysis is a chemical reaction that releases sugars, which are normally linked together in complex chains. In bioethanol production, hydrolysis reactions are used to break down the cellulose and hemicellulose in the biomass.

J-L

Jatropha - Jatropha is a non-edible evergreen shrub found in Asia, Africa and the West Indies. Its seeds contain a high proportion of oil which can be used for making biodiesel.

Lignin – Lignin is an energy-rich material contained in biomass that has a high energy content

M-O

Miscanthus – Miscanthus, or elephant grass, is a genus of about 15 species of perennial grasses native to subtropical and tropical regions of Africa and southern Asia. The rapid growth, low mineral content and high biomass yield of Miscanthus makes it a favorite choice as a bioethanol feedstock.

Nitrogen Oxides – Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) are a product of photochemical reactions of nitric oxide in ambient air, and are one type of emission produces from fuels.

Octane number - The octane rating of a fuel is indicated on the pump. The higher the number, the slower the fuel burns. Bioethanol typically adds two to three octane numbers when blended with ordinary petroleum – making it a cost-effective octane-enhancer.

P-R

Petroleum - Petroleum refers to any petroleum-based substance comprising of a complex blend of hydrocarbons derived from crude oil through the process of separation, conversion, upgrading, and finishing, including motor fuel, jet oil, lubricants, petroleum solvents, and used oil.

RTFO – RTFO, or the Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation, is a UK policy that places an obligation on fuel suppliers to ensure that a certain percentage of their aggregate sales is made up of biofuels. The effect of this will be to require 5% of all UK fuel sold on UK forecourts to come from a renewable source by 2010.

S-U

Second generation biofuels – Although definitions vary, second generation biofuels are usually considered to be biofuels produced from biomass or non-edible feedstocks.

Switchgrass – Switchgrass is native to the US and known for its hardiness and rapid growth. It is often cited as a potentially abundant second generation feedstock for ethanol

V-X

VOC –VOCs, or volatile organic compounds, are air pollutants found in engine exhaust. Bioethanol helps reduce VOC emissions.

Wet mill –A wet mill is an ethanol production facility in which the corn is first soaked in water before processing. In addition to bioethanol, wet mills have the ability to produce by-products such as industrial starch, food starch, high fructose corn syrup, gluten feed and corn oils

Y-Z

Yeast – Yeast is any of various single-cell fungi capable of fermenting carbohydrates. Bioethanol is produced by fermenting sugars with yeast.