The world is witnessing an evolution. From camels and horses for means of transportation to vehicles and aeroplanes. The scenario had transformed in a whole new way. So the resources and fuels are being used up to a larger extent. However, biofuel and biomass are some eco-friendly items for the environment.
Biomass vs Biofuel
The main difference between Biomass and Biofuel is that biomass is a collective term for non-fossil materials or organic items that have a chemical composition that generates energy while biofuel, on the other hand, biofuel is energy sources derived from biological materials. Biomass can be said as the mother of biofuel.
The biomass, as the name says, the mass which can be used to generate fuel through biological processes. Biodegradable substances like peels, plants or plant-derived substances, including vegetable oils, leftovers, pulp wastes and animal manure, grains and animal-based oils. Biomass is non-fossil items that are a renewable source contributing to eco-friendly materials.
Biofuel is the derivates of biological materials. These are the energy sources that can be either in any of the three possible states. The solids, liquids, and gases. Also, it can be said as fuels can be generated through biomass while undergoing biological processes—biofuels like Ethanol, Butanol. Methanol, Bio-diesel are some examples.
Comparison Table Between Biomass and Biofuel
| Parameters of Comparison | Biomass | Biofuel |
| Definition | Biomass is a collective term for substances that can be decomposed or knows as non-fossil materials. | Biofuel is the derivates of biological materials. |
| Hierarchy | Biomass is the basis of biofuel since it’s the prime material to generate fuel. | Biofuel is a type of end material that can be used to run vehicles or machines. |
| Examples | Some major products comprising are plants residues, animal manure, peel-offs, biodegradable wastes, etc. | Major end products generated are methanol, biodiesel, butanol, ethanol, and bio-oil. |
| Type of substance | Biomass goes under biological processes, which act as a raw substance. | Biofuel is used to run machines or serve different purposes. Also, these are not raw items. |
| Energy-based | Biomass is used for cooking, lighting producing electricity, heating. | Biofuel is used in vehicles that are eco-friendly and many more. |
What is Biomass?
We all have been a slave of energy since Technology has taken a fold. From the working machine to running vehicles or even inside houses, we all need energy. If we talk about the energy sources, these can be categorised into two parts. The first one is a non-renewable source of energy and the second one is renewable sources of energy.
Non-renewable comprises sources that come from sources that exhaust. Also, these generate a huge amount of pollution and can be a harm to nature. Moreover, it’s finite sources, and according to analysts, we have used more than half of the resources. While renewable energy, like Biomass, is eco-friendly sources of energy that comes from animals, plants in most cases.
Biomass can be termed as the sources including plants wastage, animal manure, wastes from pulp, urban wood waste, grains, animal-based oils, which can generate energy that doesn’t pollute the air. Moreover, it’s a source that lasts indefinitely.
Through biological processes, the energy can be derived, which can be further used for work. These are all non-fossil fuels that contain intrinsic chemical energy composition. The largest sources can be agricultural lands and forest, which are abundant in nature.
What is Biofuel?
When we process biomass through various procedures, we find an energy that isn’t harmful to nature. These energy sources are called biofuel. These are the derivates of biomass. Also, it can be said as fuels are generated by biomasses through methods that extract energy from them. Biofuel is safe for nature and can be a better option for people to choose in order to conserve nature.
Biomass contains a chemical composition that is able to generate Power. This power then is used to run various components, from running eco-friendly vehicles in cities to using this biofuel on day to day basis. It has a wider application and reasons to use in this 21st century.
We all have been fighting against global warming and pollution levels. It’s a serious threat to mankind. Also, it poses threats to terrestrial and aquatic species. The pollution generated from fossil fuels affects the skin and the life of animals resulting in mass death.
On the other hand, biofuel is the reverse of these threats. They are not only eco-friendly and good for nature but also are indefinite. Exhaustible sources will be over someday, but as long as animals and plants are existing, we are having abundant biomass and eventually biofuel. Some examples of end-products are methanol, ethanol, butanol, bio-oil, and bio-diesel.
Main Differences Between Biomass and Biofuel
- Biomass is a collection of materials that undergo biological processes, while biofuel doesn’t go into the process since they are end-products.
- Biomass includes plants waste, animal manure, vegetable oil, and animal oil, all non-fossil materials, while biofuel is like methanol, ethanol, and butanol.
- Biomass is used for cooking, heating while Biofuels run vehicles since biofuels are the end-products.
- Biomass is the basis of biofuel, while biofuel can be said as the child of biomass.
- Biomass is always in a raw state like plants residues, animal manure, peel-offs, biodegradable wastes, etc., while biofuels can be said as in a cooked state.
Conclusion
It’s important to know what are biomass and biofuel. It’s important to realise why renewable sources of energy are important. It’s necessary to switch over energy sources that are clean and non-polluting to fight against the challenges like pollution, climate change, global warming.
Indeed, the exhaustible sources generate greater power as compared to biomass. Still, it’s important to realise the consequences. The way we are using resources, in the next few decades, these will be gone, and nothing will be left for future generations. So it’s necessary to choose renewable energy. This world is on the verge of an end. So the steps should be taken from the authorities to make it mandatory to use renewable sources.
References
- https://www.pnas.org/content/115/25/6506?fbclid=IwAR26L5BOT96qHmTYfi4hbdK_4HWTz1QE8EssMUf2J1mXkvbcNNJuORG