Frequently Asked Questions
What is a biobased product?
(Definition used for Federal Biobased Product Preferred Provider Program (FB4P))
A product determined to be a commercial or industrial product (other than food or feed) that is composed, in whole or in significant part, of biological products or renewable domestic agricultural materials (including plant, animal, and marine materials) or forestry materials.
What is the difference between biofuels, biopower, and bioproducts?
"Biofuel" is short for "biomass fuel." We use the term "biofuels" for liquid fuels for transportation, such as ethanol and biodiesel. "BioPower" is short for "biomass power" systems that generate electricity or industrial process heat and steam. The term "bioproduct" is short for biomass products, and can be used to describe a chemical, material, or other product derived from renewable biomass resources.
What is biomass?
Biomass is any sort of vegetation that we can use to extract stored energy. During photosynthesis, plants combine carbon dioxide from the air and water from the ground to form carbohydrates, which form the building blocks of biomass. The solar energy that drives photosynthesis is stored in the chemical bonds of the structural components of biomass.
What is renewable energy?
Energy derived from resources that are regenerative or for all practical purposes can not be depleted. Types of renewable energy resources include moving water (hydro, tidal and wave power), thermal gradients in ocean water, biomass, geothermal energy, solar energy, and wind energy. Municipal solid waste (MSW) is also considered to be a renewable energy resource.
For more questions and answers about biorenewables and the bioeconomy, visit Iowa State University's Office of Biorenewables Programs.