Considering the importance of biomass as a carbon resource, process design should also be examined based on carbon flow. The quotient of the heating value divided by the carbon content of the material is proposed as a new parameter for process design based on carbon flow. Representative processes are described using this parameter, and the general process design procedure using this parameter is shown. The relationship of this parameter with Dulong’s equation and that with carbon-related energy are also discussed.

Fabrication of copper-cerium oxide hollow sphere catalyst for decomposition of nitrous oxide were investigated. The hollow sphere catalysts were prepared with adjusting the amount of total metal salt (0.005-0.015 mol) for coating the catalyst precursors on spherical carbon templates, and morphology, composition, and structural properties of the hollow sphere catalysts were evaluated. From the results of TEM and BET measurements, shell thickness and specific surface area of the catalyst increased with increasing the total metal salt amount. From the result of the EDX analyses, composition of the active copper species decreased with increasing the total metal salt amount to correspond closely to the introduced ratio. The catalysts prepared with the total metal salt amount of 0.005 and 0.015 mol included highly dispersed active copper species and weak Cu-O and Ce-O bonds from the results of the XRD and XPS measurements, and the catalysts exhibited high activity for decomposition of nitrous oxide.