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I1: Fuel

A section of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073).

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Fuels—energetic chemical substances at molecular or elementary form—are the basis of the development of modern society, as a primary energy source. Since the prehistoric age, the progress of humanity has been linked to the availability of heat and energy; the discovery of fire has made it possible to have heat and light regardless of the time of day and season. The evolution of the fuels over tens of millennia has been slow but continuous, favoured by the progress of scientific and technological knowledge, the ability to handle by the users and the discovery or synthesis of new materials.

Fuels can be catalogued on the basis of their state of aggregation and nature, fossil or renewable. Although a renewable fuel—wood—was first used historically, fossil fuels have long been used by humanity to provide heat and energy for civil, artisanal and industrial use, leading to the industrial revolution.

Current awareness that the excessive use of fossil fuels can lead to global warming and dramatic consequences on the world climate is strongly pushing us towards the use of energy resources that avoid the accumulation of climate-altering gases in the atmosphere. This has opened decades of studies in new sectors related to the science and technology of fuels and their use in thermochemical processes. Although other energy sources are increasingly emerging in the world context, it is likely that for the next few decades, it is still necessary to resort to the fossil and renewable fuels. Therefore, studies on their efficient and sustainable utilization are still current and justified.