Processing biomass and petroleum containing materials

• US 10,092,890 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2018
• Issued: 10/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xyleco, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Xyleco, Inc.
• Inventors: Medoff, Marshall
• Primary Examiner(s): McCaig, Brian A
• Application Number:
  US15/879,749
• Publication Number:
  US 20180161749A1
• Time in Patent Office: 257 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/08 Processes employing the direct application of electric or wave energy, or particle radiation; Apparatus therefor application of shock waves B01J3/08
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/081 employing particle radiation or gamma-radiation
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/085 Electron beams only
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/08 Processes employing the direct application of electric or wave energy, or particle radiation; Apparatus therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0879 Solid
• CPC Class Codes: C08B 1/00 Preparatory treatment of cellulose for making derivatives thereof , e.g. pre-treatment, pre-soaking, activation
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 11/00 Catalytic cracking, in the absence of hydrogen, of hydrocarbon oils cracking in direct contact with molten metals or salts C10G9/34
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 15/10 by particle radiation
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2300/1011 Biomass
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 3/00 Production of liquid hydrocarbon mixtures from oxygen-containing organic materials, e.g. fatty oils, fatty acids production from non-melting solid oxygen-containing carbonaceous materials C10G1/00
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 47/00 Cracking of hydrocarbon oils, in the presence of hydrogen or hydrogen- generating compounds, to obtain lower boiling fractions C10G15/00 takes precedence; destructive hydrogenation of non-melting solid carbonaceous or similar materials C10G1/06
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 1/02 essentially based on components consisting of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen only
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 1/04 essentially based on blends of hydrocarbons
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 2200/0469 Renewables or materials of biological origin
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 2270/02 for internal combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 2270/04 for turbines, planes, power generation
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 2290/02 Combustion or pyrolysis
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 2290/06 Heat exchange, direct or indirect
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 2290/26 Composting, fermenting or anaerobic digestion fuel components or materials from which fuels are prepared
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 2290/34 Applying ultrasonic energy
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 2290/36 : Applying radiation such as microwave, IR, UV
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 2290/543 : Distillation, fractionation or rectification for separating fractions, components or impurities during preparation or upgrading of a fuel
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 19/02 : Monosaccharides 2-ketogulonic acid C12P7/60
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 19/14 : produced by the action of a carbohydrase (EC 3.2.x), e.g. by alpha-amylase , e.g. by cellulase, hemicellulase
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 2201/00 : Pretreatment of cellulosic or lignocellulosic material for subsequent enzymatic treatment or hydrolysis
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 2203/00 : Fermentation products obtained from optionally pretreated or hydrolyzed cellulosic or lignocellulosic material as the carbon source ethanol C12P7/10
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 5/00 : Preparation of hydrocarbons or halogenated hydrocarbons
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 5/02 : acyclic C12P5/007 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 5/023 : Methane
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/02 : containing a hydroxy group
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/04 : acyclic
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/10 : substrate containing cellulosic material
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/14 : Multiple stages of fermentation; Multiple types of microorganisms or re-use of microorganisms
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/16 : Butanols
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/1007 : with both reactants being gaseous or vaporised H01M8/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/1013 : Other direct alcohol fuel cells [DAFC]
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/16 : Biochemical fuel cells, i.e. cells in which microorganisms function as catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/22 : Fuel cells in which the fuel is based on materials comprising carbon or oxygen or hydrogen and other elements; Fuel cells in which the fuel is based on materials comprising only elements other than carbon, oxygen or hydrogen
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 50/10 : Biofuels, e.g. bio-diesel
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 50/30 : Fuel from waste, e.g. synthetic alcohol or diesel
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 : Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 30/20 : using bio-feedstock
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/678 : Aviation using fuels of non-fossil origin

Abstract

Biomass (e.g., plant biomass, animal biomass, and municipal waste biomass) is processed to produce useful products, such as fuels. For example, systems can use feedstock materials, such as cellulosic and/or lignocellulosic materials and/or starchy materials, to produce ethanol and/or butanol, e.g., by fermentation.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

treating a cellulosic or lignocellulosic material, that has been exposed to an ion beam which effects a chain scission reaction, with a microorganism to extract a fuel from the cellulosic or lignocellulosic material, wherein the ion beam comprises charged particles having a specific energy of 10 MeV/u or more.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the ion beam is generated by an accelerator, the accelerator having a filter to remove undesired species.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the ion beam comprises positively charged ions.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the ion beam comprises at least one of carbon ions, oxygen ions, and noble gas ions.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the ion beam comprises at least one of platinum ions, palladium ions, rhenium ions, iridium ions, ruthenium ions, aluminum ions, nickel ions, and osmium ions.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising exposing the material to an electron beam.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising exposing the material to a reactive gas during exposure of the material to the ion beam.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the reactive gas comprises ozone.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein exposing the material to the ion beam comprises exposing the material to a first type of ions from a first ion beam, and exposing the material to a second type of ions from a second ion beam.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first and second types of ions have different charges.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the first and second types of ions have different masses.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein during exposure to the ion beam the material is flowing.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein exposure to the ion beam breaks chemical bonds in at least a portion of the cellulosic or lignocellulosic material, leading to a reduction in molecular weight of at least a portion of the cellulosic or lignocellulosic material.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein exposure to the ion beam leads to isomerization of at least a portion of the cellulosic or lignocellulosic material, the isomerization effecting a reduction in viscosity.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the ion beam composition is selected to effect the addition of a functional group to at least a portion of the cellulosic or lignocellulosic material, the functional group effective to increase ionic mobility within the functionalized portion.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the ion beam comprises hydride ions.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the chain scission reaction comprises a ring-opening chain scission reaction.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the ion beam comprises ions that behave chemically as Lewis acid moieties or Lewis base moieties when exposed to the cellulosic or lignocellulosic material.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the ion beam comprises protons.