Process for producing a fuel from lignocellulosic feedstock
First Claim
1. A process for producing a fuel from lignocellulosic feedstock, said fuel comprising ethanol, said process comprising:
- (i) treating the lignocellulosic feedstock to produce sugar;
(ii) fermenting the sugar to produce a fermented mixture comprising the ethanol;
(iii) recovering the ethanol from the fermented mixture in one or more stages to produce a concentrated ethanol and still bottoms;
(iv) recovering the still bottoms, said still bottoms comprising an organic component and an inorganic component; and
(v) applying the still bottoms comprising the organic component and the inorganic component to land as a soil conditioner,wherein applying the still bottoms to the land returns at least one member selected from the group consisting of organic matter and nutrients back to the land.
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a method for producing a composition for use in land application. The method comprises: (a) obtaining a fermentation product by a production process comprising the steps of: (i) treating lignocellulosic feedstock to produce sugar; (ii) fermenting the sugar to produce a fermented mixture comprising the fermentation product; and (iii) recovering the fermentation product from the fermented mixture in one or more stages to produce a concentrated fermentation product and still bottoms; and
(b) recovering the still bottoms, the still bottoms comprising organic and inorganic components; and (c) providing the still bottoms for use in a land application. Also provided is a soil conditioning composition for use in land application. The soil conditioning composition contains still bottoms and optionally other components.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A process for producing a fuel from lignocellulosic feedstock, said fuel comprising ethanol, said process comprising:
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(i) treating the lignocellulosic feedstock to produce sugar; (ii) fermenting the sugar to produce a fermented mixture comprising the ethanol; (iii) recovering the ethanol from the fermented mixture in one or more stages to produce a concentrated ethanol and still bottoms; (iv) recovering the still bottoms, said still bottoms comprising an organic component and an inorganic component; and (v) applying the still bottoms comprising the organic component and the inorganic component to land as a soil conditioner, wherein applying the still bottoms to the land returns at least one member selected from the group consisting of organic matter and nutrients back to the land. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A process for producing a fuel from lignocellulosic feedstock, said fuel comprising ethanol, said process comprising:
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(i) treating the lignocellulosic feedstock to produce sugar; (ii) fermenting the sugar to produce a fermented mixture comprising the ethanol; (iii) recovering the ethanol from the fermented mixture in one or more stages to produce concentrated ethanol and still bottoms; (iv) recovering the still bottoms, said recovered still bottoms comprising 40-80 wt % organic component and 20-60 wt % inorganic component, said organic component comprising at least soluble lignin, said inorganic component comprising at least nitrogen and sulfur; and (v) applying the still bottoms comprising the organic component and the inorganic component to land as a soil conditioner, wherein the life cycle greenhouse gas emissions of the ethanol is reduced relative to life cycle greenhouse gas emissions of ethanol produced by an otherwise identical fuel production process that does not apply the still bottoms to land as a soil conditioner, and wherein said reduction is at least in part a result of step (v). - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A process for producing a fuel from lignocellulosic feedstock, said fuel comprising ethanol, said process comprising:
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(i) treating the lignocellulosic feedstock to produce sugar; (ii) fermenting the sugar to produce a fermented mixture comprising ethanol; (iii) recovering the ethanol from the fermented mixture in one or more stages to produce recovered ethanol and still bottoms; (iv) recovering the still bottoms, said recovered still bottoms comprising 40-80 wt % organic component and 20-60 wt % inorganic component, said organic component comprising at least soluble lignin, said inorganic component comprising at least nitrogen and sulfur; and (v) conditioning soil by applying the still bottoms comprising the organic component and the inorganic component to land, wherein the life cycle greenhouse gas emissions of the ethanol is reduced relative to life cycle greenhouse gas emissions of ethanol produced by an otherwise identical fuel production process that includes disposing of the still bottoms by incineration rather than applying the still bottoms to land.
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Specification