High force and high stress destructuring of cellulosic biomass

• US 10,227,623 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2014
• Issued: 03/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dupont US Holding, LLC (International Flavors & Fragrances Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company (Corteva, Inc.)
• Inventors: De Silva, Wathudura Indika Namal, Fagan, Paul Joseph, Gallagher, F Glenn, Huang, Zheng-Zheng, Liu, Guangliang Gary, Perelman, Aaron, Romero Millan, Luis Fernando, Shpilsky, Anton, Slanac, Daniel A, Walsh, Maria
• Primary Examiner(s): Landau, Sharmila G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chong, Stephen M
• Application Number:
  US14/546,225
• Publication Number:
  US 20150147311A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,575 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A23K 10/30 from material of plant origin, e.g. roots, seeds or hay; from material of fungal origin, e.g. mushrooms obtained by microbiological or biochemical processes, e.g. using yeasts or enzymes, A23K10/10
• CPC Class Codes: A23K 20/189 Enzymes
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 31/717 Celluloses
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 38/47 acting on glycosyl compounds (3.2), e.g. cellulases, lactases
• CPC Class Codes: C08B 30/02 Preparatory treatment, e.g. crushing of raw materials or steeping process machines for preliminary washing A23N
• CPC Class Codes: C08B 30/12 Degraded, destructured or non-chemically modified starch , e.g. mechanically, enzymatically or by irradiation; Bleaching of starch preparation of chemical derivatives of starch C08B31/00
• CPC Class Codes: C08H 8/00 Macromolecular compounds derived from lignocellulosic materials pretreatment thereof B27N
• 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 19/20 produced by the action of an exo-1,4 alpha-glucosidase, e.g. dextrose
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 2201/00 Pretreatment of cellulosic or lignocellulosic material for subsequent enzymatic treatment or hydrolysis
• 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: C12Y 302/01004 Cellulase (3.2.1.4), i.e. endo-1,4-beta-glucanase
• CPC Class Codes: C13K 1/02 obtained by saccharification of cellulosic materials manufacture of fodder A23K10/32
• CPC Class Codes: C13K 13/002 Xylose
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 50/10 Biofuels, e.g. bio-diesel
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 60/87 Re-use of by-products of food processing for fodder production

Abstract

A process for mechanical destructuring of cellulosic biomass was developed that makes use of a short application of high compression, impact, and shearing forces. The biomass may be destructured using a specific energy input that is less than 40% of the total combustible energy of the biomass. The destructured biomass, with or without saccharification and/or in-feed glycosyl hydrolase enzymes, may be used in feed applications.

Claims

1. A process for producing destructured cellulosic biomass comprising:

a) providing a portion of cellulosic biomass having a moisture content of less than 30% by weight relative to the total weight of the biomass; and

b) applying to the biomass of (a) at least one set of compression and impact forces totaling at least 5,000 N and combined with shearing forces, wherein the compression and impact forces comprise compressing or impacting the biomass of (a) against at least one surface by use of at least one milling media;

wherein a contact stress of greater than 5,000 psi is applied to the biomass, wherein specific energy input in the process is less than 40% of the total combustible energy of the portion of biomass being treated and wherein a destructured cellulosic biomass is produced.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein G-force is applied at less than 10 G.

3. The process of claim 1 wherein the forces are imparted using a non-vibratory apparatus which does not contain free flowing media.

5. The process of claim 1 or 4 wherein the biomass of (a) is contacted with a pretreatment chemical prior to, during, or after (b).

7. The process of claim 1 or 4 wherein the forces are imparted by centrifugal motion, hydraulics, or springs.

8. The process of claim 1 or 4 further comprising contacting the destructured biomass with at least one saccharification enzyme or saccharification chemical under suitable conditions for saccharification wherein sugars are produced.

9. The process of claim 1 or 4 further comprising admixing the destructured biomass with at least one in-feed glycosyl hydrolase enzyme.

10. The process of claim 1 or 4 wherein the destructured biomass has a coherent domain size that is less than about 2.5 nm.

11. The process of claim 1 or 4 wherein each individual application of force occurs in less than ten milliseconds.

12. The process of claim 1 or 4 wherein compression and impact forces applied to the biomass are applied by smooth surfaces.

13. The process of claim 1 or 4 wherein at least one set of compression and impact forces is at least about 10,000 N.

14. The process of claim 1 or 4 wherein the compression and impact forces are applied to a biomass having a particle size of at least 0.635 cm in at least one dimension.

15. The process of claim 1 or 4 wherein the biomass is selected from the group consisting of corn stover, corn cob, corn grain fiber, grasses, beet pulp, wheat straw, wheat chaff, oat straw, barley straw, barley hulls, hay, rice straw, rice hulls, switchgrass, miscanthus, cord grass, reed canary grass, waste paper, sugar cane bagasse, sorghum bagasse, sorghum stover, soybean stover, components obtained from milling of grains, trees, branches, roots, leaves, wood chips, sawdust, palm waste, shrubs and bushes, vegetables, fruits, flowers and animal manure.

16. The process of claim 1 or 4 further comprising contacting the destructed biomass with the least one saccharification enzyme or saccharification chemical under suitable conditions for saccharification wherein sugars are produced, wherein the combined sugars yield of glucose and glucose oligomers and of xylose and xylose oligomers is at least about 15% greater on a total possible sugars yield basis compared to the yield from the biomass of (a) that does not have forces applied as in (b).

17. The process of claim 1 or 4 wherein the contact stress is greater than about 8,000 psi.

18. The process of claim 17 wherein the contact stress is greater than about 25,000 psi.

19. The process of claim 7 wherein the forces are imparted by centrifugal motion and the Radii Ratio is less than 0.5.

20. The process of claim 7 wherein the compression and impact forces are imparted by centrifugal motion by moving an object with a mass of at least 100 kilograms.

21. The process of claim 19 wherein the forces are imparted by centrifugal motion and the Radii Ratio is less than 0.4.

22. The process of claim 21 wherein the forces are imparted by centrifugal motion and the Radii Ratio is about 0.33.

23. The process according to claim 8 wherein the at least one saccharification enzyme comprises at least the following activities endoglucanase activity and β

-glucosidase activity.

24. The process of claim 8 wherein the sugar produced comprise glucose, glucose oligomers, xylose and xylose oligomers, and the combined yield of glucose, glucose oligomers, xylose, and xylose oligomers is at least about 50% of total possible yield of these sugars.

25. The process of claim 8 wherein the at least one saccharificaiton enzyme is a saccharification enzyme consortium including at least one glycosidase.

26. The process of claim 8 wherein the saccharification chemical is a mineral acid or an organic solvent.

27. The process of claim 8 further comprising fermenting fermentable sugars produced using a biocatalyst to produce a target compound.

28. The process of claim 8 wherein the biomass of (a) is contacted with a pretreatment chemical prior to, during, or after (b).

29. The process of claim 27 further comprising admixing the destructured biomass with the least one in-feed glycosyl hydrolase enzyme.

30. The process of claim 9 wherein said at least one in-feed glycosyl hydrolase enzyme(s) comprises at least the following enzyme activities:

cellulase activity and hemi-cellulase activity.

31. The process of claim 9 wherein said at least one in-feed glycosyl hydrolase enzyme(s) comprises at least the following enzyme activities:

endoglucanase activity, endoxylanase activity and β

-glucosidase activity.

32. The process according to claim 31 wherein the at least one in-feed glycosyl hydrolase enzyme(s) comprises a further enzyme comprising one or both of the following activities:

exoglucosidase activity and/or lytic polysaccharide monooxygenase activity.

33. The process of claim 24 wherein the yield of glucose and glucose oligomers is at least 60% based on total possible yield of these sugars.

34. The process of claim 24 wherein the yield of xylose and xylose oligomers is at least 60% based on total possible yield of these sugars.

35. The process of claim 24 wherein the yield of glucose and glucose oligomers is at least 60% and the yield of xylose and xylose oligomers is at least 60% based on total possible yield of these sugars.

36. The process of claim 13 wherein at least one set of compression and impact forces is at least about 50,000 N.

37. The process of claim 36 wherein at least one set of compression and impact forces is at least about 100,000 N.

38. The process of claim 27 where in the target compound comprises ethanol.

39. The process of claim 28 further comprising fermenting fermentable sugars produced using a biocatalyst to produce a target compound.

40. The process of claim 39 wherein the target compound comprises ethanol.

4. A process for producing destructured cellulosic biomass comprising:

a) providing a portion of cellulosic biomass having a moisture content of less than 30% by weight relative to the total weight of the biomass; and

b) applying to the biomass of (a) at least one set of compression and impact forces totaling at least 1,500 N and combined with shearing forces, and wherein a contact stress of greater than 5,000 psi is applied and the compression and impact forces comprise compressing or impacting the biomass of (a) against at least one surface by use of at least one milling media;

wherein specific energy input in the process is less than 40% of the total combustible energy of the portion of biomass being treated and wherein a destructured cellulosic biomass is produced.

6. The process of claim 4 wherein the compression and impact forces are at least 3,000 N.