Cellulosic enzyme recycling from separation of saccharified biomass
First Claim
1. A method for generating ethanol from a lignocellulosic biomass, comprising:
- (a) hydrothermally pretreating the lignocellulosic biomass at a temperature from about 140°
C. to about 210°
C. and a pH of about 3.0 to about 6.5;
(b) contacting the biomass with a hydrolytic or saccharification enzyme to hydrolyze components of the biomass to sugars under conditions of high-shear agitation, thereby producing a mixture of solids and a liquid comprising sugars;
(c) separating the mixture into a liquid stream comprising sugars and furfural, and a solids stream comprising solids and the hydrolytic or saccharification enzyme, wherein the activity of the hydrolytic or saccharification enzyme from step (b) is increased;
(d) incubating the solids stream under conditions suitable to hydrolyze components of the solids to sugars, thereby producing additional sugars,wherein the hydrolyzed components from step (d) contain decreased concentrations of furfural compared to biomass from step (b) that is not treated under the conditions as in step (c); and
(e) fermenting the sugars from step (d) to produce ethanol.
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Abstract
The present disclosure provides methods for generating sugars from a cellulosic biomass. The methods combine treatment of the biomass using a high-shear milling device and saccharification of the biomass to partially hydrolyze the biomass. The biomass can be saccharified either after or simultaneously with the high-shear milling treatment. The partially hydrolyzed biomass is then separated into a solids stream with saccharification enzymes, and a liquid stream with sugars. The solids stream and associated enzymes are further incubated under saccharification conditions to produce additional sugars, or are recycled and added to fresh biomass, which is saccharified under high-shear milling conditions. The methods result in improved conversion of cellulosic biomass to glucose.
27 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A method for generating ethanol from a lignocellulosic biomass, comprising:
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(a) hydrothermally pretreating the lignocellulosic biomass at a temperature from about 140°
C. to about 210°
C. and a pH of about 3.0 to about 6.5;(b) contacting the biomass with a hydrolytic or saccharification enzyme to hydrolyze components of the biomass to sugars under conditions of high-shear agitation, thereby producing a mixture of solids and a liquid comprising sugars; (c) separating the mixture into a liquid stream comprising sugars and furfural, and a solids stream comprising solids and the hydrolytic or saccharification enzyme, wherein the activity of the hydrolytic or saccharification enzyme from step (b) is increased; (d) incubating the solids stream under conditions suitable to hydrolyze components of the solids to sugars, thereby producing additional sugars, wherein the hydrolyzed components from step (d) contain decreased concentrations of furfural compared to biomass from step (b) that is not treated under the conditions as in step (c); and (e) fermenting the sugars from step (d) to produce ethanol. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification