Treatment of biomass to obtain ethanol
First Claim
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1. A method for producing ethanol comprising:
- b) contacting biomass with an aqueous solution comprising ammonia, wherein the ammonia is present at a concentration at least sufficient to maintain alkaline pH of the biomass-aqueous ammonia mixture but wherein said ammonia is present at less than about 12 weight percent relative to dry weight of biomass, and further wherein the dry weight of biomass is at a high solids concentration of at least about 15 weight percent relative to the weight of the biomass-aqueous ammonia mixture;
b) contacting the product of step (a) with a saccharification enzyme consortium under suitable conditions to produce fermentable sugars; and
c) contacting the product of step (b) under suitable fermentation conditions with a suitable biocatalyst to produce ethanol.
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Abstract
Ethanol was produced using biocatalysts that are able to ferment sugars derived from treated biomass. Sugars were obtained by pretreating biomass under conditions of high solids and low ammonia concentration, followed by saccharification.
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35 Claims
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1. A method for producing ethanol comprising:
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b) contacting biomass with an aqueous solution comprising ammonia, wherein the ammonia is present at a concentration at least sufficient to maintain alkaline pH of the biomass-aqueous ammonia mixture but wherein said ammonia is present at less than about 12 weight percent relative to dry weight of biomass, and further wherein the dry weight of biomass is at a high solids concentration of at least about 15 weight percent relative to the weight of the biomass-aqueous ammonia mixture;
b) contacting the product of step (a) with a saccharification enzyme consortium under suitable conditions to produce fermentable sugars; and
c) contacting the product of step (b) under suitable fermentation conditions with a suitable biocatalyst to produce ethanol. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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Specification