Pre-treatment of biomass

• US 20090305372A1
• Filed: 07/03/2006
• Published: 12/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Antonius Theodorus Wilhelminus Maria Hendriks
• Original Assignee: Antonius Theodorus Wilhelminus Maria Hendriks
• Inventors: Hendriks, Antonius Theodorus Wilhelminus Maria
• Application Number:
  US12/306,960
• Publication Number:
  US 20090305372A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 435/161
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 2201/00 Pretreatment of cellulosic or lignocellulosic material for subsequent enzymatic treatment or hydrolysis
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 3/00 Preparation of elements or inorganic compounds except carbon dioxide recovery of carbon dioxides as by-products C12F3/02
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 5/023 Methane
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/10 substrate containing cellulosic material
• 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

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method of pre-treatment of biomass, in order to improve the conversion of said biomass. The present invention also relates to a method of recovering chemicals used in said method. Further, the present invention relates to a method of converting pre-treated biomass into further products.

Claims

1. ) Method for pre-treating a lignocellulose containing biomass, comprising the steps of:

a) forming a mixture of the biomass, water and a suited largely recoverable nucleophilic composition in a sufficient amount,

b) reacting the nucleophilic composition with the biomass, wherein reacting takes place at a pH in the range of 49,

wherein the mixture contains between about 0.04 to about 2.5 mol of nucleophilic composition per litre mixture of biomass, wherein the nucleophilic composition comprises a compound selected from the group consisting of NH₃, NH₄⁺-salts, urea, amides, and amino-acids, and mixtures thereof, and wherein the pre-treated biomass is subsequently converted by anaerobic digestion.

2. ) Method according to claim 1, wherein reacting takes place at a temperature in the range of 40 to 170°

C., during a time in the range from 5 minutes to 36 hours, and at a pressure in the range of from 1 bar to 35 bar.

3. ) Method according to claim 1, wherein the mixture contains between about 5 to about 20 grams of water per gram of dry biomass.

4. ) Method according to claim 1, wherein the lignocellulose-containing biomass is selected from the group consisting of grass, wood, bagasse, straw, paper, plant material, and combinations thereof.

5. ) Method according to claim 1, wherein further an oxidizing agent is added to the mixture.

6. ) Method according to claim 1, wherein the oxidizing agent is a gas and is added to the mixture at a pressure of between about 0.1 to about 35 bar.

7. ) The method according to claim 1, wherein a biofuel is formed selected form the group of ethanol, hydrogen or methane.

8. ) A method for recovering nucleophilic composition from a biomass pre-treatment process comprising the steps of:

a) pre-treating the biomass as defined in claim 1,

b) optionally followed by a method according to claim 7, and

c) recovering the nucleophilic composition.