COOLING AND PROCESSING MATERIALS

• US 20100012756A1
• Filed: 07/14/2009
• Published: 01/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xyleco, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Xyleco, Inc.
• Inventors: MEDOFF, Marshall
• Granted Patent: US 7,900,857 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 241/23
• CPC Class Codes: B02C 11/08 Cooling, heating, ventilating, conditioning with respect to temperature or water content conditioning grain before milling B02B1/08; air-conditioning or ventilating in general F24F
• CPC Class Codes: B02C 19/18 Use of auxiliary physical effects, e.g. ultrasonics, irradiation, for disintegrating
• CPC Class Codes: B02C 19/186 Use of cold or heat for disintegrating B02C4/44, B02C7/17, B02C11/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B02C 2019/183 Crushing by discharge of high electrical energy
• CPC Class Codes: B02C 4/44 Cooling or heating rollers or bars
• CPC Class Codes: B02C 7/17 Cooling or heating of discs
• CPC Class Codes: C08H 8/00 Macromolecular compounds derived from lignocellulosic materials pretreatment thereof B27N
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2397/02 Lignocellulosic material, e.g. wood, straw or bagasse
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 3/28 Treatment by wave energy or particle radiation
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 1/00 Production of liquid hydrocarbon mixtures from oil-shale, oil-sand, or non-melting solid carbonaceous or similar materials, e.g. wood, coal mechanical winning of oil from oil-shales, oil-sand, or the like B03B
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2300/1014 of vegetal origin
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2300/1033 Oil well production fluids
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 5/00 Solid fuels produced by solidifying fluid fuels C10L7/00
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 5/44 on vegetable substances
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 19/02 Monosaccharides 2-ketogulonic acid C12P7/60
• 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: C12P 7/16 Butanols
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 30/20 : using bio-feedstock

Abstract

Systems and methods for cooling and processing materials are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

processing an embrittled material to make a product different from the embrittled material, the embrittled material having been produced by treating a starting material to embrittle the starting material.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein producing the embrittled material further comprises grinding or comminuting the starting material.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein grinding or comminuting is performed before the starting material has been embrittled.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein treating comprises cooling the starting material.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the starting material comprises biomass.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein treating and grinding or comminuting are performed simultaneously in a freeze grinding or freeze milling device.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein processing the material comprises contacting the material with an enzyme and/or a microorganism.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the product comprises an alcohol.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the product comprises ethanol.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the starting material comprises a hydrocarbon-containing material.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the hydrocarbon-containing material is selected from the group consisting of tar sands, oil sands, oil shale, crude oil, bitumen, coal, and liquefied natural gas.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein treating comprises irradiating the starting material.

16. The method of claim 5 wherein the biomass comprises a lignocellulosic material, and the method further comprises separating lignin from cellulose.

13. The method of claim 13 wherein treating further comprises cooling the starting material.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein cooling is performed prior to irradiating.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein treating comprises temperature cycling the starting material.

17. A method comprising:

cooling a biomass material to reduce the recalcitrance of the material; and

after cooling, processing the material to produce a product that is chemically different from the biomass material.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein processing comprises contacting the material with an enzyme and/or a microorganism.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the biomass material comprises a lignocellulosic material.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the material comprises cellulose and contacting the material comprises utilizing an enzyme to saccharify the cellulose.

21. The method of claim 17 further comprising irradiating the biomass material.

22. The method of claim 17 wherein the biomass material has been irradiated prior to cooling.

23. The method of claim 17 wherein cooling is performed in a freeze grinding or freeze milling device.

24. The method of claim 17 wherein contacting the material comprises utilizing a microorganism to produce an alcohol.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the alcohol comprises ethanol.

26. The method of claim 17 wherein cooling comprises cooling the material to a temperature below the brittle point of the material.

27. A method comprising:

cooling a material having more than one component and an interface between the components to a temperature at which the components separate at the interface, and processing the cooled material to produce a product different from the material.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the material comprises biomass.

29. The method of claim 27 wherein the material comprises a lignocellulosic material.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein the components include lignin and cellulose.

31. The method of claim 27 wherein the temperature is less than or equal to the brittle point of the material.

32. The method of claim 27 further comprising irradiating the material.

33. The method of claim 27 wherein the material has been irradiated prior to cooling.

34. The method of claim 27 further comprising mechanically treating the material.

35. The method of claim 27 wherein the material is mechanically treated during cooling.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein the material is mechanically treated by freeze grinding or freeze milling.

37. The method of claim 36 wherein cooling comprises pre-cooling the material prior to freeze grinding or freeze milling.

38. The method of claim 27 wherein the components have different coefficients of thermal expansion.

39. The method of claim 27 further comprising temperature cycling the material.

40. The method of claim 27 wherein, after cooling, the material includes functional groups selected from the group consisting of carboxylic acid groups, aldehyde groups, nitroso groups, nitrile groups, nitro groups, ketone groups, amino groups, alkyl amino groups, alkyl groups, chloroalkyl groups, chlorofluoroalkyl groups, and enol groups.

41. The method of claim 27 wherein the material comprises a hydrocarbon-containing material.

42. The method of claim 41 wherein the hydrocarbon-containing material is selected from the group consisting of tar sands, oil sands, oil shale, crude oil, bitumen, coal, and liquefied natural gas.