ORGANIC SOLVENT PRETREATMENT OF BIOMASS TO ENHANCE ENZYMATIC SACCHARIFICATION
First Claim
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1. A method for producing carbohydrate-enriched biomass comprising:
- (a) providing lignocellulosic biomass comprising lignin;
(b) suspending the biomass of (a) in an organic solvent solution comprising water and one or more sulfide salt under alkaline conditions whereby a biomass-solvent suspension is formed;
(c) heating the biomass-solvent suspension to a temperature of about 100°
C. to about 220°
C. for about 5 minutes to about 5 hours whereby lignin is fragmented and is dissolved in the suspension; and
(d) filtering free liquid whereby the dissolved lignin is removed and whereby readily carbohydrate-enriched biomass is produced.
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Abstract
Biomass is pretreated using an organic solvent solution under alkaline conditions in the presence of one of more sulfide (hydrosulfide) salt and optionally one or more additional nucleophile to fragment and extract lignin. Pretreated biomass is further hydrolyzed with a saccharification enzyme consortium. Fermentable sugars released by saccharification may be utilized for the production of target chemicals by fermentation.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. A method for producing carbohydrate-enriched biomass comprising:
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(a) providing lignocellulosic biomass comprising lignin; (b) suspending the biomass of (a) in an organic solvent solution comprising water and one or more sulfide salt under alkaline conditions whereby a biomass-solvent suspension is formed; (c) heating the biomass-solvent suspension to a temperature of about 100°
C. to about 220°
C. for about 5 minutes to about 5 hours whereby lignin is fragmented and is dissolved in the suspension; and(d) filtering free liquid whereby the dissolved lignin is removed and whereby readily carbohydrate-enriched biomass is produced. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 29, 30)
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18. A method of simultaneous fragmentation and selective extraction of lignin from lignocellulosic biomass to produced a substantially lignin-free biomass comprising:
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(a) providing; 1) an amount of lignocellulosic biomass; 2) a multi-component organic solvent solution comprising from about 40% to about 70% ethanol in water; 3) one or more sulfide salt(s); and 4) one or more alkylamine(s) under alkaline conditions; (b) contacting said biomass with the multi-component solvent solution of (a) whereby a solvent-biomass mixture is produced; (c) placing the solvent-biomass mixture in a sealed pressure vessel whereby the mixture of (b) is heated from about 100°
C. to about 220°
C. for about 5 minutes to about 5 hours whereby lignin is fragmented and dissolved in the solvent;(d) removing the dissolved lignin of (c) by filtration; and (e) washing the residual biomass with organic solvent, whereby substantially lignin-free biomass is produced. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 26, 27, 28)
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Specification