PROCESS FOR TREATING BIOMASS TO DERIVATIZE POLYSACCHARIDES CONTAINED THEREIN TO INCREASE THEIR ACCESSIBILITY TO HYDROLYSIS AND SUBSEQUENT FERMENTATION
First Claim
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1. A process for producing fermentable sugars derivable from a biomass that contains polysaccharide comprising the steps of:
- obtaining the biomass;
treating the biomass with a swelling agent;
contacting the biomass with a derivatization agent producing a derivatized polysaccharide with increased accessibility; and
converting the polysaccharide with increased accessibility to fermentable sugars by hydrolysis, wherein the derivatized polysaccharide with increased accessibility exhibits an increase in the soluble portion as determined by the enzyme accessibility test and wherein the derivatized polysaccharide with increased accessibility is substantially insoluble as measured by the solubility test.
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Abstract
A process is described for producing fermentable sugars derivable from biomass that contains polysaccharide, such as cellulose, made increasingly accessible as a substrate for enzymatic degradation or other methods of depolymerization. These fermentable sugars are subsequently able to be fermented to produce various target chemicals, such as alcohols, aldehydes, ketones or acids.
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Citations
55 Claims
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1. A process for producing fermentable sugars derivable from a biomass that contains polysaccharide comprising the steps of:
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obtaining the biomass; treating the biomass with a swelling agent; contacting the biomass with a derivatization agent producing a derivatized polysaccharide with increased accessibility; and converting the polysaccharide with increased accessibility to fermentable sugars by hydrolysis, wherein the derivatized polysaccharide with increased accessibility exhibits an increase in the soluble portion as determined by the enzyme accessibility test and wherein the derivatized polysaccharide with increased accessibility is substantially insoluble as measured by the solubility test. - 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)
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26. A process for producing a target chemical derivable from biomass containing polysaccharide comprising the steps of:
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obtaining the biomass; treating the biomass with a swelling agent; contacting the biomass with a derivatization agent producing a derivatized polysaccharide with increased accessibility; and converting the derivatized polysaccharide with increased accessibility to fermentable sugars by hydrolysis under suitable conditions to produce fermentable sugars; and contacting the fermentable sugars with at least one biocatalyst able to ferment the fermentable sugars to produce a target chemical under suitable fermentation conditions, wherein the derivatized polysaccharide with increased accessibility exhibits an increase in the soluble portion as determined by the enzyme accessibility test and wherein the derivatized polysaccharide with increased accessibility is substantially insoluble as measured by the solubility test. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53)
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54. A process for producing a target chemical derivable from biomass containing polysaccharide comprising the steps of:
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obtaining the biomass; treating the biomass with a swelling agent; contacting the biomass with a derivatization agent producing a derivatized polysaccharide with increased accessibility; and converting the derivatized polysaccharide with increased accessibility to fermentable sugars by hydrolysis under suitable conditions to produce fermentable sugars; contacting the fermentable sugars with at least one biocatalyst able to ferment the fermentable sugars to produce a target chemical under suitable fermentation conditions, converting a portion of the target chemical into a derivatization agent; and feeding back the portion of the derivatization agent converted from the target chemical back in the process to contact the biomass with the derivatization agent to produce the derivatized polysaccharide with increased accessibility, wherein the derivatized polysaccharide with increased accessibility exhibits an increase in the soluble portion as determined by the enzyme accessibility test and wherein the derivatized polysaccharide with increased accessibility is substantially insoluble as measured by the solubility test. - View Dependent Claims (55)
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Specification