Process, Plant, and Butanol From Lignocellulosic Feedstock

• US 20110076732A1
• Filed: 06/15/2010
• Published: 03/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: BP Biofuels UK Ltd. (BP PLC)
• Original Assignee: BP Biofuels UK Ltd. (BP PLC)
• Inventors: Dobson, Ian, Dumenil, Jean-Charles
• Application Number:
  US12/816,001
• Publication Number:
  US 20110076732A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 435/160
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 2203/00 Fermentation products obtained from optionally pretreated or hydrolyzed cellulosic or lignocellulosic material as the carbon source ethanol C12P7/10
• 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: C12P 7/649 Biodiesel, i.e. fatty acid alkyl esters
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 50/10 Biofuels, e.g. bio-diesel

Abstract

This invention relates to a process, a plant, and butanol made of or derived from lignocellulosic feedstock. The process includes the step of depolymerizing lignocellulosic material to form pentose and a remainder. The process also includes the step of converting the pentose to butanol material and using the remainder for generation of power or further downstream conversion.

Claims

1. A process for producing butanol from lignocellulosic feedstocks, the process comprising:

depolymerizing pentose from a lignocellulosic feedstock to form a remainder;

wherein the depolymerizing step results in a stream comprising primarily pentose, and

converting the pentose to butanol.

2. The process of claim 1, wherein the lignocellulosic feedstock comprises bagasse, rice straw, corn stover, miscanthus, switchgrass, wheat straw, wood, wood waste, paper, paper waste, agricultural waste, municipal waste, sugarcane, energy cane, corn, maize, sorghum, sweet sorghum, sugar beet, or combinations thereof.

3. The process of claim 1, wherein the depolymerizing pentose from the lignocellulosic feedstock comprises an acidic process, a basic process, an enzymatic process, a solvent process, or combinations thereof.

4. The process of claim 1, wherein the converting the pentose to butanol comprises a microorganism process.

5. The process of claim 1, wherein the converting the pentose to butanol comprises an algae process, a bacterial process, a fungal process, a free enzyme process or combinations thereof.

6. The process of claim 1, further comprising consuming the remainder to produce energy.

7. The process of claim 1, wherein the remainder comprises cellulose or lignin.

8. The process of claim 1, further comprising:

depolymerizing hexose from the remainder; and

converting the hexose to a biofuel material.

9. The process of claim 1, wherein the butanol comprises 1-butanol, 2-butanol, or iso-butanol.

10. Butanol made by the process of claim 1.

19. The process of claim 1, wherein said stream comprising a pentose content of at least 50 percent of the total sugars from the depolymerizing step.

20. The process of claim 1, wherein said stream comprising a pentose content of at least 70 percent of the total sugars from the depolymerizing step.

11. A butanol plant for producing butanol from a lignocellulosic feedstock, the plant comprising:

a lignocellulosic feed system;

a pentose depolymerization unit for removing pentose from the lignocellulosic feedstock to form a remainder;

wherein the depolymerization results in a stream comprising primarily pentose; and

a pentose conversion unit for converting pentose to butanol.

12. The plant of claim 11, wherein the pentose depolymerization unit uses an acidic process, a basic process, an enzymatic process, a solvent process, or combinations thereof.

13. The plant of claim 11, wherein the pentose conversion unit uses a microorganism.

14. The plant of claim 11, wherein the pentose conversion unit uses an algae process, a bacterial process, a fungal process, a free enzyme process, or combinations thereof.

15. The plant of claim 11, further comprising:

a hexose depolymerization unit for removing hexose from the remainder to form a reduced remainder; and

a hexose conversion unit for converting hexose to a biofuel material.

16. The plant of claim 15, wherein the pentose conversion unit and the hexose conversion unit comprise a single unit.

17. The plant of claim 15, wherein the pentose conversion unit and the hexose conversion unit comprise separate units.

18. The plant of claim 11, wherein the butanol comprises 1-butanol, 2-butanol, or iso-butanol.