METHOD FOR PRETREATING PLANT STARTING MATERIAL FOR THE PRODUCTION, FROM SACCHARIFEROUS AND LIGNOCELLULOSIC RESOURCES, OF BIOETHANOL AND OF SUGAR, AND PLANT

• US 20110105737A1
• Filed: 06/03/2009
• Published: 05/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Compagnie Industrielle De La Matiere Vegetale-Cimv
• Original Assignee: Compagnie Industrielle De La Matiere Vegetale-Cimv
• Inventors: Levasseur, Gérard, Delmas, Michel, Benjelloun Mlayah, Bouchra, Scholastique, Thierry
• Application Number:
  US12/996,671
• Publication Number:
  US 20110105737A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 530/500
• 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: C13B 10/02 Expressing juice from sugar cane or similar material, e.g. sorghum saccharatum
• CPC Class Codes: C13B 10/08 Extraction of sugar from sugar beet with water
• CPC Class Codes: C13K 1/02 obtained by saccharification of cellulosic materials manufacture of fodder A23K10/32
• CPC Class Codes: D21C 3/00 Pulping cellulose-containing materials digesters D21C7/00
• CPC Class Codes: D21C 3/003 with organic compounds D21C3/20 and D21C3/222 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: D21C 3/04 with acids, acid salts or acid anhydrides D21C3/003 and D21C3/222 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: D21C 3/20 with organic solvents or in solvent environment
• CPC Class Codes: D21C 3/22 Other features of pulping processes
• CPC Class Codes: D21C 3/222 Use of compounds accelerating the pulping processes
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 50/10 Biofuels, e.g. bio-diesel

Abstract

A method for pretreating plant starting material for the purpose of producing bioethanol and/or sugar via a common chamber (12), is characterized in that: —during one period, the plant material (MP), introduced into the common pretreatment chamber, is a lignocellulosic plant starting material, whose pretreatment is aimed at separating the cellulose, the hemicelluloses and the lignins so as to obtain a pretreated plant material that can be hydrolyzed and fermented for the production of bioethanol; —during another period, the plant material (MP), introduced into the common pretreatment chamber, is a sacchariferous plant starting material, whose pretreatment is aimed at extracting therefrom, by diffusion, a sugar juice for the production of sugar and/or of bioethanol.

Claims

1-7. -7. (canceled)

8. Method for pretreating plant starting material for the purpose of producing bioethanol and sugar by means of a common chamber (12) for pretreatment of the plant material, comprising:

at least one upstream inlet (14) for introducing plant material (MP) to be pretreated into the common pretreatment chamber;

at least one downstream outlet (16) for discharging the pretreated plant material from the common pretreatment chamber (12);

means (20) for circulating the plant material from upstream to downstream;

means (Gi) for bringing the plant material into contact with a pretreatment liquid which circulates overall, from downstream to upstream, in the opposite direction to the direction of circulation of the plant material inside said common pretreatment chamber;

and means for recovering, on the one hand, the solid phase and, on the other hand, the liquid phase containing in particular at least a part of the pretreatment liquid;

characterized in that;

during one period (PL), the plant material (MP) to be pretreated, introduced into the common pretreatment chamber (12), is a lignocellulosic plant starting material, said pretreatment of which is aimed at separating the cellulose, the hemicelluloses and the lignins contained in said lignocellulosic plant starting material so as to obtain a pretreated plant material that can be hydrolysed and fermented for the production of bioethanol;

during another period (PS), the plant material (MP) to be pretreated, introduced into the common pretreatment chamber, is a sacchariferous plant starting material, said pretreatment of which is aimed at extracting therefrom, by diffusion, a sugar juice for the production of sugar and of bioethanol.

9. Method according to claim 8, characterized in that, during said one period (PL), the pretreatment liquid is a mixture containing formic acid and water at a temperature of between 95°

C. and 110°

C.

10. ) Method according to claim 8, characterized in that, during said other period (PS), the pretreatment liquid is water at a temperature above 70°

C.

11. Method according to claim 8, characterized in that said pretreatment step is carried out at atmospheric pressure, or at a slightly reduced pressure.

12. Method according to claim 11, characterized in that, during said one period (PL), the plant material to be pretreated is a part of the solid phase recovered at the end of said other period.

13. Plant for implementing the method according to claim 8, characterized in that it comprises at least one said common pretreatment chamber (12) and means for preparing the plant starting material so as to convert it into said plant material to be pretreated, in particular by cutting it up.

14. Plant for implementing the method according to claim 13, characterized in that the common pretreatment chamber (12) is a sealed chamber in which the plant material to be pretreated circulates.

15. Method according to claim 9, characterized in that, during said other period (PS), the pretreatment liquid is water at a temperature above 70°

C.