Biorefinery Process for Extraction, Separation, and Recovery of Fermentable Saccharides, other Useful Compounds, and Yield of Improved Lignocellulosic Material from Plant Biomass

• US 20110129886A1
• Filed: 08/05/2010
• Published: 06/02/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Biorefinery Sciences, LLC
• Original Assignee: Applied Biorefinery Sciences, LLC
• Inventors: Wood, Christopher D., Howard, Joel R., Amidon, Thomas E., Liu, Shijie
• Granted Patent: US 8,618,280 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 435/150
• CPC Class Codes: B27N 3/02 from particles
• CPC Class Codes: B27N 3/06 Making particle boards or fibreboards, with preformed covering layers, the particles or fibres being compressed with the layers to a board in one single pressing operation
• CPC Class Codes: C08B 37/0057 beta-D-Xylans, i.e. xylosaccharide, e.g. arabinoxylan, arabinofuronan, pentosans; (beta-1,3)(beta-1,4)-D-Xylans, e.g. rhodymenans; Hemicellulose; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C08H 8/00 Macromolecular compounds derived from lignocellulosic materials pretreatment thereof B27N
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 5/44 on vegetable substances
• CPC Class Codes: C13K 1/02 obtained by saccharification of cellulosic materials manufacture of fodder A23K10/32
• CPC Class Codes: C13K 13/00 Sugars not otherwise provided for in this class
• CPC Class Codes: C13K 13/002 Xylose
• CPC Class Codes: C13K 13/007 Separation of sugars provided for in subclass C13K C13K3/00 takes precedence
• 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

Abstract

Non-food plant biomass is subjected to hot-water extraction in a pressurized vessel at an elevated temperature up to about 250° C. and at a pH below about 7.0, to yield an aqueous extract containing hemicellulosic components, other wood-derived compounds, and a lignocellulosic residue. The separated aqueous extract or liquor is purified and concentrated through a multi-step process producing fermentable sugars. At each stage, inhibitory chemicals such as acetic acid, lignin, and furfural are separated and eventually recovered as commercial chemicals. The lignocellulosic residue may be further processed, as a material with enhanced resistance to sorption of water, for manufacture of improved pulp and paper, construction materials, pellet fuel, and/or other useful products.

Claims

1. Process of extraction of useful biochemicals from a non-food plant biomass, the process comprising:

a) hot-water extraction carried out by contacting a charge of the non-food plant biomass material with water, in a pressurized vessel at an elevated temperature up to about 250°

C. and at a pH below about 7.0, to yield an aqueous extract containing hemicellulosic components and other lignocellulosic derived compounds and a lignocellulosic residue;

b) separating the lignocellulosic residue and other coarse materials from the aqueous extract;

c) processing the aqueous extract to remove larger aromatic and oligomeric molecules;

d) deriving a more pure, concentrated sugar solution from the aqueous extract remaining after step c) by sundering of oligomeric sugars into a concentrated sugar stream and fermentation inhibitory compounds into a permeate stream;

e) hydrolyzing of the concentrated sugar stream of step d) into monomeric and/or dimeric sugars;

f) removing inhibitory components from the hydrolyzed monomeric and/or dimeric sugar solution of step e) as a permeate stream;

g) concentrating the monomeric/dimeric saccharides after step f);

h) separating the permeate stream after steps d) and/or f) into individual components; and

i) recovering water from the sugar solution after step f) and from the permeate stream in step h).

2. The process of claim 1 wherein the monomeric and/or dimeric saccharides yielded in step g) include 5- and 6-carbon sugars.

3. The process of claim 1 wherein the individual components yielded in step h) include one or more of acetic acid, methanol, formic acid, and furfural. employing an enzyme.

4. The process of claim 1 wherein the processing of step c) includes one or more of sedimentation, centrifugation, flocculation, filtration, hydro-cyclone separation, or a combination thereof.

5. The process of claim 1 wherein the sundering of step d) includes one or more of membrane separation, evaporation, solvent extraction, or a combination thereof.

6. The process of claim 1 wherein the step e) is carried out by treating with one or more of enzyme, acid, solid acid, or heat, followed by pH correction.

7. The process of claim 1 wherein the removing of step f) includes centrifugation, membrane separation, sedimentation, filtration, solvent extraction, or a combination thereof.

8. The process of claim 1 wherein the separating of the permeate stream of step h) includes solvent extraction, distillation, crystallization, pervaporation, or a combination thereof.

9. Process of producing improved wood fiber for product uses from non-food plant biomass, the process comprising:

a) hot-water extraction carried out by contacting a charge of the non-food plant biomass material with water, in a pressurized vessel at an elevated temperature up to about 250°

C. and at a pH below about 7.0, to yield an aqueous extract containing hemicellulosic components and a lignocellulosic residue;

b) separating the aqueous extract from the lignocellulosic residue;

c) further processing the separated aqueous extract; and

d) processing the lignocellulosic residue to yield useful products.

10. The process of claim 9 wherein the lignocellulosic residue of step d) is significantly reduced in content of hydrophilic components.

11. The process of claim 9, further comprising processing the residue of step d) to produce a structural building material.

12. The process of claim 9, further comprising processing the residue of step d) into paper pulp.

13. The process of claim 9, further comprising processing the residue of step d) into fuel pellets.