Biomass fractionation process for bioproducts

• US 20110143411A1
• Filed: 11/10/2010
• Published: 06/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FPInnovations
• Original Assignee: FPInnovations
• Inventors: Zhang, Xiao, Yuan, Zhirun, Browne, Thomas Carl
• Granted Patent: US 9,580,454 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 435/165
• CPC Class Codes: C07G 1/00 Lignin; Lignin derivatives
• CPC Class Codes: C08H 8/00 Macromolecular compounds derived from lignocellulosic materials pretreatment thereof B27N
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 17/06 containing a six-membered hetero ring, e.g. fluorescein
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 19/02 Monosaccharides 2-ketogulonic acid C12P7/60
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 19/04 Polysaccharides, i.e. compounds containing more than five saccharide radicals attached to each other by glycosidic bonds
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 19/14 produced by the action of a carbohydrase (EC 3.2.x), e.g. by alpha-amylase , e.g. by cellulase, hemicellulase
• 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: C13K 1/02 obtained by saccharification of cellulosic materials manufacture of fodder A23K10/32
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 50/10 Biofuels, e.g. bio-diesel

Abstract

A fractionation process for producing value-added products from a lignocellulosic biomass, comprises: a) mechanically refining the lignocellulosic biomass under mild refining conditions to form a refined biomass pulp with enhanced susceptibility to separation of hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin, and enhanced digestibility of carbohydrates in hydrolysis b) separating hemicellulose and sulfur-free high-quality lignin from cellulose in the refined biomass, and, optionally c) producing various bioproducts from the above said process.

Claims

1. A fractionation process for producing value-added bioproducts from a lignocellulosic biomass, comprising:

a) mechanically refining the lignocellulosic biomass under mild refining conditions to form a refined biomass pulp with enhanced susceptibility to separation of hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin, and enhanced digestibility of carbohydrates in hydrolysis b) separating hemicellulose and sulfur-free high-quality lignin from cellulose in the refined biomass, and, optionally c) producing various bioproducts from the above said process.

2. A process according to claim 1, wherein step a) is carried out at 720 to 4320 MJ/t (200 to 1200 kWh/t) and a pressure of 100 to 600 kPa (1-6 bars).

3. A process according to claim 1, further comprising a chemical treatment prior to step a) to produce and recover valuable bioproducts from said lignocellulosic biomass and to facilitate the separation of biomass in the subsequent fractionation process.

4. A process according to claim 2, further comprising a chemical treatment prior to step a) to produce and recover valuable bioproducts from said lignocellulosic biomass and to facilitate the separation of biomass in the subsequent fractionation process.

5. A process according to claim 4, wherein said recovered valuable bioproducts comprise flavenoids

6. A process according to claim 1, further comprising recovering and producing various value-added bioproducts from extractives, hemicellulose, cellulose, and sulfur-free high-quality lignin.

7. A process according to claim 2, further comprising recovering and producing various value-added bioproducts from extractives, hemicellulose, cellulose, and sulfur-free high-quality lignin.

8. A process according to claim 2, wherein said biomass has a particle size range 0.1 mm to 100 mm.

9. A fractionation process for producing value-added products from a lignocellulosic biomass, comprising:

i) mechanically refining the lignocellulosic biomass under mild refining conditions to form a refined biomass pulp, ii) extracting a hemicellulose fraction from the refined biomass pulp to leave a residual pulp containing lignin, iii) hydrolysing carbohydrates in the residual pulp to sugars, iv) separating a lignin fraction from the sugars, iv) fermenting said sugars to form biofuels, and v) recovering the hemicellulose fraction and the sugar alcohol as value-added products.

10. A process according to claim 9, wherein step iii) comprises hydrolysing cellulose in the residual pulp to sugars.

11. A process according to claim 9, wherein step i) is carried out 720 to 4320 MJ/t (200 to 1200 kWh/t) and a pressure of 100 to 600 kPa (1-6 bars).

12. A process according to claim 10, wherein step i) is carried out at 1080 MJ/t to 2520 MJ/t (300 to 700 kWh/t) and 200 to 400 kPa (2 to 4 bars).

13. A process according to claim 11, wherein step i) is carried out at a biomass consistency of 20% to 50%.

14. A process according to claim 9, further comprising a chemical treatment prior to step i) to produce and recover valuable bioproducts from said lignocellulosic biomass and to facilitate the separation of biomass in the subsequent fractionation process.

15. A process according to claim 14, wherein said recovered valuable bioproducts comprise flavenoids.

16. A process according to claim 11, further comprising a chemical treatment prior to step i) to produce and recover valuable bioproducts from said lignocellulosic biomass and to facilitate the separation of biomass in the subsequent fractionation process.

17. A process according to claim 9, further comprising recovering and producing various value-added bioproducts from extractives, hemicellulose, cellulose, and sulfur-free high-quality lignin.

18. A process according to claim 9, further comprising recovering and producing various value-added bioproducts from extractives, hemicellulose, cellulose, and sulfur-free high-quality lignin.

19. A process according to claim 9, wherein said biomass has a particle size in the range 0.1 mm to 100 mm.

20. A process according to claim 12, wherein said biomass has a particle size in the range 0.1 mm to 100 mm.