MILD ALKALINE PRETREATMENT AND SIMULTANEOUS SACCHARIFICATION AND FERMENTATION OF LIGNOCELLULOSIC BIOMASS INTO ORGANIC ACIDS
First Claim
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1. A method for producing an organic acid as a fermentation product from lignocellulosic biomass, comprising the steps of:
- (a) pretreating lignocellulosic biomass with an alkaline agent to obtain an alkaline-pretreated lignocellulosic biomass with a pH of between about 8.0 and about 14.0;
(b) simultaneously saccharifying and fermenting (SSF) of the alkaline-pretreated lignocellulosic biomass of step (a) in a fermentation apparatus, such that a decreased in pH, caused by the production of the organic acid, is counteracted by the addition to the apparatus of the alkaline pretreated lignocellulosic biomass, optionally in combination with an alkali, to lower the pH below about 8.0 and/or to maintain the pH at a specific pH below 8.0, thereby promoting optimal activity of fermenting microorganisms and/or added enzymes; and
(c) optionally, recovering the fermentation product.
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Abstract
The invention relates to a method for the production of a fermentation product from lignocellulosic biomass, to a reactor to carry out the method and to use of the reactor to produce a fermentation product.
11 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A method for producing an organic acid as a fermentation product from lignocellulosic biomass, comprising the steps of:
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(a) pretreating lignocellulosic biomass with an alkaline agent to obtain an alkaline-pretreated lignocellulosic biomass with a pH of between about 8.0 and about 14.0; (b) simultaneously saccharifying and fermenting (SSF) of the alkaline-pretreated lignocellulosic biomass of step (a) in a fermentation apparatus, such that a decreased in pH, caused by the production of the organic acid, is counteracted by the addition to the apparatus of the alkaline pretreated lignocellulosic biomass, optionally in combination with an alkali, to lower the pH below about 8.0 and/or to maintain the pH at a specific pH below 8.0, thereby promoting optimal activity of fermenting microorganisms and/or added enzymes; and (c) optionally, recovering the fermentation product. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 23, 24)
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22. (canceled)
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