SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR HYDROLYSIS OF BIOMASS

• US 20140234911A1
• Filed: 01/18/2012
• Published: 08/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Poet Research Inc.
• Original Assignee: Poet Research Inc.
• Inventors: Narendranath, Neelakantam V., McDonald, William F., Bootsma, Jason Alan
• Granted Patent: US 9,663,807 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 435/99
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 21/12 for producing fuels or solvents C12M21/04 takes precedence; liquid carbonaceous fuels C10L1/00, solid fuels C10L5/00
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 43/02 Bioreactors or fermenters combined with devices for liquid fuel extraction; Biorefineries
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 45/04 Phase separators; Separation of non fermentable material; Fractionation
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 45/06 by chemical means or hydrolysis
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 19/02 Monosaccharides 2-ketogulonic acid C12P7/60
• 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

Systems and methods are disclosed for treating lignocellulosic biomass to be supplied to a fermentation system for production of a fermentation product. The systems and methods comprise pre-treating the biomass into pre-treated biomass and separating the pre-treated biomass into a liquid component comprising sugars and a solids component comprising cellulose and lignin. The systems and methods also comprise treating the solids component of the pre-treated biomass into a treated component. The biomass comprises lignocellulosic material. Treating the solids component comprises application of an enzyme formulation and makeup water to form a slurry. The enzyme formulation comprises a cellulase enzyme. The makeup water includes a clarified thin stillage composition and/or an anaerobic membrane digester effluent composition.

Claims

1. A method for treating lignocellulosic biomass to be supplied to a fermentation system for production of a fermentation product comprising:

pre-treating the biomass into pre-treated biomass;

separating the pre-treated biomass into a liquid component comprising sugars and a solids component comprising cellulose and lignin;

treating the solids component of the pre-treated biomass into a treated component;

wherein the biomass comprises lignocellulosic material;

wherein treating the solids component comprises application of an enzyme formulation and a makeup water to form a slurry; and

wherein the enzyme formulation comprises a cellulase enzyme.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the treating the solids component comprises releasing sugar.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the sugars comprise glucose.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the makeup water comprises an anaerobic membrane bioreactor effluent composition.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the anaerobic membrane bioreactor effluent composition comprises at least 1 percent of the makeup water.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein a glucose yield is at least 90 percent of theoretically available glucose.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the anaerobic membrane bioreactor effluent composition comprises about 30 to 70 percent of the makeup water.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein a glucose yield is at least 60 percent of theoretically available glucose.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein the makeup water comprises a thin stillage composition.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the thin stillage composition comprises at least a part of a soluble components comprised in thin stillage with insoluble components substantially removed.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the thin stillage composition comprises at least 1 percent of the makeup water.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein a glucose yield is at least 60 percent of theoretically available glucose.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the slurry has a solids content of about 5 to 25 percent.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the slurry has a pH of about 4.8 to 6.2.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the treating the solids component further comprises holding the slurry at a temperature of about 30 to 60 degrees Celsius.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the treating the solids component further comprises treating the solids component for about 48 to 144 hours.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the pre-treating of the biomass further comprises steeping, and wherein the steeping comprises mixing the biomass with water to reach at least 10 percent solids content and applying sulfuric acid to the biomass in a concentration of about 0.8 to 1.3 percent by weight, and holding the biomass at a temperature of about 130 to 180 degrees Celsius for about 5 to 12 minutes.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the pre-treating of the biomass further comprises steam explosion, and wherein the steam explosion comprises (a) holding the steeped biomass at a temperature of about 150 to 165 degrees Celsius and a pressure of about 75 to 125 pounds per square inch and (b) releasing the pressure.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the lignocellulosic material comprises corn cobs, corn plant husks, corn plant leaves and corn stalks, wherein the corn cobs comprise about 25 to 50 percent of the lignocellulosic material, the corn plant husks and corn plant leaves comprise about 30 to 60 percent of the lignocellulosic material, and the corn stalks comprise about 10 to 30 percent of the lignocellulosic material.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the fermentation product comprises ethanol.