PROCESS AND METHOD FOR IMPROVING THE ENZYMATIC HYDROLYSIS OF LIGNOCELLULOSIC BIOMASS BY ADDITION OF HYDROTHERMALLY TREATED STILLAGE

• US 20140273108A1
• Filed: 03/17/2014
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trucent, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Valicor, Inc.
• Inventors: Bleyer, James Robert
• Granted Patent: US 9,309,548 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 435/99
• 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 2203/00 Fermentation products obtained from optionally pretreated or hydrolyzed cellulosic or lignocellulosic material as the carbon source ethanol C12P7/10
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/10 substrate containing cellulosic material
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 50/10 Biofuels, e.g. bio-diesel

Abstract

A method of producing hydrolysate from cellulosic material by adding hydrothermally treated stillage or a fraction thereof to cellulosic material, treating the mixture of hydrothermally treated stillage and cellulosic material with at least one hydrolyzing enzyme, and hydrolyzing and converting complex carbohydrates in the cellulosic material. The hydrolysate produced by the method. Ethanol, organic acids, and organism metabolites produced by the method. Biomass produced by the method. A method of increasing sugar production rate and yield of sugars from cellulosic material by adding hydrothermally treated stillage or a fraction thereof to cellulosic material, treating the mixture of hydrothermally treated stillage and cellulosic material with at least one hydrolyzing enzyme, and hydrolyzing complex carbohydrates in the cellulosic material and forming sugars.

Claims

1. A method of producing hydrolysate from cellulosic material, including the steps of:

adding hydrothermally treated stillage or a fraction thereof to cellulosic material;

treating the mixture of hydrothermally treated stillage and cellulosic material with at least one hydrolyzing enzyme; and

hydrolyzing complex carbohydrates in the cellulosic material.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the hydrothermally treated stillage is produced by heating stillage to a temperature of 220 degrees F. to 350 degrees F.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the stillage is heated for 3-90 minutes.

4. The method claim 2, wherein the stillage is pressurized at or above the saturation pressure of the stillage.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein after said heating step, the stillage is cooled below 212 degrees F.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the hydrothermally treated stillage is chosen from the group consisting of whole stillage, thick stillage, and thin stillage.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein solids are removed from the hydrothermally treated stillage prior to adding to the cellulosic material.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the solids are removed by a method chosen from the group consisting of decanting centrifuge, disc stack centrifuge, filtration, membrane filtration, dissolved air flotation, hydrocyclone, and combinations thereof.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the cellulosic material is pre-treated to disrupt the matrix of lignin, cellulosic, and hemi-cellulosic material prior to said treating step.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the pre-treatment method is chosen from the group consisting of steam explosion, liquid hot water, supercritical water, ammonia fiber expansion (AFEX), ionic liquid fractionation, dilute acid treatment, alkaline peroxide treatment, wet air oxidation, and low temperature steep delignification.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the cellulosic material is chosen from the group consisting of dried distillers grains, corn kernel fiber, wheat straw, grasses, corn stover, corn cobs, silage, bagasse, wood chips, forest trimmings, and combinations thereof.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the cellulosic material also contains a composition chosen from the group consisting of sugars, starch, and combinations thereof.

13. The method of claim 1, further including the step of fermenting the hydrolysate into a product chosen from the group consisting of ethanol, organic acids, organism metabolites, and combinations thereof.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the hydrolysate is co-fermented with sugars produced from a sugar source.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the sugar source is from the group consisting of starch, sugar beets, cane sugar, sweet sorghum, and combinations thereof.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the ethanol or other products produced from the hydrolysate are added to ethanol or other products produced from other sugar fermentation.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein said hydrolyzing step and said fermenting step occur simultaneously.

18. The method of claim 1, further including the step of using the hydrolysate as a carbon source and growing biomass.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the biomass is chosen from the group consisting of algae, fungi, yeast, bacteria, and combinations thereof.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein said hydrolyzing step and said growing step occur simultaneously.

21. The hydrolysate produced by the method of claim 1.

22. Ethanol, organic acids, and organism metabolites produced by the method of claim 13.

23. Biomass produced by the method of claim 18.

25. The method of claim 1, further including the step of concentrating the hydrolysate.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the hydrolysate is concentrated by a method chosen from the group consisting of evaporation, filtration, membrane filtration, reverse osmosis, and precipitation.

27. The method of claim 1, further including the step of removing sugars from the hydrolysate.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein said removing sugars step occurs simultaneously with said treating step.

24. A method of increasing sugar production rate and yield of sugars from cellulosic material, including the steps of:

adding hydrothermally treated stillage or a fraction thereof to cellulosic material;

treating the mixture of hydrothermally treated stillage and cellulosic material with at least one hydrolyzing enzyme; and

hydrolyzing complex carbohydrates in the cellulosic material.