PROCESS FOR TREATING BIOMASS

• US 20150068516A1
• Filed: 04/24/2013
• Published: 03/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Michigan Biotechnology Institute
• Original Assignee: The Michigan Biotechnology Institute
• Inventors: Teymouri, Farzaneh, Campbell, Timothy J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,175,323 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 127/34
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 19/00 Preparation of compounds containing saccharide radicals ketoaldonic acids C12P7/58
• 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: D21C 1/02 with water or steam
• CPC Class Codes: D21C 1/06 with alkaline reacting compounds
• CPC Class Codes: D21C 5/005 Treatment of cellulose-containing material with microorganisms or enzymes
• 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

this invention is directed to a process for treating biomass. The biomass is treated with a biomass swelling agent within the vessel to swell or rupture at least a portion of the biomass. A portion of the swelling agent is removed from a first end of the vessel following the treatment. Then steam is introduced into a second end of the vessel different from the first end to further remove swelling agent from the vessel in such a manner that the swelling agent exits the vessel at a relatively low water content.

Claims

1. A process for treating biomass, comprising:

treating the biomass with a biomass swelling agent within a vessel to swell or rupture at least a portion of the biomass;

removing at least a portion of the swelling agent from a first end of the vessel, while leaving at least a majority of the treated biomass within the vessel; and

contacting the treated biomass left within the vessel with steam introduced into a second end of the vessel different from the first end to further remove swelling agent from the vessel, wherein during the contact of the steam and the treated biomass in the vessel, the vessel is at a bed angle of not greater than 30 degrees from vertical.

2. The process of claim 1, wherein the biomass is contained within the vessel at a bed porosity of at least 85 vol %.

3. The process of claim 1, wherein the swelling agent is ammonia.

4. The process of claim 1, wherein swelling agent is added to the vessel to provide a weight ratio of swelling agent to biomass in a contacting zone of the vessel of at least 0.1:

1.

5. The process of claim 1, wherein the contact of the steam and the treated biomass in the vessel is carried out to provide an Archimedes number of at least 4.

6. The process of claim 1, wherein the swelling agent that is removed from the vessel by contact with the steam is recovered directly from the treatment vessel during the steam contacting step, and the directly recovered swelling agent has a water content of not greater than 15 wt %, based on total content of swelling agent recovered during the steam contacting step.

7. The process of claim 6, wherein the swelling agent that is removed from the vessel is removed as a vapor.

8. The process of claim 1, wherein the biomass is contained within a contact zone of the vessel, with the contact zone having a length to diameter ratio of greater than four.

9. The process of claim 1, wherein the steam is supplied to the vessel as saturated or superheated steam.

10. The process of claim 1, wherein the biomass is treated with the swelling agent to increase enzyme digestibility by at least 10% relative to that initially supplied to the vessel.

11. A process for treating biomass, comprising:

treating the biomass with a biomass swelling agent within a vessel to swell or rupture at least a portion of the biomass;

removing at least a portion of the swelling agent from a first end of the vessel, while leaving at least a majority of the treated biomass within the vessel; and

contacting the treated biomass left within the vessel with steam introduced into a second end of the vessel different from the first end to further remove swelling agent from the vessel, wherein the contact of the steam and the treated biomass in the vessel is carried out to provide an Archimedes number of at least 4.

12. The process of claim 11, wherein the biomass is contained within the vessel at a bed porosity of at least 85 vol %.

13. The process of claim 11, wherein the swelling agent is ammonia.

14. The process of claim 11, wherein swelling agent is added to the vessel to provide a weight ratio of swelling agent to biomass in a contacting zone of the vessel of at least 0.1:

1.

16. The process of claim 11, wherein the swelling agent that is removed from the vessel by contact with the steam is recovered directly from the treatment vessel during the steam contacting step, and the directly recovered swelling agent has a water content of not greater than 15 wt %, based on total content of swelling agent recovered during the steam contacting step.

17. The process of claim 16, wherein the swelling agent that is removed from the vessel is removed as a vapor.

18. The process of claim 11, wherein the biomass is contained within a contact zone of the vessel, with the contact zone having a length to diameter ratio of greater than four.

19. The process of claim 11, wherein the steam is supplied to the vessel as saturated or superheated steam.

20. The process of claim 11, wherein the biomass is treated with the swelling agent to increase enzyme digestibility by at least 10% relative to that initially supplied to the vessel.

15. (canceled)