FLASH COOLING FOR QUENCHING A HYDROLYSIS REACTION OF A BIOMASS FEEDSTOCK

• US 20150292049A1
• Filed: 11/08/2013
• Published: 10/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Renmatix, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Reac Fuel AB (Renmatix, Inc.)
• Inventors: Carlius, Anders, Gram, Andreas, Karlsson, Gran, Jhannesson, Haukur, Werner, Torsten
• Application Number:
  US14/441,427
• Publication Number:
  US 20150292049A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2203/00 Processes utilising sub- or super atmospheric pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 3/006 Processes utilising sub-atmospheric pressure; Apparatus therefor
• 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

The present invention describes a process for quenching a hydrothermal, dilute acid hydrolysis reaction of a biomass feedstock, wherein degradation of an aqueous monomer and/or oligomer sugar mixture is slowed down or stopped by flash cooling of the aqueous monomer and/or oligomer sugar mixture, and wherein the flash cooling ensures that a fraction of dissolved and volatile degradation byproducts are removed by a forming vapor stream, and wherein a lignin component, if present, is solidified into a structure with good de-watering characteristics, allowing for subsequent removal of the lignin component by separation, said process resulting in a hydrolyzed solution of sugar monomers and/or oligomers.

Claims

1. A process for quenching a hydrothermal, dilute acid hydrolysis reaction of a biomass feedstock, wherein degradation of an aqueous monomer and/or oligomer sugar mixture is slowed down or stopped by flash cooling of the aqueous monomer and/or oligomer sugar mixture, and wherein the flash cooling ensures that a fraction of dissolved and volatile degradation byproducts are removed by a forming vapor stream, and wherein a lignin component, if present, is solidified into a structure with good de-watering characteristics, allowing for subsequent removal of the lignin component by separation, said process resulting in a hydrolysed solution of sugar monomers and/or oligomers.

2. The process according to claim 1, wherein the flash cooling is performed in only one step.

3. The process according to claim 1, wherein the flash cooling is performed in at least two steps.

5. The process according to claim 1, wherein the entire flash cooling, performed in one or more steps, is performed in a temperature range of 100-230°

C.

7. The process according to claim 3, wherein a first flash cooling step is performed in a temperature range of 190-220°

C. and a second flash cooling step is performed in a temperature range of 100-190°

C.

9. The process according to claim 1, wherein the aqueous monomer and/or oligomer sugar mixture being subjected to the flash cooling comprises water soluble hemicelluloses, solid cellulose and lignin, and wherein said process results in a hydrolysed delignified solution of sugar monomer and/or oligomers.

10. The process according to claim 1, wherein the aqueous monomer and/or oligomer sugar mixture being subjected to the flash cooling comprises water soluble cellulose oligomers and solid lignin, and wherein said process results in a hydrolysed delignified solution of sugar monomer and/or oligomers.

13. The process according to claim 1, wherein generated flash vapor is used to heat other process operations.

16. The process according to claim 1, wherein the process also involves adding an additive in the flash cooling step.

18. The process according to claim 1, wherein the step of flash cooling is preceded by the hydrothermal, dilute acid hydrolysis performed as a thermal treatment in either one step or several steps.

19. The process according to claim 1, wherein the step of flash cooling is preceded by a first thermal treatment step in which the biomass feedstock is subjected to treatment with hot compressed liquid water (HCW) at subcritical conditions and/or steam during a residence time T₁, and a second hydrolysis step in which the lignocellulosic biomass feedstock is further treated in at least hot compressed liquid water (HCW) at subcritical conditions during a residence time T₂ for the depolymerisation of carbohydrates to produce an aqueous monomer and/or oligomer sugar mixture.

20. The process according to claim 19, wherein at least one of the steps of thermal treatment involves a pH decrease.

21. The process according to claim 19, wherein the pH value during the thermal treatment is at most 4.

23. The process according to claim 18, wherein the pH value during at least one of the steps of thermal treatment is in the range of 1.2-3.3.

24. The process according to claim 18, wherein the hydrothermal, dilute acid hydrolysis comprises or is preceded by the addition of inorganic and/or organic acids.

25. The process according to claim 1, wherein the hydrothermal, dilute acid hydrolysis is performed in one step at a temperature of at least 200°

C. or in at least two steps where a first thermal treatment step is performed at a temperature of at least 170°

C. and a second treatment step at a temperature of at least 200°

C.

26. The method according to claim 1, wherein the hydrothermal, dilute acid hydrolysis is performed in one step at a temperature range of 220-280°

C. or in at least two steps where a second or later thermal treatment step is performed at a temperature range of 220-280°

C.

28. The process according to claim 1, wherein the flash cooling is performed in a first flash unit at a temperature in the range of 190-220°

C. and wherein residence time is no longer than 10 minutes in the first flash unit.

30. The process according to claim 1, wherein the total solid content of the biomass feedstock during the thermal treatment is in the range of 10-50%.

31. The process according to claim 1, wherein the hydrothermal, dilute acid hydrolysis is performed in at least two steps and wherein dissolved water soluble compounds are separated from a solid residue after the first step to prevent continued detrimental degradation.

4. (canceled)

6. (canceled)

8. (canceled)

11. (canceled)

12. (canceled)

14. (canceled)

15. (canceled)

17. (canceled)

22. (canceled)

27. (canceled)

29. (canceled)

32. (canceled)

33. (canceled)

34. (canceled)