SOLVENT-BASED PROCESSES FOR PRODUCING NANOCELLULOSE, AND COMPOSITIONS AND PRODUCTS PRODUCED THEREFROM

• US 20180016355A1
• Filed: 07/10/2017
• Published: 01/18/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2016
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: GranBio Intellectual Property Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: API Intellectual Property Holdings, LLC
• Inventors: NELSON, Kimberly, RETSINA, Theodora, PYLKKANEN, Vesa, O'CONNOR, Ryan
• Application Number:
  US15/644,878
• Publication Number:
  US 20180016355A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: C08B 15/02 Oxycellulose; Hydrocellulose; Cellulosehydrate, e.g. microcrystalline cellulose
• CPC Class Codes: C08B 15/08 Fractionation of cellulose, e.g. separation of cellulose crystallites
• CPC Class Codes: C08H 8/00 Macromolecular compounds derived from lignocellulosic materials pretreatment thereof B27N
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 1/02 Cellulose; Modified cellulose
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 19/02 Monosaccharides 2-ketogulonic acid C12P7/60
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/10 substrate containing cellulosic material
• CPC Class Codes: D21C 3/04 with acids, acid salts or acid anhydrides D21C3/003 and D21C3/222 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: D21C 3/20 with organic solvents or in solvent environment
• CPC Class Codes: D21C 5/005 Treatment of cellulose-containing material with microorganisms or enzymes
• CPC Class Codes: D21C 9/007 by mechanical or physical means
• CPC Class Codes: D21H 11/18 Highly hydrated, swollen or fibrillatable fibres
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 20/54 using solvents, e.g. supercritical solvents or ionic liquids

Abstract

The present invention provides a process for producing a nanocellulose material, comprising: fractionating a lignocellulosic biomass feedstock in the presence of a solvent for lignin and water, but no acid catalyst, to generate cellulose-rich solids; and then mechanically treating the cellulose-rich solids to form a nanocellulose material comprising cellulose nanofibrils and/or cellulose nanocrystals. Many organic or inorganic solvents are possible. In some embodiments, the solvent for lignin is an oxygenated organic compound, such as a C₁-C₁₈ alcohol, e.g. ethanol, ethylene glycol, propanol, propanediol, glycerol, butanol, or butanediol. The solvent for lignin may be an aromatic alcohol, such as phenol, cresol, or benzyl alcohol. The solvent for lignin may be a ketone, an aldehyde, or an ether, such as methyl ethyl ketone or diethyl ether. The solvent for lignin may be a non-oxygenated alkane, olefin, or aromatic hydrocarbon. In some embodiments, the solvent for lignin is an ionic liquid.

Claims

1. A process for producing a nanocellulose material, said process comprising:

(a) providing a lignocellulosic biomass feedstock;

(b) fractionating said feedstock in the presence of a solvent for lignin and water, but no acid catalyst, to generate cellulose-rich solids and a liquid containing hemicellulose and lignin;

(c) mechanically treating said cellulose-rich solids to form a nanocellulose material comprising cellulose nanofibrils and/or cellulose nanocrystals, and

(d) recovering said nanocellulose material.

2. The process of claim 1, wherein said solvent for lignin is an oxygenated organic compound.

3. The process of claim 2, wherein said solvent for lignin is an aliphatic alcohol.

4. The process of claim 2, wherein said solvent for lignin is an aromatic alcohol.

5. The process of claim 2, wherein said solvent for lignin is a ketone, an aldehyde, an ether, or a combination thereof.

6. The process of claim 1, wherein said solvent for lignin is a non-oxygenated alkane, non-oxygenated olefin, non-oxygenated aromatic hydrocarbon, or a combination thereof.

7. The process of claim 1, wherein said solvent for lignin is an ionic liquid.

8. The process of claim 1, wherein said solvent for lignin is water-soluble and, during step (b), forms a single phase with said water.

9. The process of claim 1, wherein said solvent for lignin, during step (b), forms a separate phase from said water or from a water-rich phase comprising said water.

10. The process of claim 1, wherein step (c) further comprises treatment of said cellulose-rich solids with one or more acids.

11. The process of claim 10, wherein said one or more acids are selected from the group consisting of sulfur dioxide, sulfurous acid, lignosulfonic acid, acetic acid, formic acid, and combinations thereof.

12. The process of claim 1, wherein step (c) further comprises treatment of said cellulose-rich solids with one or more enzymes.

13. The process of claim 1, said process further comprising bleaching said cellulose-rich solids prior to step (c) and/or as part of step (c).

14. The process of claim 1, said process further comprising bleaching said nanocellulose material during step (c) and/or following step (c).

15. The process of claim 1, wherein during step (c), said cellulose-rich solids are treated with a total mechanical energy of less than about 5000 kilowatt-hours per ton of said cellulose-rich solids.

16. The process of claim 1, wherein said crystallinity of said nanocellulose material is at least 60%.

17. The process of claim 1, said process further comprising hydrolyzing amorphous cellulose into glucose in step (b) and/or step (c), recovering said glucose, and optionally fermenting said glucose to a fermentation product.

18. The process of claim 1, said process further comprising recovering, fermenting, or further treating hemicellulosic sugars derived from said hemicellulose.

19. The process of claim 18, said process further comprising fermenting said hemicellulosic sugars to produce a monomer or precursor thereof;

polymerizing said monomer to produce a polymer; and

combining said polymer and said nanocellulose material to form a polymer-nanocellulose composite.

20. The process of claim 1, wherein said nanocellulose material is at least partially hydrophobic via deposition of at least some of said lignin onto a surface of said cellulose-rich solids during step (b), or via deposition of at least some of said lignin onto a surface of said nanocellulose material during step (c) or step (d).