Cooling and processing materials

• US 7,900,857 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2009
• Issued: 03/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xyleco, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Xyleco, Inc.
• Inventors: Medoff, Marshall
• Primary Examiner(s): Rosenbaum; Mark
• Application Number:
  US12/502,629
• Publication Number:
  US 20100012756A1
• Time in Patent Office: 602 Days
• Field of Search: 241/23, 241/29, 241/65, 241/25, 568/840, 250/492.3, 204/157.15
• US Class Current: 241/23
• CPC Class Codes: B02C 11/08 Cooling, heating, ventilating, conditioning with respect to temperature or water content conditioning grain before milling B02B1/08; air-conditioning or ventilating in general F24F
• CPC Class Codes: B02C 19/18 Use of auxiliary physical effects, e.g. ultrasonics, irradiation, for disintegrating
• CPC Class Codes: B02C 19/186 Use of cold or heat for disintegrating B02C4/44, B02C7/17, B02C11/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B02C 2019/183 Crushing by discharge of high electrical energy
• CPC Class Codes: B02C 4/44 Cooling or heating rollers or bars
• CPC Class Codes: B02C 7/17 Cooling or heating of discs
• CPC Class Codes: C08H 8/00 Macromolecular compounds derived from lignocellulosic materials pretreatment thereof B27N
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2397/02 Lignocellulosic material, e.g. wood, straw or bagasse
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 3/28 Treatment by wave energy or particle radiation
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 1/00 Production of liquid hydrocarbon mixtures from oil-shale, oil-sand, or non-melting solid carbonaceous or similar materials, e.g. wood, coal mechanical winning of oil from oil-shales, oil-sand, or the like B03B
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2300/1014 of vegetal origin
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2300/1033 Oil well production fluids
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 5/00 Solid fuels produced by solidifying fluid fuels C10L7/00
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 5/44 on vegetable substances
• 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 7/10 substrate containing cellulosic material
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/14 Multiple stages of fermentation; Multiple types of microorganisms or re-use of microorganisms
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/16 Butanols
• 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 30/20 : using bio-feedstock

Abstract

Systems and methods for cooling and processing materials are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

cooling a biomass material and irradiating the biomass material with electron beam radiation to reduce the recalcitrance of the material;

after cooling and irradiating, processing the material to produce a product that is chemically different from the biomass material; and

contacting the material with an enzyme and/or a microorganism.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the biomass material comprises a lignocellulosic material.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising separating lignin from cellulose after cooling.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the material comprises cellulose and contacting the material comprises utilizing an enzyme to saccharify the cellulose.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the biomass material has been irradiated prior to cooling.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein cooling is performed in a freeze grinding or freeze milling device.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein contacting the material comprises utilizing a microorganism to produce an alcohol.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the alcohol comprises butanol.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the alcohol comprises ethanol.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein cooling comprises cooling the material to a temperature below the brittle point of the material.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising grinding or comminuting the biomass material.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein grinding or comminuting is performed after the biomass material has been irradiated.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein grinding or comminuting is performed after the biomass material has been cooled.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein grinding or comminuting is performed before the biomass material is irradiated.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein grinding or comminuting is performed before the biomass material is cooled.

16. The method of claim 11 where grinding or comminuting is performed multiple times, and the material is cooled and/or irradiated between grinding or comminuting steps.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein cooling is performed prior to irradiating.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising cooling again after irradiating.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein cooling comprises temperature cycling the starting material.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein the biomass material has a bulk density of less than 0.5 g/cm³.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the biomass material has a bulk density of less than 0.4 g/cm³.

22. A method comprising:

cooling a biomass material to a temperature below the brittle point of the material and irradiating the biomass material with electron beam radiation to reduce the recalcitrance of the material; and

after cooling and irradiating, processing the material to produce a product that is chemically different from the biomass material.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the biomass material comprises a lignocellulosic material.

24. The method of claim 23 further comprising separating lignin from cellulose after cooling.

25. The method of claim 22 wherein the material comprises cellulose and the method further comprises utilizing an enzyme to saccharify the cellulose.

26. The method of claim 22 wherein the biomass material has been irradiated prior to cooling.

27. The method of claim 22 wherein cooling is performed in a freeze grinding or freeze milling device.

28. The method of claim 22 further comprising contacting the material with a microorganism to produce an alcohol.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein the alcohol comprises ethanol.

30. The method of claim 28 wherein the alcohol comprises butanol.

31. The method of claim 22 further comprising grinding or comminuting the biomass material.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein grinding or comminuting is performed after the biomass material has been irradiated.

33. The method of claim 31 wherein grinding or comminuting is performed after the biomass material has been cooled.

34. The method of claim 31 wherein grinding or comminuting is performed before the biomass material is irradiated.

35. The method of claim 31 wherein grinding or comminuting is performed before the biomass material is cooled.

36. The method of claim 22 wherein cooling is performed prior to irradiating.

37. The method of claim 36 further comprising cooling again after irradiating.

38. The method of claim 22 wherein cooling comprises temperature cycling the starting material.

39. The method of claim 31 where grinding or comminuting is performed multiple times, and the material is cooled and/or irradiated between grinding or comminuting steps.

40. A method comprising:

cooling a biomass material,

after cooling, irradiating the biomass material with electron beam radiation to reduce the recalcitrance of the material; and

after cooling and irradiating, processing the material to produce a product that is chemically different from the biomass material.

41. The method of claim 40 wherein the biomass material comprises a lignocellulosic material.

42. The method of claim 41 further comprising separating lignin from cellulose after cooling.

43. The method of claim 40 wherein the material comprises cellulose and the method further comprises utilizing an enzyme to saccharify the cellulose.

44. The method of claim 40 wherein the biomass material has been irradiated prior to cooling.

45. The method of claim 40 wherein cooling is performed in a freeze grinding or freeze milling device.

46. The method of claim 40 further comprising contacting the material with a microorganism to produce an alcohol.

47. The method of claim 46 wherein the alcohol comprises ethanol.

48. The method of claim 46 wherein the alcohol comprises butanol.

49. The method of claim 40 further comprising grinding or comminuting the biomass material.

50. The method of claim 49 wherein grinding or comminuting is performed after the biomass material has been irradiated.

51. The method of claim 49 wherein grinding or comminuting is performed after the biomass material has been cooled.

52. The method of claim 49 wherein grinding or comminuting is performed before the biomass material is irradiated.

53. The method of claim 49 wherein grinding or comminuting is performed before the biomass material is cooled.

54. The method of claim 49 where grinding or comminuting is performed multiple times, and the material is cooled and/or irradiated between grinding or comminuting steps.

55. The method of claim 40 further comprising cooling again after irradiating.

56. The method of claim 40 wherein cooling comprises temperature cycling the starting material.

57. A method comprising:

grinding or comminuting a biomass material,

cooling the biomass material and irradiating the biomass material with electron beam radiation to reduce the recalcitrance of the material,

wherein grinding or comminuting is performed multiple times, and the material is cooled and/or irradiated between grinding or comminuting steps, and

after cooling and irradiating, processing the material to produce a product that is chemically different from the biomass material.

58. A method comprising:

grinding or comminuting a lignocellulosic biomass material containing lignin and cellulose,

cooling the lignocellulosic biomass material and irradiating the lignocellulosic biomass material with electron beam radiation to reduce the recalcitrance of the material,

separating lignin from cellulose after cooling, and

after cooling and irradiating, processing the material to produce a product that is chemically different from the biomass material.

59. A method comprising:

grinding or comminuting a biomass material,

cooling the comminuted or ground biomass material and irradiating the biomass material with electron beam radiation to reduce the recalcitrance of the material, and

after cooling and irradiating, processing the material to produce a product that is chemically different from the biomass material.

60. A method comprising:

cooling a biomass material and irradiating the biomass material with electron beam radiation to reduce the recalcitrance of the material,

grinding or comminuting the cooled biomass material, and

after cooling and irradiating, processing the material to produce a product that is chemically different from the biomass material.