Methods for co-production of ethanol and silica from equisetum
First Claim
1. A method for the co-production of silica and at least one other useful industrial chemical product, comprising the steps of:
- a) pre-treating siliceous plant matter to create a feedstock having exposed cellulose, wherein the siliceous plant matter is derived from members of the genus Equisetum;
b) placing the feedstock in a reactor containing a biological agent effective to break down the cellulose into at least one useful organic chemical reaction product and a silica-containing co-product, wherein the biological agent comprises a culture of anaerobic thermophyllic bacteria, and wherein the useful organic chemical reaction product is selected from the group comprising ethanol, methane and hydrogen;
c) separating the at least one useful organic chemical product from the reactor;
d) separating the silica-containing co-product from the reactor; and
e) refining the silica-containing co-product into silica or other industrially useful silicon-containing products.
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Abstract
A method for the co-production of silica and at least one other useful industrial chemical such as ethanol, comprises the steps of: pre-treating siliceous plant matter derived from plants, such as horsetail weeds from the genus Equisetum, to create a feedstock having exposed cellulose; placing the feedstock in a reactor containing a biological agent effective to break down the cellulose into at least one useful organic chemical reaction product and a silica-containing co-product; separating the at least one useful organic chemical product from the reactor; separating the silica-containing co-product from the reactor; and refining the silica-containing co-products into silica or other industrially useful silicon containing products. The biological agent may be an anaerobic thermophyllic bacteria, enzymes, or a co-mixture of enzymes and yeast.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method for the co-production of silica and at least one other useful industrial chemical product, comprising the steps of:
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a) pre-treating siliceous plant matter to create a feedstock having exposed cellulose, wherein the siliceous plant matter is derived from members of the genus Equisetum;
b) placing the feedstock in a reactor containing a biological agent effective to break down the cellulose into at least one useful organic chemical reaction product and a silica-containing co-product, wherein the biological agent comprises a culture of anaerobic thermophyllic bacteria, and wherein the useful organic chemical reaction product is selected from the group comprising ethanol, methane and hydrogen; c) separating the at least one useful organic chemical product from the reactor; d) separating the silica-containing co-product from the reactor; and e) refining the silica-containing co-product into silica or other industrially useful silicon-containing products. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 7, 9)
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5. A method for the co-production of silica and at least one other useful industrial chemical product, comprising the steps of:
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a) pre-treating siliceous plant matter to create a feedstock having exposed cellulose; b) placing the feedstock in a reactor containing a biological agent effective to break down the cellulose into at least one useful organic chemical reaction product and a silica-containing co-product; c) separating the at least one useful organic chemical product from the reactor; d) separating the silica-containing co-product from the reactor; and e) refining the silica-containing co-product into silica or other industrially useful silicon-containing products; f) wherein the step of refining the silica-containing co-product comprises the steps of rinsing the silica-containing co-product with water, acids or solvent, heating the silica-containing co-product under an inert atmosphere containing anhydrous HCl at a temperature between 400.degree. C. and 1600.degree. C. for the purposes of converting any residual organic materials to elemental carbon and further removing any unwanted inorganic elements, so as to produce a high purity silica mixed with elemental carbon. - View Dependent Claims (8, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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6. A method for the co-production of silica and at least one other useful industrial chemical product, comprising the steps of:
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a) pre-treating siliceous plant matter to create a feedstock having exposed cellulose; b) placing the feedstock in a reactor containing a biological agent effective to break down the cellulose into at least one useful organic chemical reaction product and a silica-containing co-product; c) separating the at least one useful organic chemical product from the reactor; d) separating the silica-containing co-product from the reactor; and e) refining the silica-containing co-product into silica or other industrially useful silicon-containing products; f) wherein the step of refining the silica-containing co-product comprises the steps of dissolving silica in the silica-containing co-product in a strong base leaving a carbon component of the silica-containing siliceous product undissolved, filtering the supernatant liquid, precipitating the silica from the supernatant liquid by adding an acid, isolating the silica, heating the silica product under an inert atmosphere containing anhydrous HCl at a temperature between 400.degree. C. and 1600.degree. C., treating the silica with aqueous oxidants including hydrogen peroxide and ozone, and heating the silica under an oxidizing atmosphere to remove organics at a temperature between 300.degree. C. and 1600.degree. C., thereby producing a high purity silica. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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10. A method for the co-production of amorphous silica and ethanol, comprising the steps of:
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a) pre-treating siliceous plant matter derived from plants of the genus Equisetum to create a feedstock having exposed cellulose and hemicellulose; b) placing the feedstock in a chemicobiological reactor containing a biological agent, effective to break down the cellulose into ethanol and a silica-containing co-product, wherein the biological agent comprises a culture of anaerobic thermophyllic bacteria; c) separating the ethanol from the reactor; d) separating the silica-containing co-product from the reactor; and e) refining the silica-containing co-product into silica or other industrially useful silicon-containing products. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12)
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Specification