Continuous counter-current organosolv processing of lignocellulosic feedstocks

• US 8,227,004 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2008
• Issued: 07/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Suzano Canada Inc. (Suzano S.A.)
• Original Assignee: Lignol Innovations Ltd (Suzano S.A.)
• Inventors: Hallberg, Christer, O'Connor, Donald, Rushton, Michael, Pye, Edward Kendall, Gjennestad, Gordon, Berlin, Alex, MacLachlan, John Ross
• Primary Examiner(s): Weier, Anthony
• Application Number:
  US12/268,417
• Publication Number:
  US 20090117226A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,352 Days
• Field of Search: 426/481, 530/500, 435/161, 162/14
• US Class Current: 426/481
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 11/0226 with the general transport direction of the solids parallel to the rotation axis of the conveyor, e.g. worm
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 11/0288 Applications, solvents
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 3/002 by continuous methods
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 3/14 Fractional distillation or use of a fractionation or rectification column
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 11/04 Anaerobic treatment; Production of methane by such processes
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 3/34 characterised by the microorganisms used
• CPC Class Codes: C07H 19/00 Compounds containing a hetero ring sharing one ring hetero atom with a saccharide radical; Nucleosides; Mononucleotides; Anhydro-derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C08H 6/00 Macromolecular compounds derived from lignin, e.g. tannins, humic acids
• CPC Class Codes: C08H 8/00 Macromolecular compounds derived from lignocellulosic materials pretreatment thereof B27N
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 3/02 Starch; Degradation products thereof, e.g. dextrin
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 5/04 Alginic acid; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 21/04 for producing gas, e.g. biogas digesters for manure with production of biogas A01C3/028, biological treatment of water, waste water or sewage C02F3/00, C02F11/02, preparation of natural gas or syngas C10L3/06, C10L3/10
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 21/12 for producing fuels or solvents C12M21/04 takes precedence; liquid carbonaceous fuels C10L1/00, solid fuels C10L5/00
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 45/02 by mechanical forces; Stirring; Trituration; Comminuting crushing, pulverizing, disintegrating in general B02C
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 45/04 Phase separators; Separation of non fermentable material; Fractionation
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 45/06 by chemical means or hydrolysis
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 45/09 by enzymatic treatment
• 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 5/023 Methane
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/00 Preparation of oxygen-containing organic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/08 : produced as by-product or from waste or cellulosic material substrate
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/10 : substrate containing cellulosic material
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/40 : containing a carboxyl group including Peroxycarboxylic acids
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/54 : Acetic acid vinegar C12J
• CPC Class Codes: C13K 1/02 : obtained by saccharification of cellulosic materials manufacture of fodder A23K10/32
• CPC Class Codes: D21H 17/00 : Non-fibrous material added to the pulp, characterised by its constitution; Paper-impregnating material characterised by its constitution
• 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: Y02W 10/20 : Sludge processing

Abstract

A modular process for organosolv fractionation of lignocellulosic feedstocks into component parts and further processing of said component parts into at least fuel-grade ethanol and four classes of lignin derivatives. The modular process includes a first processing module configured for physico-chemically digesting lignocellulosic feedstocks with an organic solvent thereby producing a cellulosic solids fraction and a liquid fraction, a second processing module configured for producing at least a fuel-grade ethanol and a first class of novel lignin derivatives from the cellulosic solids fraction, a third processing module configured for separating a second class and a third class of lignin derivatives from the liquid fraction and further processing the liquid fraction to produce a distillate and a stillage, a fourth processing module configured for separating a fourth class of lignin derivatives from the stillage and further processing the stillage to produce a sugar syrup.

Claims

1. A modular process for organosols fractionation of a lignocellulosic feedstock into component parts and further processing of said component parts;

the modular process comprising;

a first processing module provided with a first series of steps for receiving, physically screening, and physico-chemically digesting a lignocellulosic feedstock with an organic solvent separately provided thereto thereby extracting component parts therefrom, and separating said component parts into a cellulosic solids fraction and a first liquid fraction;

a second processing module provided with a second series of steps for separating ethanol and a plurality of a first class of lignin derivatives from said cellulosic solids fraction;

a third processing module provided with third series of steps comprising at least a first step for separating the first liquid fraction into a first filtrate and a second solids fraction comprising a plurality of a second class of lignin derivatives, a second step for separating the first filtrate into a second filtrate and a third solids fraction comprising a plurality of a third class of lignin derivatives, and a third step for separating furfurals from said second filtrate, a fourth step for recovering a portion of the organic solvent from the second filtrate by distillation thereby producing a stillage; and

a fourth processing module provided with a fourth series of steps for separating said stillage into one or more of an acetic acid-containing liquid fraction, a plurality of a fourth class of lignin derivatives, a sugar syrup, and a solid waste material.

2. A modular process according to claim 1, wherein a portion of the sugar syrup separated in the fourth processing module is controllably delivered into the second module for production therein of ethanol therefrom.

3. A modular process according to claim 1, additionally provided with a fifth processing module comprising an anaerobic digestion module configured for processing the solid waste material separated in the fourth processing module, into at least a collectable biogas and an liquid effluent.

4. A modular process according to claim 1, wherein the first processing module is configured to continuously receive, physically process, and physico-chemically digest a lignocellulosic feedstock thereby continuously producing the cellulosic solids fraction and the first liquid fraction.

5. A modular process according to claim 1, wherein the first processing module is configured to receive, physically process, and physico-chemically digest a batch of lignocellulosic feedstock thereby producing the cellulosic solids fraction and the first liquid fraction.

6. A modular process according to claim 1, wherein the organic solvent comprises at least one solvent selected from the group containing methanol, ethanol, butanol and propanol.

7. A modular process according to claim 1, wherein the organic solvent comprises at least ethanol.

8. A modular process according to claim 4, wherein the first series of steps comprises steps for physically separating non-lignocellulosic materials from the lignocellulosic feedstock, delivering said lignocellulosic feedstock into a first end of a heatable and pressurizable digestion vessel, said vessel heated and pressurized, conveying said lignocellulosic feedstock to about a second end of the digestion vessel, commingling said lignocellulosic feedstock with said organic solvent and producing therefrom the cellulosic solids fraction and the first liquid fraction, discharging the solids fraction from about the second of the digestion vessel, and discharging the first liquid fraction from about the first end of the digestion vessel.

9. A modular process according to claim 8, wherein the lignocellulosic feedstock is commingled with the organic solvent by counterflowing the organic solvent from about the second end to about the first end the digestion vessel.

10. A modular process according to claim 8, wherein the lignocellulosic feedstock is commingled with the organic solvent by re-circulating the organic solvent therewithin and about the digestion vessel.

11. A modular process according to claim 8, wherein the first series of steps additionally comprises steps for controllably saturating the lignocellulosic feedstock with a heated organic solvent for a selected period of time, and for controllably removing the heated organic solvent from the lignocellulosic feedstock prior to delivering said lignocellulosic feedstock into about the first end of the digestion vessel.

12. A modular process according to claim 1, wherein the second series of steps comprises steps for controllably reducing the viscosity of the cellulosic solids fraction, controllably digesting the reduced-viscosity cellulosic solids fraction to produce a second liquid fraction comprising at least soluble sugars, controllably fermenting the second liquid fraction to produce a beer therefrom, distilling the beer to recover ethanol and a second stillage therefrom, and optionally separating the first class of lignin derivatives from said second stillage thereby producing a de-lignified second stillage.

13. A modular process according to claim 12, wherein the second series of steps comprises a step for adding an enzyme preparation configured for controllably digesting the reduced-viscosity cellulosic solids fraction, said enzyme preparation comprising at least one enzyme selected from the group consisting of cellulases, hemicellulases, β

-glucosidases, β

-xylosidases xylanases, α

-amylases, β

-amylases, and pullulases.

14. A modular process according to claim 12, wherein the second series of steps comprises a step for adding an inoculum preparation configured for controllably fermenting the second liquid fraction, the inoculum preparation comprising at least one microbial strain selected from a group containing yeast strains, fungal strains and bacterial strains.

15. A modular process according to claim 14, wherein the inoculum preparation comprises at least one microbial strain selected from a group containing naturally occurring and genetically engineered Saccharomyces spp. strains and Pichia spp. strains.

16. A modular process according to claim 14, wherein the inoculum preparation comprises at least one microbial strain selected from a group containing naturally occurring and genetically engineered Aspergillus spp. strains and Trichoderma spp. strains.

17. A modular process according to claim 14, wherein the inoculum preparation comprises at least one microbial strain selected from a group containing naturally occurring and genetically engineered Escherichia coli strains, Zymomonas spp. strains, Clostridium spp. strains and Corynebacterium spp. strains.

18. A modular process according to claim 12, wherein said digestion step and said fermentation step are concurrently performed within a single vessel.

19. A modular process according to claim 12, wherein said de-lignified second stillage is used to controllably reduce the viscosity of the cellulosic solids fraction.

20. A modular process according to claim 1, wherein the third series of steps additionally comprises steps for recycling the recovered portion of the organic solvent into the first processing module.

21. A modular process according to claim 20, wherein the recovered portion of the organic solvent is controllably intermixed with a portion of the ethanol produced by the second processing module.

22. A modular process according to claim 3, wherein the anaerobic digestion module comprises a first step of biologically liquifying said solid waste material thereby producing a third liquid fraction, a second step of biologically acidifying the third liquid fraction thereby producing a liquid organic acid stream therefrom, a third step of biologically acetifying the liquid organic stream thereby producing at least acetic acid, and a fourth step of biologically producing at least a biogas and a liquid effluent from said acetic acid.

23. A modular process according to claim 22, wherein the first step is additionally provided with an inoculation step wherein an inoculum comprising at least one microbial strain selected from a group containing at least naturally occurring and genetically engineered Enterobacter sp., is controllably commingled with said solid waste material.

24. A modular process according to claim 22, wherein the second step is additionally provided with an inoculation step wherein an inoculum comprising at least one microbial strain selected from a group containing at least naturally occurring and genetically engineered Bacillus sp., Lactobacillus sp. and Streptococcus sp., is controllably commingled with said third liquid fraction.

25. A modular process according to claim 22, wherein the third step is additionally provided with an inoculation step wherein an inoculum comprising at least one microbial strain selected from a group containing at least naturally occurring and genetically engineered Acetobacter sp., Gluconobacter sp., and Clostridium sp., is controllably commingled with said liquid organic acid stream.

26. A modular process according to claim 22, wherein the fourth step is additionally provided with an inoculation step wherein an inoculum comprising at least one microbial strain selected from a group containing at least naturally occurring and genetically engineered Methanobacteria sp., Methanococci sp., and Methanopyri sp., is controllably commingled with said at least acetic acid.

27. A modular process according to claim 22, wherein a portion of the liquid sugar syrup produced in the fourth processing module is controllably delivered to the second step of the anaerobic digestion module for acidification therein.

28. A modular process according to claim 1, additionally provided with a fifth processing module comprising a fermentation module configured for receiving, fermenting and distilling therein said sugar syrup, and for separating therefrom a distillate and another stillage.

29. A modular process according to claim 28, wherein said distillate comprises at least 1,3 propanediol.

30. A modular process according to claim 28, wherein said distillate comprises at least lactic acid.

31. A modular process for fractionation of lignocellulosic feedstocks into component parts and further processing of said component parts to recover ethanol therefrom, the modular process comprising:

a first processing module provided with a first series of steps for fractionating a lignocellulose feedstock into component parts with an organic solvent separately provided thereto and separating said component parts into a first liquid fraction and a cellulosic solids fraction;

a second processing module provided with a second series of steps for separating ethanol and a first stillage from said cellulosic solids fraction;

a third processing module provided with third series of steps for receiving therein the first liquid fraction and separating therefrom at least said organic solvent and a second stillage; and

a fourth processing module with a fourth series of steps for separating the first stillage into at least a sugar syrup and a semi-solid waste material, wherein a portion of the sugar syrup is controllably delivered into the second module for production therein of ethanol therefrom.

32. A modular process according to claim 31, wherein the ethanol is a fuel-grade ethanol.