Method for the production of glucose from lignocellulosic feedstocks
First Claim
1. A method for processing a lignocellulosic feedstock to produce glucose, said method comprising the steps of:
- (i) pretreating the lignocellulosic feedstock with acid to produce a composition comprising pretreated feedstock;
(ii) providing a calcium-containing stream that comprises calcium that is obtained from the lignocellulosic feedstock;
(iii) producing a calcium carbonate-containing stream that is obtained by precipitation of said calcium from the calcium-containing stream;
(iv) adjusting the pH of a stream comprising said pretreated feedstock with(a) the calcium carbonate-containing stream;
(b) a calcium hydroxide-containing stream that is derived from said calcium carbonate-containing stream by subjecting said calcium carbonate-containing stream to calcination;
or(c) a combination of the calcium carbonate-containing stream and the calcium hydroxide-containing stream,wherein said adjusting of the pH of said stream comprising the pretreated feedstock produces a neutralized, pretreated lignocellulosic feedstock having a pH between about 3 and about 9 and wherein the pH of the neutralized, pretreated lignocellulosic feedstock thus produced is greater than the pH of the composition comprising pretreated feedstock produced in step (i); and
(v) carrying out enzymatic hydrolysis of said neutralized, pretreated lignocellulosic feedstock with cellulase enzymes to produce the glucose.
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Abstract
A method for producing glucose from a lignocellulosic feedstock is provided. The method comprises pretreating the lignocellulosic feedstock with acid to produce a pretreated feedstock composition. A calcium-containing stream is provided that comprises calcium that is obtained from the lignocellulosic feedstock and a calcium carbonate-containing stream is obtained by precipitation of the calcium from the calcium-containing stream. The pH of the pretreated feedstock is adjusted with (a) the calcium carbonate-containing stream; (b) a calcium hydroxide-containing stream that is derived from said calcium carbonate-containing stream by subjecting said calcium carbonate-containing stream to calcination; or (c) a combination of the calcium carbonate-containing stream and the calcium hydroxide-containing stream. The pH adjustment results in a neutralized pretreated lignocellulosic feedstock having a pH between about 3 and about 9 and enzymatic hydrolysis of the neutralized, pretreated lignocellulosic feedstock is then conducted with cellulase enzymes to produce the glucose.
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20 Claims
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1. A method for processing a lignocellulosic feedstock to produce glucose, said method comprising the steps of:
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(i) pretreating the lignocellulosic feedstock with acid to produce a composition comprising pretreated feedstock; (ii) providing a calcium-containing stream that comprises calcium that is obtained from the lignocellulosic feedstock; (iii) producing a calcium carbonate-containing stream that is obtained by precipitation of said calcium from the calcium-containing stream; (iv) adjusting the pH of a stream comprising said pretreated feedstock with (a) the calcium carbonate-containing stream; (b) a calcium hydroxide-containing stream that is derived from said calcium carbonate-containing stream by subjecting said calcium carbonate-containing stream to calcination;
or(c) a combination of the calcium carbonate-containing stream and the calcium hydroxide-containing stream, wherein said adjusting of the pH of said stream comprising the pretreated feedstock produces a neutralized, pretreated lignocellulosic feedstock having a pH between about 3 and about 9 and wherein the pH of the neutralized, pretreated lignocellulosic feedstock thus produced is greater than the pH of the composition comprising pretreated feedstock produced in step (i); and (v) carrying out enzymatic hydrolysis of said neutralized, pretreated lignocellulosic feedstock with cellulase enzymes to produce the glucose. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification