Product and processes from an integrated forest biorefinery

• US 8,317,975 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2006
• Issued: 11/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Research Foundation for The State University of New York (State University of New York)
• Original Assignee: The Research Foundation for The State University of New York (State University of New York)
• Inventors: Amidon, Thomas E., Francis, Raymond, Scott, Gary M., Bartholomew, Jeremy, Wood, Christopher D., Ramarao, Bandaru V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fortuna, Jose A
• Application Number:
  US11/412,593
• Publication Number:
  US 20070079944A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,406 Days
• Field of Search: 162/14, 162/17, 162/19, 162/24, 162/26, 162/29, 162/30.11, 162 41- 43, 162/47, 162/52, 162/55, 162 63- 67, 162/70, 162/78, 162/81, 162/72, 162/82, 162/87
• US Class Current: 162/14
• CPC Class Codes: D21C 1/02 with water or steam
• CPC Class Codes: D21C 11/0007 Recovery of by-products, i.e. compounds other than those necessary for pulping, for multiple uses or not otherwise provided for volatile compounds obtained by decomposition of spent liquors in order to regenerate them D21C11/125; compounds obtained by fractionating the liquors in order to regenerate them D21C11/0042
• CPC Class Codes: D21C 3/00 Pulping cellulose-containing materials digesters D21C7/00
• CPC Class Codes: D21C 3/02 with inorganic bases or alkaline reacting compounds, e.g. sulfate processes
• CPC Class Codes: D21C 3/04 with acids, acid salts or acid anhydrides D21C3/003 and D21C3/222 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: D21C 3/222 Use of compounds accelerating the pulping processes
• CPC Class Codes: D21C 5/005 Treatment of cellulose-containing material with microorganisms or enzymes
• CPC Class Codes: D21C 9/1057 Multistage, with compounds cited in more than one sub-group D21C9/10, D21C9/12, D21C9/16
• CPC Class Codes: D21C 9/1063 with compounds not otherwise provided for, e.g. activated gases
• CPC Class Codes: D21C 9/123 with Cl2O
• CPC Class Codes: D21C 9/147 with oxygen or its allotropic modifications D21C9/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: D21C 9/163 with peroxides
• CPC Class Codes: D21H 11/02 Chemical or chemomechanical or chemothermomechanical pulp
• CPC Class Codes: D21H 11/08 Mechanical or thermomechanical pulp
• CPC Class Codes: D21H 11/10 Mixtures of chemical and mechanical pulp
• CPC Class Codes: D21H 17/005 Microorganisms or enzymes
• CPC Class Codes: D21H 21/32 Bleaching agents bleaching cellulose pulp D21C9/10

Abstract

An omnibus process of pulping and bleaching lignocellulosic materials in which a charge of a lignocellulosic material is biopulped and/or water extracted prior to pulping and bleaching. The lignocellulosic material may be mechanically pulped and bleached in the presence of an enzyme that breaks lignin-carbohydrate complexes. The aqueous extract in embodiments including a water extract step is separated into acetic acid and hemicellulose sugar aqueous solutions.

Claims

1. A process of pulping lignocellulosic materials consisting of the steps of:

(a) contacting a charge of a lignocellulosic material with water, the lignocellulosic material containing an initial amount of xylan, the water and charge of lignocellulosic material maintained at a temperature in the range of between about 20°

C. and about 200°

C. and lowering the pH to between about 3.0 and about 6.9 by producing acetic acid from the reaction of the water and lignocellulosic material for a period of about 90 minutes to about 120 minutes, wherein an aqueous extract and extracted lignocellulosic materials are obtained, the aqueous extract containing about 65% of the initial amount of xylan present in the charge of lignocellulosic material;

(b) pulping a portion of said extracted lignocellulosic materials wherein individual fibers and fiber bundles are produced and have a kappa number of at least 7 in less than 150 minutes; and

(c) bleaching said product of said step (b).

2. The process in accordance with claim 1 wherein said aqueous extract of said step (a) is recovered.

3. The process in accordance with claim 2 comprising separating said aqueous extract into an aqueous acetic acid solution and an aqueous hemicellulose sugar solution.

4. The process in accordance with claim 3 wherein said separation of said aqueous extract occurs by molecular separation.

5. The process in accordance with claim 4 wherein said molecular separation occurs by flowing said aqueous extract across a nano-sized porous membrane.

6. The process in accordance with claim 1 wherein said pulping step (b) is effectuated by a process selected from the group consisting of mechanical pulping, chemical pulping and a combination of mechanical and chemical pulping.

7. The process in accordance with claim 6 wherein said pulping step (c) is effectuated by chemical pulping.

8. The process in accordance with claim 7 wherein said chemical pulping is effectuated by kraft cooking.

9. The process in accordance with claim 7 wherein said chemical pulping is effectuated by kraft/polysulfide cooking.

10. The process in accordance with claim 7 wherein said chemical pulping is effectuated by kraft cooking in the presence of an anthraquinone.

11. The process in accordance with claim 7 wherein said chemical pulping is effectuated by soda cooking.

12. The process in accordance with claim 7 wherein said chemical pulping is effectuated by soda cooking in the presence of a redox catalyst.

13. The process in accordance with claim 7 wherein said chemical pulping is effectuated by soda cooking catalyzed by an anthraquinone.

14. The process in accordance with claim 7 wherein said chemical pulping is conducted in the presence of a base selected from the group consisting of potassium hydroxide, calcium hydroxide and magnesium hydroxide.

15. The process in accordance with claim 7 wherein said chemical pulping is conducted in the presence of an anion selected from the group consisting of a carbonate, bicarbonate, sulfite, bisulfite and mixtures thereof.

16. The process in accordance with claim 7 wherein said bleaching step (c) is effectuated by contacting said pulp product of said step (c) with an oxidizing agent selected from the group consisting of oxygen, hydrogen peroxide, ozone, peracetic acid, chlorine, chlorine dioxide, a hypochlorite anion and mixtures thereof.

17. The process in accordance with claim 16 wherein said bleaching step (c) comprises contacting said pulp with chlorine dioxide in the presence of oxygen.

18. The process in accordance with claim 16 wherein said bleaching step (c) comprises contacting said pulp with chlorine dioxide in the presence of magnesium hydroxide or another magnesium-containing compound.

19. The process in accordance with claim 16 wherein said bleaching step (c) comprises contacting said pulp with chlorine dioxide in the presence of oxygen and magnesium hydroxide or another magnesium-containing compound.

20. The process in accordance with claim 16 wherein said bleaching step (c) comprises contacting said pulp with chlorine dioxide in the presence of potassium hydroxide or calcium hydroxide.

21. The process in accordance with claim 6 wherein said pulping step (c) is effectuated by a combination of mechanical and chemical pulping.

22. The process in accordance with claim 21 wherein said combination of mechanical and chemical pulping is effectuated by chemical pulping and fiber separation by mechanical force.

23. The process in accordance with claim 22 wherein said chemical pulping is effectuated by kraft cooking.

24. The process in accordance with claim 22 wherein said chemical pulping is effectuated by kraft/polysulfide cooking.

25. The process in accordance with claim 22 wherein said chemical pulping is effectuated by kraft cooking in the presence of an anthraquinone.

26. The process in accordance with claim 22 wherein said chemical pulping is effectuated by soda cooking.

27. The process in accordance with claim 22 wherein said chemical pulping is effectuated by soda cooking in the presence of a redox catalyst.

28. The process in accordance with claim 22 wherein said chemical pulping is effectuated by soda cooking in the presence of an anthraquinone catalyst.

29. The process in accordance with claim 22 wherein said chemical pulping is effectuated in the presence of a base selected from the group consisting of potassium hydroxide, calcium hydroxide and magnesium hydroxide.

30. The process in accordance with claim 22 wherein said chemical pulping is effectuated in the presence of an anion selected from the group consisting of a carbonate, bicarbonate, sulfite, bisulfate and mixtures thereof.

31. The process in accordance with claim 21 wherein said bleaching step (c) is effectuated by contacting said pulp product of said step (b) with an oxidizing agent selected from the group consisting of oxygen, hydrogen peroxide, ozone, peracitic acid, chlorine, chlorine dioxide, a hypochlorite anion and mixtures thereof.

32. The process in accordance with claim 31 wherein said pulp is bleached in two oxygen-contacting stages.

33. The process in accordance with claim 32 wherein pulp washing step occurs between said two oxygen-contacting stages.

34. The process in accordance with claim 32 wherein said pulp is contacted with oxygen- and sodium hydroxide between said oxygen contacting stages.

35. The process in accordance with claim 31 wherein said bleaching step (c) comprises contacting said pulp with chlorine dioxide in the presence of oxygen.

36. The process in accordance with claim 31 wherein said bleaching step (c) comprises contacting said pulp with chlorine dioxide in the presence of magnesium hydroxide or another magnesium-containing compound.

37. The process in accordance with claim 31 wherein said bleaching step (c) comprises contacting said pulp with chlorine dioxide in the presence of oxygen and magnesium hydroxide or another magnesium-containing compound.

38. The process in accordance with claim 31 wherein said bleaching step (c) comprises contacting said pulp with chlorine dioxide in the presence of potassium or calcium hydroxide.

39. The process in accordance with claim 6 wherein said pulping step (b) is effectuated by mechanical pulping.

40. The process in accordance with claim 39 wherein said bleaching step (c) is effectuated by contacting said pulp product of step (b) with hydrogen peroxide.