Biorefinery process for extraction, separation, and recovery of fermentable saccharides, other useful compounds, and yield of improved lignocellulosic material from plant biomass

• US 8,618,280 B2
• Filed: 08/05/2010
• Issued: 12/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Biorefinery Sciences, LLC
• Original Assignee: Applied Biorefinery Sciences, LLC
• Inventors: Howard, Joel R., Amidon, Thomas E., Liu, Shijie, Wood, Christopher D.
• Primary Examiner(s): OLSON, ERIC
• Application Number:
  US12/850,662
• Publication Number:
  US 20110129886A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,244 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 536/123.1
• CPC Class Codes: B27N 3/02 from particles
• CPC Class Codes: B27N 3/06 Making particle boards or fibreboards, with preformed covering layers, the particles or fibres being compressed with the layers to a board in one single pressing operation
• CPC Class Codes: C08B 37/0057 beta-D-Xylans, i.e. xylosaccharide, e.g. arabinoxylan, arabinofuronan, pentosans; (beta-1,3)(beta-1,4)-D-Xylans, e.g. rhodymenans; Hemicellulose; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C08H 8/00 Macromolecular compounds derived from lignocellulosic materials pretreatment thereof B27N
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 5/44 on vegetable substances
• CPC Class Codes: C13K 1/02 obtained by saccharification of cellulosic materials manufacture of fodder A23K10/32
• CPC Class Codes: C13K 13/00 Sugars not otherwise provided for in this class
• CPC Class Codes: C13K 13/002 Xylose
• CPC Class Codes: C13K 13/007 Separation of sugars provided for in subclass C13K C13K3/00 takes precedence
• 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

Abstract

Non-food plant biomass is subjected to hot-water extraction in a pressurized vessel at an elevated temperature up to about 250° C. and at a pH below about 7.0, to yield an aqueous extract containing hemicellulosic components, other wood-derived compounds, and a lignocellulosic residue. The separated aqueous extract or liquor is purified and concentrated through a multi-step process producing fermentable sugars. At each stage, inhibitory chemicals such as acetic acid, lignin, and furfural are separated and eventually recovered as commercial chemicals. The lignocellulosic residue may be further processed, as a material with enhanced resistance to sorption of water, for manufacture of improved pulp and paper, construction materials, pellet fuel, and/or other useful products.

Claims

1. Process of extraction of useful biochemicals from a non-food plant biomass that has hemicellulosic components and a lignocellulosic portion, to yield as a product concentrated, fermentable monomeric and dimeric sugars, the process comprising:

a) hot-water extraction carried out by contacting a charge of the non-food plant biomass material with water substantially free of reagent, in a pressurized vessel at an elevated temperature up to about 250°

C., to yield a mixture of an aqueous extract containing substantially only the hemicellulosic components and other soluble lignocellulosic derived compounds, and the lignocellulosic portion as a separable residue, wherein the lignocellulosic portion is left substantially intact;

b) separating the lignocellulosic residue and other coarse materials from the aqueous extract;

c) processing the aqueous extract to remove larger aromatic and oligomeric molecules;

d) deriving a more pure, concentrated sugar solution from the aqueous extract remaining after step c) by

sundering of oligomeric sugars in said aqueous extract (d-1) into a concentrated sugar stream and fermentation inhibitory compounds and (d-2) separating the fermentation inhibitory compounds into a permeate stream;

e) hydrolyzing of the concentrated sugar stream of step d) into monomeric and/or dimeric sugars in an aqueous solution;

f) prior to any fermentation, removing inhibitory components that result from the hydrolyzing of step e) from the hydrolyzed monomeric and/or dimeric sugar solution of step e) with the separated inhibitory components proceeding as a permeate stream;

g) concentrating the monomeric/dimeric sugars after step f);

h) separating the permeate stream after steps d) and f) into individual components; and

i) recovering water from the sugar solution after step f) and from the permeate stream in step h).

2. The process of claim 1 wherein the monomeric and/or dimeric saccharides yielded in step g) include 5- and 6-carbon sugars.

3. The process of claim 1 wherein the individual components yielded in step h) include one or more of acetic acid, methanol, formic acid, and furfural.

4. The process of claim 1 wherein the processing of step c) includes one or more of sedimentation, centrifugation, flocculation, filtration, hydro-cyclone separation, or a combination thereof.

5. The process of claim 1 wherein the sundering of step d) includes one or more of membrane separation, evaporation, solvent extraction, or a combination thereof.

6. The process of claim 1 wherein the step e) is carried out by treating with one or more of enzyme, acid, solid acid, or heat, followed by pH correction.

7. The process of claim 1 wherein the removing of step f) includes centrifugation, membrane separation, sedimentation, filtration, solvent extraction, or a combination thereof.

8. The process of claim 1 wherein the separating of the permeate stream of step h) includes solvent extraction, distillation, crystallization, pervaporation, or a combination thereof.

9. The process of claim 1 wherein step a) yields a lignocellulosic residue significantly reduced in content of hydrophillic components.

10. The process of claim 1 wherein step e) is carried out by treating with acid or solid acid followed by pH correction.