Processing biomass

• US 8,709,771 B2
• Filed: 07/03/2013
• Issued: 04/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Xyleco, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Xyleco, Inc.
• Inventors: Medoff, Marshall, Masterman, Thomas Craig
• Primary Examiner(s): Ariani, Kade
• Application Number:
  US13/935,065
• Publication Number:
  US 20130295624A1
• Time in Patent Office: 300 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 435/177
• CPC Class Codes: C07H 3/02 Monosaccharides
• CPC Class Codes: C07H 3/04 Disaccharides
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 1/20 Bacteria; Culture media therefor
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 1/38 Chemical stimulation of growth or activity by addition of chemical compounds which are not essential growth factors; Stimulation of growth by removal of a chemical compound C12N1/34 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 19/02 Monosaccharides 2-ketogulonic acid C12P7/60
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 2201/00 Pretreatment of cellulosic or lignocellulosic material for subsequent enzymatic treatment or hydrolysis
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 2203/00 Fermentation products obtained from optionally pretreated or hydrolyzed cellulosic or lignocellulosic material as the carbon source ethanol C12P7/10
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 5/02 acyclic C12P5/007 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/04 acyclic
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/06 Ethanol, i.e. non-beverage
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/10 substrate containing cellulosic material
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/16 Butanols
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/18 polyhydric
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/20 Glycerol
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/40 containing a carboxyl group including Peroxycarboxylic acids
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/42 Hydroxy-carboxylic acids
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/46 Dicarboxylic acids having four or less carbon atoms, e.g. fumaric acid, maleic acid
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/52 Propionic acid; Butyric acids
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/54 Acetic acid vinegar C12J
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/56 Lactic acid
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/58 : Aldonic, ketoaldonic or saccharic acids uronic acids C12P19/00
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/6409 : Fatty acids
• 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

Biomass (e.g., plant biomass, animal biomass, and municipal waste biomass) is processed to produce useful products, such as fuels. For example, systems can use feedstock materials, such as cellulosic and/or lignocellulosic materials, to produce ethanol and/or butanol, e.g., by fermentation.

Claims

1. A fermentation method comprising:

mixing in a medium a low molecular weight sugar, one or more fermenting microorganisms, and an ionizing radiation irradiated lignocellulosic material,

fermenting the low molecular weight sugar to a fermentation product, wherein

the fermentation step produces fermentation product at a faster rate than would be produced in the fermentation step in the absence of the irradiated lignocellulosic material.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the fermentation step produces fermentation product at a rate that is increased by 10 percent or more than would be produced in the fermentation step in the absence of the irradiated lignocellulosic material.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the fermentation step produces fermentation product at a rate that is increased by 50 percent or more than would be produced in the fermentation step in the absence of the irradiated lignocellulosic material.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the irradiated lignocellulosic material comprises a lignocellulosic material that has been irradiated with the ionizing radiation to provide a first level of radicals and subsequently quenched in an oxidizing medium to an extent that the radicals are at a second level lower than the first level and the lignocellulosic material is oxidized to an extent that carboxylic acid groups are created.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the irradiation dose is at least about 5 Mrad.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the irradiated lignocellulosic material is saccharified.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the microorganism is a yeast.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the yeast is selected from the group consisting of S. cerevisiae and P. stipitis.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the microorganism is a bacterium.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the bacterium is an anaerobic bacterium.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the fermentation product is selected from the group consisting of mono- and polyfunctional C1-C6 alkyl alcohols, mono- and poly-functional carboxylic acids, C1-C6 hydrocarbons, and combinations thereof.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the fermentation product is an alcohol.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the fermentation product is a mono-hydroxy or poly-hydroxy alcohol.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the fermentation product is an alcohol selected from the group consisting of methanol, ethanol, propanol, isopropanol, butanol, ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, 1,4-butane diol, glycerin, and combinations thereof.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the product is an acid.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the acid is selected from the group consisting of formic acid, acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, valeric acid, caproic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, oxalic acid, malonic acid, succinic acid, glutaric acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, glycolic acid, lactic acid, γ

-hydroxybutyric acid, and combinations thereof.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the lignocellulosic material is selected from the group consisting of paper, paper products, paper waste, wood, particle board, sawdust, agricultural waste, sewage, silage, grasses, rice hulls, bagasse, cotton, jute, hemp, flax, bamboo, sisal, abaca, straw, corn cobs, corn stover, switchgrass, alfalfa, hay, rice hulls, coconut hair, seaweed, algae, and mixtures thereof.

18. The method of claim 1 further comprising agitating the medium, sugar, lignocellulosic material and microorganism while fermenting the sugar to the product.