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Delignification of biomass with sequential base treatment

  • US 8,715,969 B2
  • Filed: 11/19/2009
  • Issued: 05/06/2014
  • Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2008
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A method for the production of a saccharification product, the method comprising:

  • a) providing a cellulosic feedstock comprising lignin;

    b) contacting, in water, the feedstock of (a) with at least one metal carbonate at a time of 0 hour at a temperature of no more than 200°

    C. to produce a first delignification slurry;

    c) contacting the first delignification slurry with a nucleophilic base at a concentration of no more than 8% on a mass basis at a time of at least 0+0.5 hour and at a temperature of no more than 200°

    C. to form a second delignification slurry comprising a lignin-containing liquid fraction and a polysaccharide-enriched solid fraction;

    d) separating the lignin-containing liquid fraction from the polysaccharide-enriched solid fraction; and

    e) contacting at least a portion of the polysaccharide-enriched solid fraction with an enzyme consortium to produce a saccharification product comprising xylose and glucose monomers wherein the overall yield of xylose and glucose monomers in the saccharification product are individually at least about 50%;

    wherein said enzyme consortium consists essentially of cellulases and xylanases and wherein saccharification occurs under the conditions of a pH of about 4.5 to about 5.7 and a temperature of about 45°

    C. to about 55°

    C.

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