Process for preparing enriched glucan biomass materials
First Claim
1. A process for producing ethanol from lignocellulosic biomass comprising:
- treating a lignocellulosic biomass with a dicarboxylic acid to hydrolyze hemicellulose of the lignocellulosic biomass to xylose;
separating the treated lignocellulosic biomass to obtain a solid portion containing cellulose and a liquid portion containing xylose;
fermenting the liquid portion containing xylose to provide a first ethanol containing material;
hydrolyzing cellulose of the solid portion to provide a glucose containing medium;
combining the first ethanol containing material with the glucose containing medium;
fermenting the glucose containing medium after addition of the first ethanol containing material to provide a second ethanol containing material;
isolating ethanol from the second ethanol containing material leaving a residue; and
recovering the dicarboxylic acid from the residue to give a recovered dicarboxylic acid.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The disclosure describes a process for the conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to ethanol utilizing a dicarboxylic acid such as maleic acid as an enzyme mimic to hydrolyze the hemicellulose and cellulose of the biomass. Controlling the condition of the maleic acid hydrolysis can selectively hydrolyze the hemicellulose giving as a result a liquid portion rich in xylose and a solid portion rich in glucan. The glucan can be further hydrolyzed to produce a glucose containing material. The sugar materials can be fermented to produce ethanol which is recovered. The dicarboxylic acid is then recovered from the residue left after the ethanol is removed from the fermentation material, and the recovered dicarboxylic acid is recycled to the beginning of the process to treat additional lignocellulosic biomass.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A process for producing ethanol from lignocellulosic biomass comprising:
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treating a lignocellulosic biomass with a dicarboxylic acid to hydrolyze hemicellulose of the lignocellulosic biomass to xylose; separating the treated lignocellulosic biomass to obtain a solid portion containing cellulose and a liquid portion containing xylose; fermenting the liquid portion containing xylose to provide a first ethanol containing material; hydrolyzing cellulose of the solid portion to provide a glucose containing medium; combining the first ethanol containing material with the glucose containing medium; fermenting the glucose containing medium after addition of the first ethanol containing material to provide a second ethanol containing material; isolating ethanol from the second ethanol containing material leaving a residue; and recovering the dicarboxylic acid from the residue to give a recovered dicarboxylic acid. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 17, 18)
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12. A process for producing ethanol from lignocellulosic biomass comprising:
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processing a first portion of lignocellulosic biomass, the processing comprising; treating the lignocellulosic biomass with a dicarboxylic acid to hydrolyze hemicellulose of the lignocellulosic biomass to xylose; separating the treated lignocellulosic biomass to separate a solid portion containing cellulose from a liquid portion containing xylose; fermenting the liquid portion containing xylose to provide a first ethanol containing material; hydrolyzing cellulose of the solid portion to provide a glucose containing medium; combining the first ethanol containing material with the glucose containing medium; fermenting the glucose containing medium to provide a second ethanol containing material; isolating ethanol from second ethanol containing material leaving a residue; and recovering the dicarboxylic acid from the residue; and treating a second portion of lignocellulosic biomass with the recovered dicarboxylic acid. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20)
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Specification