Product and processes from an integrated forest biorefinery

• US 8,940,133 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2014
• Issued: 01/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• 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, Ramarao, Bandaru V., Wood, Christopher D.
• Primary Examiner(s): FORTUNA, JOSE A
• Application Number:
  US14/198,754
• Publication Number:
  US 20140182796A1
• Time in Patent Office: 327 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, 162/72, 162/78, 162/82, 162/87, 162/DIG.2, 162/DIG.12
• US Class Current: 162/72
• 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 comprising:

(a) contacting a charge of a lignocellulosic material with a fungus which breaks lignin-carbohydrate complexes in lignocellulosic materials;

(b) contacting said lignocellulosic materials product of said step (a) with water at a temperature in the range of between about 140°

C. and about 180°

C. and the water having a pH in the range of between about 3 and about 6.9 for a period in the range of between about 1 minute and about 4 hours, wherein an aqueous extract and extracted lignocellulosic materials are obtained and wherein a percentage of solids extracted from the lignocellulosic material occurs at about half of the time as the same percentage of solids extracted from a lignocellulosic material that did not contact a fungus that breaks lignin-carbohydrate complexes;

(c) pulping said extracted lignocellulosic materials wherein individual fibers and fiber bundles are produced; and

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

2. A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein said fungus is a lignin-degrading fungus.

3. A process on accordance with claim 2 wherein said lignin-degrading fungus produces a lignin-degrading enzyme upon contact with said lignocellulosic material product in said step (a).

4. A process in accordance with claim 3 wherein said lignin-degrading enzyme produced in said step (a) is recovered.

5. A process in accordance with claim 2 wherein said bleaching step (d) comprises introducing a lignin-degrading enzyme into a bleaching reaction mixture.

6. A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein said aqueous extract of said step (b) is recovered.

7. A process in accordance with claim 6 comprising separating said aqueous extract into an aqueous acetic acid solution and an aqueous hemicellulose sugar solution.

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

9. A process in accordance with claim 8 wherein said pulping step (c) is effectuated by a combination of mechanical and chemical pulping.

10. A process in accordance with claim 9 wherein said bleaching step (d) 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.

11. A process in accordance with claim 8 wherein said pulping step (c) is effectuated by mechanical pulping.

12. A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein the water contacts the Lignocellulosic material between about 30 and about 90 minutes.

13. A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein the temperature of the water is Between about 150°

C. and about 160°

C.

14. A process of pulping lignocellulosic materials comprising:

(a) contacting a charge of a lignocellulosic material with a fungus that breaks down lignin-carbohydrate complexes in said lignocellulosic material;

(b) separating said enzyme product of said contacting step (a) from said fungus-contacted lignocellulosic material;

(c) contacting said lignocellulosic materials product of said step (a) with water at a temperature in the range of between about 140°

C. and about 180°

C. and the water having a pH in the range of between about 3 and about 6.9 for a period in the range of between about 1 minute and about 4 hours, wherein an aqueous extract and extracted lignocellulosic materials are obtained and wherein a percentage of solids extracted from the lignocellulosic material occurs at about half of the time as the same percentage of solids extracted from a lignocellulosic material that did not contact a fungus that breaks lignin-carbohydrate complexes;

(d) pulping said fungus-contacted lignocellulosic material; and

(e) bleaching said pulp product of said step (c) in the presence of an enzyme that breaks down lignin-carbohydrate complexes.

15. A process in accordance with claim 14 wherein said fungus in said step (a) is a lignin-degrading fungus.

16. A process in accordance with claim 14 wherein said enzyme introduced in said step (e) is a lignin-degrading enzyme.

17. A process in accordance with claim 14 is a species selected from the group consisting of Ceriporiopsis, Trametes and Phlebia.

18. A process in accordance with claim 14 wherein said enzyme introduced in said step (e) comprises said enzyme product separated is said step (b).

19. A process in accordance with claim 14 wherein said fungus of said step (a) and said enzyme of said step (e) is a lignin-degrading fungus and enzyme, respectively.

20. A process in accordance with claim 14 wherein said pulping step (d) is effectuated by a pulping process selected from the group consisting of mechanical pulping, chemical pulping and a combination of mechanical and chemical pulping.