Process for recovery of values from a fermentation mass obtained in producing ethanol and products thereof
First Claim
1. A process for the recovery of values from a fermentation mass obtained in producing ethanol, the fermentation mass comprising ethanol and an aqueous medium having a solids component suspended therein, the process comprising:
- hydrolyzing biomass feedstock to produce treated biomass comprising fermentable sugars,fermenting the treated biomass to form the fermentation mass, andclassifying the solids component of the fermentation mass to recover a solids fraction enriched in carbohydrates relative to the carbohydrate content of the solids component of the fermentation mass and a crude aqueous lignin slurry fraction comprising a solids component enriched in lignin relative to the lignin content of the solids fraction enriched in carbohydrates.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention generally relates to processes for recovery of values from a fermentation mass obtained in producing ethanol. Further, the present invention relates to processes for the recovery of values from an inorganic- and lignin-containing mass. The present invention also relates to processes for the recovery of a fraction having enhanced silica content from a silica-containing mass. Still further, the present invention relates to processes for the recovery of crude ethanol from a fermentation mass. The present invention relates to various lignin-containing products and solutions and mineral-rich products.
-
Citations
19 Claims
-
1. A process for the recovery of values from a fermentation mass obtained in producing ethanol, the fermentation mass comprising ethanol and an aqueous medium having a solids component suspended therein, the process comprising:
-
hydrolyzing biomass feedstock to produce treated biomass comprising fermentable sugars, fermenting the treated biomass to form the fermentation mass, and classifying the solids component of the fermentation mass to recover a solids fraction enriched in carbohydrates relative to the carbohydrate content of the solids component of the fermentation mass and a crude aqueous lignin slurry fraction comprising a solids component enriched in lignin relative to the lignin content of the solids fraction enriched in carbohydrates. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
-
-
18. A process for extraction of lignin and inorganics from a lignin- and inorganics-containing mass, the process comprising:
-
contacting the mass with an alkali in an aqueous medium having a pH between about 11.5 and about 13 and dissolving lignin contained in the mass in the aqueous medium, thereby producing an aqueous alkaline extract fraction comprising dissolved lignin; reducing the pH of the aqueous alkaline extract fraction comprising dissolved lignin to between about 7 and about 11 and precipitating inorganic solids from the aqueous alkaline extract fraction, thereby producing a slurry comprising particulate inorganic solids and dissolved lignin; subjecting the slurry comprising particulate inorganic solids and dissolved lignin to a solid-liquid separation to separate the particulate inorganic solids, from the slurry, thereby producing a mineral-rich particulate solids fraction comprising inorganic solids and a lignin-rich aqueous fraction comprising dissolved lignin; and contacting the lignin-rich aqueous fraction comprising dissolved lignin with an acidifying agent in sufficient proportion to reduce the pH of the aqueous fraction to a value at which the lignin precipitates, thereby producing a slurry comprising precipitated lignin. - View Dependent Claims (19)
-
Specification