Processing biomass

• US 9,109,241 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2014
• Issued: 08/18/2015
• 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:
  US14/169,174
• Publication Number:
  US 20140147907A1
• Time in Patent Office: 564 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 proceed ethanol and/or butanol, e.g., by fermentation.

Claims

1. A mixture comprising:

an aqueous solution comprising a low molecular weight sugar,

a fermenting microorganism, and

a lignocellulosic material that has been irradiated with at least 10 Mrad of electron beam radiation, the lignocellulosic material comprising a plurality of saccharide units arranged in a molecular chain, wherein from about 1 out of every 2 to about 1 out of every 250 saccharide units includes a functional group acting as receptor sites for attachment of the microorganism;

wherein the microorganism is immobilized on the lignocellulosic material.

2. The mixture of claim 1, wherein the functional group is selected from the group consisting of carboxylic acid group, carboxylate esters group, carboxylate salt group, nitro group, nitroso group, nitrile group, enol group, aldehyde group, amino group, alkyl amino group, alkyl group and chloroalkyl group.

3. The mixture of claim 1, wherein the lignocellulosic material has been irradiated with electron beam radiation to provide a first level of radicals on the plurality of saccharide units and the radicals have been subsequently quenched by contact with a quenching agent to an extent that the radicals are at a second level lower than the first level, and at least a portion of the saccharide units have been functionalized with the quenching agent.

4. The mixture of claim 3, wherein the quenching agent includes oxygen and the lignocellulosic material is oxidized to an extent that carboxylic acid groups are generated.

5. The mixture of claim 1, wherein the microorganism is a yeast.

6. The mixture of claim 5, wherein the yeast is selected from the group consisting of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Pichia stipitis.

7. The mixture of claim 1, wherein the microorganism is a fermenting bacteria.

8. The mixture of claim 1, wherein the low molecular weight sugar is glucose or xylose.

9. The mixture of claim 1, wherein the lignocellulosic material is selected from the group consisting of wood, particle board, agricultural waste, silage, grasses, jute, hemp, flax, bamboo, sisal, abaca, straw, coconut hair, seaweed, algae, and mixtures thereof

10. The mixture of claim 1, wherein the porosity of the lignocellulosic material is greater than 20%.

11. The mixture of claim 1, wherein the BET surface area of the lignocellulosic material is greater than 0.1 m²/g.

12. The mixture of claim 1, wherein the BET surface area of the lignocellulosic material is greater than 0.25 m²/g.

13. The mixture of claim 1, wherein the lignocellulosic material has a bulk density of less than about 0.5 g/cm³.

14. The mixture of claim 1, further comprising a compound selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alcohol, organic acid, hydrocarbon, protein and mixtures thereof.

15. The mixture of claim 9 wherein the lignocellulosic material comprises an agricultural waste selected from the group consisting of rice hulls, bagasse, corn cobs, and corn stover.

16. The mixture of claim 9 wherein the lignocellulosic material comprises switchgrass.