Processing biomass and petroleum containing materials

• US 9,138,715 B2
• Filed: 04/16/2015
• Issued: 09/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xyleco, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Xyleco, Inc.
• Inventors: Medoff, Marshall
• Primary Examiner(s): MCCAIG, BRIAN A
• Application Number:
  US14/688,393
• Publication Number:
  US 20150217260A1
• Time in Patent Office: 159 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/08 Processes employing the direct application of electric or wave energy, or particle radiation; Apparatus therefor application of shock waves B01J3/08
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/081 employing particle radiation or gamma-radiation
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/085 Electron beams only
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/08 Processes employing the direct application of electric or wave energy, or particle radiation; Apparatus therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0879 Solid
• CPC Class Codes: C08B 1/00 Preparatory treatment of cellulose for making derivatives thereof , e.g. pre-treatment, pre-soaking, activation
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 11/00 Catalytic cracking, in the absence of hydrogen, of hydrocarbon oils cracking in direct contact with molten metals or salts C10G9/34
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 15/10 by particle radiation
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2300/1011 Biomass
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 3/00 Production of liquid hydrocarbon mixtures from oxygen-containing organic materials, e.g. fatty oils, fatty acids production from non-melting solid oxygen-containing carbonaceous materials C10G1/00
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 47/00 Cracking of hydrocarbon oils, in the presence of hydrogen or hydrogen- generating compounds, to obtain lower boiling fractions C10G15/00 takes precedence; destructive hydrogenation of non-melting solid carbonaceous or similar materials C10G1/06
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 1/02 essentially based on components consisting of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen only
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 1/04 essentially based on blends of hydrocarbons
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 2200/0469 Renewables or materials of biological origin
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 2270/02 for internal combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 2270/04 for turbines, planes, power generation
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 2290/02 Combustion or pyrolysis
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 2290/06 Heat exchange, direct or indirect
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 2290/26 Composting, fermenting or anaerobic digestion fuel components or materials from which fuels are prepared
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 2290/34 Applying ultrasonic energy
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 2290/36 : Applying radiation such as microwave, IR, UV
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 2290/543 : Distillation, fractionation or rectification for separating fractions, components or impurities during preparation or upgrading of a fuel
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 19/02 : Monosaccharides 2-ketogulonic acid C12P7/60
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 19/14 : produced by the action of a carbohydrase (EC 3.2.x), e.g. by alpha-amylase , e.g. by cellulase, hemicellulase
• 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 5/00 : Preparation of hydrocarbons or halogenated hydrocarbons
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 5/02 : acyclic C12P5/007 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 5/023 : Methane
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/02 : containing a hydroxy group
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/04 : acyclic
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/10 : substrate containing cellulosic material
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/14 : Multiple stages of fermentation; Multiple types of microorganisms or re-use of microorganisms
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/16 : Butanols
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/1007 : with both reactants being gaseous or vaporised H01M8/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/1013 : Other direct alcohol fuel cells [DAFC]
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/16 : Biochemical fuel cells, i.e. cells in which microorganisms function as catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/22 : Fuel cells in which the fuel is based on materials comprising carbon or oxygen or hydrogen and other elements; Fuel cells in which the fuel is based on materials comprising only elements other than carbon, oxygen or hydrogen
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 : Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 30/20 : using bio-feedstock
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/678 : Aviation using fuels of non-fossil origin

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 and/or starchy materials, to produce ethanol and/or butanol, e.g., by fermentation.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

exposing a lignocellulosic material to ion beam irradiation, the lignocellulosic material comprising a complex of cellulosic material cross-linked by hemicellulose material, the complex being at last partially embedded within a lignin matrix;

wherein the ion beam irradiation comprises one or more species of negatively charged ions, the one or more species of negatively charged ions selected to preferentially degrade lignin and/or hemicellulose material.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more species of negatively charged ions comprises one or more of:

oxygen ions, nitrogen ions, carbon ions, silicon ions, phosphorous ions, and hydride ions.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the ion beam irradiation comprises a first ion beam and a second ion beam.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first ion beam preferentially degrades lignin, and the second ion beam preferentially degrades hemicellulose.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first ion beam comprises oxygen ions.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the second ion beam comprises hydride ions.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the cellulosic material remains relatively unaffected by the one or more species of negatively charged ions.

8. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising contacting the lignocellulosic material and/or the irradiated lignocellulosic material with one or more basic agents in solution, wherein the one or more basic agents separate lignin and/or hemicellulose material from cellulosic material.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the one or more basic agents comprises sodium bicarbonate.

10. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising contacting the lignocellulosic material and/or the irradiated lignocellulosic material with one or more solvents, wherein the one or more solvents solvate or suspend lignin and/or hemicellulose material in solution, and wherein one or more washing stages remove at least some of the solvated or suspended material.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the ion beam irradiation further comprises one or more species of positively charged ions, the one or more species of positively charged ions selected to preferentially degrade cellulosic material.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the one or more species of positively charged ions comprises one or more of:

hydrogen ions, noble gas ions, halogen ions, carbon ions, nitrogen ions, oxygen ions, silicon ions, phosphorus ions, and metal ions.

13. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising contacting the lignocellulosic material and/or the irradiated lignocellulosic material with one or more acidic agents in solution, wherein the one or more acidic agents at least partially degrade the lignocellulosic material and/or the cellulosic material.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the ion beam irradiation comprises one or more species of metal ions.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the one or more species of metal ions comprises one or more of:

sodium ions, calcium ions, iron ions, platinum ions, palladium ions, iridium ions, rhodium ions, ruthenium ions, aluminum ions, rhenium ions, tungsten ions, and osmium ions.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the ion beam irradiation comprises one or more species of noble gas ions.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the one or more species of noble gas ions comprises one or more of:

helium ions, neon ions, and argon ions.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising exposing the lignocellulosic material to a reactive gas during at least part of the ion beam irradiation treatment.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the reactive gas comprises ozone.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the ion beam irradiation effects the addition of one or more functional groups to one or more of:

the lignin, hemicellulose material, and cellulosic material.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein one or more functional groups are effective to enhance the solubility of lignin and or hemicellulose material in solution.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the lignocellulosic material comprises one or more of:

paper, Kraft paper, paper products, wood, wood-related materials, particle board, post-consumer waste, offal, grasses, rice hulls, bagasse, jute, hemp, flax, bamboo, sisal, abaca, straw, soybean stover, rice straw, rice hulls, barley straw, canola straw, oat straw, oat hulls, corn fiber, corn cobs, corn stover, wheat straw, rice straw, sugar cane bagasse, coconut hair, algae, seaweed, switchgrass, cord grass, rye grass, miscanthus, reed canary grass, wood wastes, wood residues, forest thinnings, barky wastes, sawdust, recycled wood pulp fiber, newsprint, cardboard, and mixtures of these.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the lignocellulosic material receives a total radiation dose of at least 10 Mrad.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein irradiation is provided at a dose rate of at least 1 Mrad/s.