Product and processes from an integrated forest biorefinery

• US 9,273,431 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2015
• Issued: 03/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• 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:
  US14/603,663
• Publication Number:
  US 20150136344A1
• Time in Patent Office: 403 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 lignocellulosic materials product with water, the water at a temperature in the range of between about 140°

C. and about 200°

C. and the water at a pH in the range of between about 3 and about 6.9, for a period in the range of between about 15 minutes and about 180 minutes, wherein an aqueous extract and extracted lignocellulosic materials are obtained; and

(b) pulping said extracted lignocellulosic materials wherein individual fibers and fiber bundles are produced and have a kappa number of at most about 10 after about 30 minutes.

2. A process in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a step before step (a) of contacting the charge of the lignocellulosic material with a fungus that breaks lignin-carbohydrate complexes in lignocellulosic materials.

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

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

5. A process in accordance with claim 4, wherein said lignin-degrading enzyme produced is recovered.

6. A process in accordance with claim 2, wherein the fungus is a species selected from the group consisting of Ceriporiopsis, Trametes and Phlebia.

7. A process in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a step after step (b) of bleaching said product of said step (b).

8. A process in accordance with claim 7, wherein said bleaching step is effectuated by contacting said pulp product of said step (b) 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.

9. A process in accordance with claim 7, wherein said bleaching step comprises introducing a lignin-degrading enzyme into a bleaching reaction mixture.

10. A process in accordance with claim 1, wherein said aqueous extract of said step (a) is recovered.

11. A process in accordance with claim 10, comprising separating said aqueous extract into an aqueous acetic acid solution and an aqueous hemicellulose sugar solution.

12. A process in accordance with claim 11, wherein said pulping step (b) is effectuated by a combination of mechanical and chemical pulping.

13. A process in accordance with claim 11, wherein said pulping step (b) is effectuated by mechanical pulping.

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

15. A process in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a step after step (b) of combusting said lignocellulosic material product of said step (b).