Method for producing a soil conditioning composition from a lignocellulosic conversion process

• US 9,315,427 B2
• Filed: 03/05/2013
• Issued: 04/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Iogen Energy Corporation (Iogen Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Iogen Energy Corporation (Iogen Corporation)
• Inventors: Foody, Patrick J., Glenns, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): LANGEL, WAYNE A
• Application Number:
  US14/376,975
• Publication Number:
  US 20150000356A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,141 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: C05C 11/00 Other nitrogenous fertilisers
• CPC Class Codes: C05C 3/00 Fertilisers containing other salts of ammonia or ammonia itself, e.g. gas liquor
• CPC Class Codes: C05D 9/00 Other inorganic fertilisers
• CPC Class Codes: C05D 9/02 containing trace elements
• CPC Class Codes: C05F 5/008 Waste from biochemical processing of material, e.g. fermentation, breweries
• CPC Class Codes: C05G 1/00 Mixtures of fertilisers belonging individually to different subclasses of C05
• CPC Class Codes: C05G 3/80 Soil conditioners
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 17/40 containing mixtures of inorganic and organic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C12F 3/10 from distillery slops
• CPC Class Codes: C13K 1/02 obtained by saccharification of cellulosic materials manufacture of fodder A23K10/32
• CPC Class Codes: C13K 13/002 Xylose
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 40/20 Fertilizers of biological origin, e.g. guano or fertilizers made from animal corpses
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 50/10 Biofuels, e.g. bio-diesel
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 20/145 the feedstock being materials of biological origin

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for producing a composition for use in land application. The method comprises: (a) obtaining a fermentation product by a production process comprising the steps of: (i) treating lignocellulosic feedstock to produce sugar; (ii) fermenting the sugar to produce a fermented mixture comprising the fermentation product; and (iii) recovering the fermentation product from the fermented mixture in one or more stages to produce a concentrated fermentation product and still bottoms; and

(b) recovering the still bottoms, the still bottoms comprising organic and inorganic components; and (c) providing the still bottoms for use in a land application. Also provided is a soil conditioning composition for use in land application. The soil conditioning composition contains still bottoms and optionally other components.

Claims

1. A process for producing a composition for use in land application comprising:

(a) obtaining a fermentation product by a production process comprising the steps of;

(i) treating a lignocellulosic feedstock to produce sugar;

(ii) fermenting the sugar to produce a fermented mixture comprising the fermentation product; and

(iii) recovering the fermentation product from the fermented mixture in one or more stages to produce a concentrated fermentation product and still bottoms; and

(b) recovering the still bottoms, said still bottoms comprising an organic component and an inorganic component;

(c) providing the still bottoms comprising the organic component and the inorganic component for use in a land application, and

(d) applying the still bottoms comprising the organic component and the inorganic component to land as a soil conditioner.

2. The process of claim 1, wherein the still bottoms provided for use in the land application comprises 40-80 wt % organic components and 20-60 wt % inorganic components on a dry basis.

3. The process of claim 1, wherein the inorganic components originate from the lignocellulosic feedstock, process chemicals added during said production process, or a combination thereof.

4. The process of claim 1, wherein the inorganic components originate from both the lignocellulosic feedstock and process chemicals added during said production process.

5. The process of claim 1, wherein the step of recovering the still bottoms comprises concentrating the still bottoms.

6. The process of claim 1, wherein the organic component comprises dissolved lignin, insoluble lignin or a combination thereof.

7. The process of claim 1, wherein the still bottoms has a phosphorus content of less than 2 wt % on a dry basis.

8. The process of claim 1, wherein the still bottoms has a solids content that allows it to be pumped through farming equipment.

9. The process of claim 1, wherein the step of recovering the still bottoms comprises separating solids from the still bottoms, thereby producing a residue stream composed of separated solids and a liquid component and wherein the separated solids and the liquid component are each provided for use in soil conditioning.

10. The process of claim 1, wherein at least part of the steps of treating to produce sugar and fermenting are carried out as part of a simultaneous saccharification and fermentation process.

11. The process of claim 1, wherein the step of treating comprises pretreating the lignocellulosic feedstock with acid or alkali to produce a composition comprising cellulose and hydrolyzing at least a portion of the cellulose to glucose with enzymes.

12. A soil conditioning composition comprising at least:

wherein the still bottoms comprises;

40-80 wt % organic component; and

20-60 wt % inorganic component, and wherein the organic component comprises at least soluble lignin and the inorganic component comprises at least nitrogen and sulfur.

13. The process of claim 12, wherein the organic component further comprises sugar, insoluble lignin, or a combination thereof.

14. The process of claim 12, wherein the inorganic component further comprises potassium, chloride, magnesium, calcium or a combination thereof.

15. The process of claim 12, wherein the phosphorus content is less than about 2 wt % on a dry basis.

16. The process of claim 12, wherein the water content is between about 10 and about 90 wt %.

17. The process of claim 12, wherein the water content is between about 20 and about 50 wt %.

18. The process of claim 12, wherein the composition is composed of separated still bottom solids resulting from a step of separating solids from a still bottoms stream.

19. A method comprising:

(i) obtaining a soil conditioning composition for use in land application that comprises still bottoms, wherein the still bottoms is derived from a process that produces a fermentation product from a lignocellulosic feedstock; and

(ii) adding insoluble lignin to the soil conditioning composition of step (i) prior to its use in land application.