Methods of enzymatic hydrolysis

• US 9,631,057 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2010
• Issued: 04/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Texaco Development Corporation (Chevron Corp.), Georgia Tech Research Corporation (University System of Georgia)
• Original Assignee: Texaco Incorporated (Chevron Corp.), Georgia Tech Research Corporation (University System of Georgia)
• Inventors: Realff, Matthew James, Smith, Ronald W., Bansal, Prabuddha, Bommarius, Andreas Sebastian, Hall, Melanie, Lee, Jay Hyung
• Primary Examiner(s): HUTSON, RICHARD G
• Application Number:
  US12/942,906
• Publication Number:
  US 20110244499A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,359 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: C08H 8/00 Macromolecular compounds derived from lignocellulosic materials pretreatment thereof B27N
• 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 2203/00 Fermentation products obtained from optionally pretreated or hydrolyzed cellulosic or lignocellulosic material as the carbon source
• CPC Class Codes: C13K 1/02 obtained by saccharification of cellulosic materials manufacture of fodder A23K10/32
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/3577 for analysing liquids, e.g. polluted water

Abstract

In one embodiment the instant invention generally pertains to a method for producing glucose for fermentation. The method comprises first treating a biomass with acid and heat under conditions sufficient to produce a composition mixture comprising cellulose suitable for enzymatic hydrolysis. Next, at least a portion of the cellulose of step (a) is enzymatically hydrolyzed under conditions sufficient to form a composition comprising glucose. The glucose is then fermented. Advantageously, one or more reaction conditions are more efficient because they are selected by first measuring an initial hydrolysis rate of said biomass and then selecting one or more appropriate reaction conditions based upon said initial hydrolysis rate.

Claims

1. A method for producing glucose for fermentation said method comprising:

(a) measuring the initial hydrolysis rate of a biomass;

(b) correlating the measured initial hydrolysis rate with a crystallinity index of standard cellulosic materials to project a crystallinity indicative of overall enzymatic hydrolysis susceptibility wherein the crystallinity index was determined by applying multivariate statistical analysis to X-ray diffraction spectra, solid state cross-polarization/magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance spectra, infrared spectra, differential scanning calorimetry heat capacity temperature plots, or a combination thereof;

(c) selecting one or more of the reaction conditions of steps (d)-(f) based on the projected crystallinity of the biomass;

(d) treating a biomass with acid and heat to produce a composition mixture comprising cellulose suitable for enzymatic hydrolysis;

(e) enzymatically hydrolyzing at least a portion of the cellulose of step (d) to form a composition comprising glucose; and

(f) utilizing glucose in an aerobic or anaerobic fermentation process.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the glucose is fermented to a product selected from the group consisting of alcohols, fatty alcohols, hydrocarbons, fatty acids, tryglycerides, terpenes, and combinations thereof.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said one or more appropriate conditions are selected from the group consisting of type of enzyme, amount of enzyme, reaction time, and reaction temperature.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the initial hydrolysis rate is measured by x-ray diffraction, solid state cross-polarization/magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance, infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, or a combination thereof.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the initial hydrolysis rate is measured by x-ray diffraction and wherein the crystallinity index was determined by applying multivariate statistical analysis to X-ray diffraction spectra.

6. The method of claim 1 the biomass is selected from the group consisting of a wood or forestry residue, municipal paper waste, algae, agricultural residue, and a dedicated energy crop.