Pretreatment of biomass prior to separation of saturated biomass

• US 9,651,304 B1
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Issued: 05/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Green Recovery Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: Green Recovery Technologies LLC
• Inventors: Laubsch, Kenneth L., Rudin, Bruce J., Caulfield, Joseph N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Laux, David J
• Application Number:
  US13/804,466
• Time in Patent Office: 1,524 Days
• Field of Search: 34354, 34357
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 11/02 of solids
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 11/0223 Moving bed of solid material see also B01D11/0261
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 11/028 Flow sheets
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 11/0288 Applications, solvents
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 11/0292 Treatment of the solvent
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 21/10 Settling tanks with multiple outlets for the separated liquids
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 3/00 Distillation or related exchange processes in which liquids are contacted with gaseous media, e.g. stripping evaporation in general, e.g. of liquids for gas phase reactions B01B1/005; gas chromatography B01D15/08; destructive distillation C10B; preparation of alcoholic beverages by distillation C12H6/02
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 33/06 with rotary cylindrical filtering surfaces, e.g. hollow drums B01D33/044 takes precedence ; rotating drums for paper-making D21B
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/00 Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage C02F3/00 - C02F9/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 11/002 Sludge treatment using liquids immiscible with water
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 11/008 Sludge treatment by fixation or solidification
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 11/12 by de-watering, drying or thickening
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2001/007 Processes including a sedimentation step
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2101/32 Hydrocarbons, e.g. oil
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2103/20 from animal husbandry
• CPC Class Codes: C07K 1/36 by a combination of two or more processes of different types
• CPC Class Codes: C11B 1/02 Pretreatment
• CPC Class Codes: C11B 1/10 by extracting
• CPC Class Codes: C11B 13/00 Recovery of fats, fatty oils or fatty acids from waste materials
• CPC Class Codes: C11B 3/008 by filtration, e.g. including ultra filtration, dialysis C11B3/005 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 21/086 : by condensing the moisture in the drying medium, which may be recycled, e.g. using a heat pump cycle
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 21/14 : using gases or vapours other than air or steam , e.g. inert gases
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 5/005 : by dipping them into or mixing them with a chemical liquid, e.g. organic; chemical, e.g. organic, dewatering aids F26B3/005 takes precedence; using chemical vapours or gases F26B21/14
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 5/08 : by centrifugal treatment
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 30/74 : Recovery of fats, fatty oils, fatty acids or other fatty substances, e.g. lanolin or waxes

Abstract

A pretreatment for use with systems and methods for extracting and separating a bio-molecule, such as a lipid and/or a protein, from a biomass includes the step of contacting the biomass with a drying gas to substantially dewater the biomass to 20% water content by mass or less. Such pretreated biomass, mixed with one or more compressed liquefied gas solvents, may then be introduced into individual filter cells in a rotary pressure filter to separate lipids from proteins.

Claims

1. A method of treating a biomass stream prior to extracting and separating a bio-molecule from the biomass stream, comprising:

solidifying the biomass stream by increasing the solids content of the biomass stream to a level of 80% by mass or more by contacting the biomass with a liquefied gas solvent, wherein the liquefied gas solvent is maintained at a pressure between about 3 bar and about 9 bar;

mixing the solidified biomass stream with additional liquefied gas solvent; and

introducing the mixed biomass stream and liquefied solvent gas into an extraction apparatus.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

before the solidifying step, heating the biomass stream to an elevated temperature of no greater than about 140°

C.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the liquefied gas solvent is selected from the group consisting of:

butane, isobutane, propane, carbon dioxide, dimethyl ether, methane, ethane, nitrous oxide, propylene, isobutene, ethylene, sulfur hexafluoride, ammonia, gaseous hydrocarbons, gaseous halogenated hydrocarbons, fluorocarbons, sulfur dioxide, and mixtures thereof.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the liquefied gas solvent comprises a cosolvent selected from the group consisting of ethanol, propanol, isopropyl alcohol and 2-methyl-2-propanol.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the biomass stream comprises a component selected from the group consisting of animal matter, animal-derived processing waste, vegetable processing waste, fruit processing waste, nuts, seeds, algae and mixtures thereof.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the solidifying step increases the solids content of the biomass stream to at least 85% solids by mass.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the solidifying step increases the solids content of the biomass stream to at least 90% solids by mass.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the solidifying step increases the solids content of the biomass stream to at least 95% solids by mass.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the solidifying step increases the solids content of the biomass stream to at least 97% solids by mass.