Process for controlled liquefaction of a biomass feedstock by treatment in hot compressed water
First Claim
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1. Process for a controlled conversion of a biomass feedstock, wherein the process comprises:
- loading the biomass feedstock to at least one reactor;
liquefaction of the biomass feedstock into a monomer and/or oligomer sugar mixture in said reactor by treatment in hot compressed liquid water at sub- and/or super-critical condition; and
removal of the monomer and/or oligomer sugar mixture to avoid continued detrimental decomposition;
wherein the liquefaction is performed at a temperature of at least 280°
C. during a reaction time t of from 1.5 to 30 s; and
wherein the liquefaction is performed in one cycle or by repeated cycles by injection of hot compressed water; and
furtherwherein each injection of hot compressed water applies a temperature pulse at a sub- or super-critical condition in the reactor to allow for liquefaction of the biomass feedstock, said pulse involving applying a pulse start temperature during a temperature increase time and allowing for liquefaction reaction to occur during the reaction time t.
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Abstract
The present invention describes a process for a controlled conversion of a biomass feedstock, wherein the process comprises the steps of:
- loading the biomass feedstock to at least one reactor;
- liquefaction of the biomass feedstock into a monomer and/or oligomer sugar mixture in said reactor by treatment in hot compressed liquid water (HCW) at sub- and/or super-critical condition; and
- removal of the monomer and/or oligomer sugar mixture, being the product molecules, to avoid continued detrimental decomposition.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. Process for a controlled conversion of a biomass feedstock, wherein the process comprises:
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loading the biomass feedstock to at least one reactor; liquefaction of the biomass feedstock into a monomer and/or oligomer sugar mixture in said reactor by treatment in hot compressed liquid water at sub- and/or super-critical condition; and removal of the monomer and/or oligomer sugar mixture to avoid continued detrimental decomposition; wherein the liquefaction is performed at a temperature of at least 280°
C. during a reaction time t of from 1.5 to 30 s; andwherein the liquefaction is performed in one cycle or by repeated cycles by injection of hot compressed water; and
furtherwherein each injection of hot compressed water applies a temperature pulse at a sub- or super-critical condition in the reactor to allow for liquefaction of the biomass feedstock, said pulse involving applying a pulse start temperature during a temperature increase time and allowing for liquefaction reaction to occur during the reaction time t. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
liquefaction is performed in one cycle or repeated cycles by injection of hot compressed water to the batch reactor; and solubilized material is discharged from the batch reactor after the reaction time t for each cycle.
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6. Process according to claim 1, wherein
loading of the biomass feedstock is performed by cyclic loading of biomass into a single batch reactor or into a series of batch reactors so that said reactor(s) is refilled after complete biomass liquefaction; -
liquefaction is performed in one cycle or by repeated cycles by injection of hot compressed water to the batch reactor or series of batch reactors; and solubilized material is discharged from the batch reactor after the reaction time t for each cycle.
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7. Process according to claim 1, wherein
loading of the biomass feedstock is performed by cyclic loading of biomass into at least one flow reactor; -
liquefaction is performed by injection of hot compressed water to said flow reactor by one cycle; and solubilized material is flowed downstreams from the flow reactor to a non-reactive zone.
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8. Process according to claim 1, wherein separation of a lignin component is performed by removal of non-solubilized material from at least one reactor.
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9. Process according to claim 1, wherein
loading of the biomass feedstock is performed by continuous loading of biomass into at least one flow reactor; -
liquefaction is performed by continuously injecting hot compressed water to said flow reactor; and solubilized material is flowed downstreams from the flow reactor to a non-reactive zone.
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10. Process according to claim 7, wherein several flow reactors are used and wherein at least one flow reactor is a loading reactor and at least one flow reactor is a reaction reactor.
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11. Process according to claim 1, wherein
the biomass feedstock is a slurry which is continuously loaded to a flow reactor; -
said slurry is rapidly warmed to sub- or super-critical condition; and solubilized material is flowed downstreams from the flow reactor to a non-reactive zone.
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12. Process according to claim 1, wherein the process further comprises
removal of non-solubilized material; -
wherein lignin is separated at the step of removal of non-solubilized material, and wherein the removed non-solubilized material is reprocessed.
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13. Process according to claim 1, wherein the process is performed free from any chemicals besides hot compressed water and the biomass feedstock.
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14. Process according to claim 1, wherein at least one pH lowering additive is added to the process.
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15. Process according to claim 1, wherein the pulse start temperature is at least 280°
- C.
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16. Process according to claim 1, wherein the pulse start temperature is in the range of 300°
- C.-350°
C. and the reaction time t is 1.5 to 15 s.
- C.-350°
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17. Process according to claim 1, wherein the process further comprises a subsequent step of hydrolysis, fermentation, or a combination thereof.
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18. Process according to claim 1, wherein the biomass feedstock is a lignocellulosic biomass feedstock.
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19. Process according to claim 9, wherein several flow reactors are used and wherein at least one flow reactor is a loading reactor and at least one flow reactor is a reaction reactor.
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20. Process according to claim 1, wherein the liquefaction is performed at a pressure held at a level high enough so that the hot compressed water is in liquid form.
Specification