Methods for treating lignocellulosic materials
First Claim
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1. A method of producing high purity lignin from a biomass, comprising:
- (i) removing an acidic hemicellulose sugar stream from the biomass, thereby obtaining a lignin-containing remainder;
wherein the lignin-containing remainder comprises lignin and cellulose;
(ii) contacting the lignin-containing remainder with a lignin extraction solution to produce a lignin extract and a cellulosic remainder;
wherein the lignin extraction solution comprises a limited-solubility solvent, an organic acid, and water;
(iii) separating the lignin extract from the cellulosic remainder;
wherein the lignin extract comprises lignin dissolved in the lignin extraction solution, and wherein the limited-solubility solvent and the water form an organic phase and an aqueous phase;
(iv) removing the organic phase from the lignin extract, thereby obtaining a lignin-containing organic stream;
wherein the lignin-containing organic stream comprises the limited-solubility solvent and the lignin;
(v) washing the cellulosic remainder with the limited-solubility solvent and with new water, thereby obtaining cellulose pulp;
(vi) contacting the cellulose pulp with an acid to produce an acidic hydrolysate stream comprising cellulose sugars;
(vii) contacting the acidic hydrolysate stream comprising the acid and one or more cellulose sugars with an S1 solvent extractant to form a first mixture;
(viii) separating from the first mixture an organic stream comprising the acid and the S1 solvent extractant and an aqueous stream comprising the one or more cellulose sugars;
(ix) evaporating the aqueous stream comprising the one or more cellulose sugars to form a concentrated aqueous stream;
(x) contacting the concentrated aqueous stream with the S1 solvent extractant to form a second mixture; and
(xi) separating from the second mixture a second organic stream comprising the acid and the S1 solvent extractant, and a second aqueous stream comprising the one or more cellulose sugars.
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Abstract
The present invention relates to methods of processing lignocellulosic material to obtain hemicellulose sugars, cellulose sugars, lignin, cellulose and other high-value products. Also provided are hemicellulose sugars, cellulose sugars, lignin, cellulose, and other high-value products.
179 Citations
32 Claims
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1. A method of producing high purity lignin from a biomass, comprising:
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(i) removing an acidic hemicellulose sugar stream from the biomass, thereby obtaining a lignin-containing remainder;
wherein the lignin-containing remainder comprises lignin and cellulose;(ii) contacting the lignin-containing remainder with a lignin extraction solution to produce a lignin extract and a cellulosic remainder;
wherein the lignin extraction solution comprises a limited-solubility solvent, an organic acid, and water;(iii) separating the lignin extract from the cellulosic remainder;
wherein the lignin extract comprises lignin dissolved in the lignin extraction solution, and wherein the limited-solubility solvent and the water form an organic phase and an aqueous phase;(iv) removing the organic phase from the lignin extract, thereby obtaining a lignin-containing organic stream;
wherein the lignin-containing organic stream comprises the limited-solubility solvent and the lignin;(v) washing the cellulosic remainder with the limited-solubility solvent and with new water, thereby obtaining cellulose pulp; (vi) contacting the cellulose pulp with an acid to produce an acidic hydrolysate stream comprising cellulose sugars; (vii) contacting the acidic hydrolysate stream comprising the acid and one or more cellulose sugars with an S1 solvent extractant to form a first mixture; (viii) separating from the first mixture an organic stream comprising the acid and the S1 solvent extractant and an aqueous stream comprising the one or more cellulose sugars; (ix) evaporating the aqueous stream comprising the one or more cellulose sugars to form a concentrated aqueous stream; (x) contacting the concentrated aqueous stream with the S1 solvent extractant to form a second mixture; and (xi) separating from the second mixture a second organic stream comprising the acid and the S1 solvent extractant, and a second aqueous stream comprising the one or more cellulose sugars. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method of producing high purity lignin from a biomass, comprising:
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(i) removing an acidic hemicellulose sugar stream from the biomass, thereby obtaining a lignin-containing remainder;
wherein the lignin-containing remainder comprises lignin and cellulose;(ii) contacting the lignin-containing remainder with a lignin extraction solution to produce a lignin extract and a cellulosic remainder;
wherein the lignin extraction solution comprises a limited-solubility solvent, an organic acid, and water;(iii) separating the lignin extract from the cellulosic remainder;
wherein the lignin extract comprises lignin dissolved in the lignin extraction solution, and wherein the limited-solubility solvent and the water form an organic phase and an aqueous phase; and(iv) contacting the organic phase with a strong acid cation exchanger to remove residual cations, thereby obtaining a purified lignin extract. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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Specification