Cooling and processing materials

• US 9,822,386 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2014
• Issued: 11/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Xyleco, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Xyleco, Inc.
• Inventors: Medoff, Marshall
• Primary Examiner(s): Francis, Faye
• Application Number:
  US14/282,536
• Publication Number:
  US 20140256001A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,281 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B02C 11/08 Cooling, heating, ventilating, conditioning with respect to temperature or water content conditioning grain before milling B02B1/08; air-conditioning or ventilating in general F24F
• CPC Class Codes: B02C 19/18 Use of auxiliary physical effects, e.g. ultrasonics, irradiation, for disintegrating
• CPC Class Codes: B02C 19/186 Use of cold or heat for disintegrating B02C4/44, B02C7/17, B02C11/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B02C 2019/183 Crushing by discharge of high electrical energy
• CPC Class Codes: B02C 4/44 Cooling or heating rollers or bars
• CPC Class Codes: B02C 7/17 Cooling or heating of discs
• CPC Class Codes: C08H 8/00 Macromolecular compounds derived from lignocellulosic materials pretreatment thereof B27N
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2397/02 Lignocellulosic material, e.g. wood, straw or bagasse
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 3/28 Treatment by wave energy or particle radiation
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 1/00 Production of liquid hydrocarbon mixtures from oil-shale, oil-sand, or non-melting solid carbonaceous or similar materials, e.g. wood, coal mechanical winning of oil from oil-shales, oil-sand, or the like B03B
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2300/1014 of vegetal origin
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2300/1033 Oil well production fluids
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 5/00 Solid fuels produced by solidifying fluid fuels C10L7/00
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 5/44 on vegetable substances
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 19/02 Monosaccharides 2-ketogulonic acid C12P7/60
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 2201/00 Pretreatment of cellulosic or lignocellulosic material for subsequent enzymatic treatment or hydrolysis
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/10 substrate containing cellulosic material
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/14 Multiple stages of fermentation; Multiple types of microorganisms or re-use of microorganisms
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/16 Butanols
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 50/10 Biofuels, e.g. bio-diesel
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 50/30 : Fuel from waste, e.g. synthetic alcohol or diesel
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 30/20 : using bio-feedstock

Abstract

Systems and methods for cooling and processing materials are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

cooling a biomass material containing lignin bound to cellulose to a temperature below the glass transition temperature of lignin during irradiation of the biomass material, and combining the irradiated biomass material with one or more enzymes or one or more microorganisms.

2. The method of claim 1, where the cooled and irradiated biomass is ground or comminuted prior to contacting the material with the enzyme and or microorganism to release sugars.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising separating the lignin from the cellulose after cooling.

4. The method of claim 1, where after treatment with the enzyme and/or microorganism to release sugars, the sugars are fermented.

5. The method of claim 4, where the fermentation product comprises an alcohol.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the alcohol comprises butanol.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the alcohol comprises ethanol.

8. A method comprising:

grinding or comminuting a biomass material containing lignin bound to cellulose,

cooling the biomass material to a temperature below the glass transition temperature of lignin during irradiation of the biomass material, and

combining the irradiated biomass material with one or more enzymes or one or more microorganisms.

9. The method of claim 8, where the irradiated biomass material is further ground or comminuted prior to contacting the biomass material with the enzyme and or microorganism to release sugars.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising separating the lignin from the cellulose after cooling.

11. The method of claim 8, where after treatment with the enzyme and/or microorganism to release sugars, the sugars are fermented.

12. The method of claim 11, where the fermentation product comprises an alcohol.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the alcohol comprises butanol.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the alcohol comprises ethanol.

15. The method of claim 8, further comprising cooling during grinding or comminuting.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein cooling during grinding or comminuting cools the material to a temperature below the brittle point of the material.