Processing biomass

• US 9,968,905 B2
• Filed: 02/19/2016
• Issued: 05/15/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xyleco, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Xyleco, Inc.
• Inventors: Medoff, Marshall
• Primary Examiner(s): Bakshi, Pancham
• Assistant Examiner(s): Luderer, Mark R
• Application Number:
  US15/048,455
• Publication Number:
  US 20160167010A1
• Time in Patent Office: 816 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/081 employing particle radiation or gamma-radiation
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/085 Electron beams only
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/121 Coherent waves, e.g. laser beams lasers per se H01S3/00
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/123 Ultraviolet light
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/126 Microwaves
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00006 Large-scale industrial plants
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/08 Processes employing the direct application of electric or wave energy, or particle radiation; Apparatus therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0869 Feeding or evacuating the reactor
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0871 Heating or cooling of the reactor
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0879 Solid
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/089 Liquid-solid
• CPC Class Codes: B02C 23/18 Adding fluid, other than for crushing or disintegrating by fluid energy for tumbling mills B02C17/186; feeding devices B02C23/02
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 27/00 Processes involving the simultaneous production of more than one class of oxygen-containing compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 27/04 by reduction of oxygen-containing compounds C07C29/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 27/24 with moving catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: C08B 1/00 Preparatory treatment of cellulose for making derivatives thereof , e.g. pre-treatment, pre-soaking, activation
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 1/02 essentially based on components consisting of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen only
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 2200/0469 Renewables or materials of biological origin
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 2290/26 Composting, fermenting or anaerobic digestion fuel components or materials from which fuels are prepared
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 45/00 Means for pre-treatment of biological substances
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 19/00 : Preparation of compounds containing saccharide radicals ketoaldonic acids C12P7/58
• 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 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: C13K 1/02 : obtained by saccharification of cellulosic materials manufacture of fodder A23K10/32
• CPC Class Codes: D21B 1/02 : Pretreatment of the raw materials by chemical or physical means removal of bark B27L
• CPC Class Codes: D21B 1/063 : using grinding devices
• CPC Class Codes: D21B 1/10 : by cutting actions
• CPC Class Codes: G21K 5/00 : Irradiation devices discharge tubes for irradiating H01J37/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3002 : Details
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 50/10 : Biofuels, e.g. bio-diesel

Abstract

Biomass (e.g., plant biomass, animal biomass, and municipal waste biomass) is processed to produce useful products, such as fuels. For example, systems can use feedstock materials, such as cellulosic and/or lignocellulosic materials and/or starchy or sugary materials, to produce ethanol and/or butanol, e.g., by fermentation.

Claims

1. A method of processing biomass, the method comprising:

irradiating a cellulosic or lignocellulosic material with electron beam radiation while actively cooling the material.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the cellulosic or lignocellulosic material is irradiated with a total dose of radiation of at least 10 Mrad.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the material is selected from the group consisting of wood, particle board, sawdust, agricultural waste, sewage, silage, grasses, rice hulls, bagasse, cotton, jute, hemp, flax, bamboo, sisal, abaca, straw, corn cobs, corn stover, switchgrass, alfalfa, hay, coconut hair, seaweed, algae, and mixtures thereof.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising, after irradiating and cooling, contacting the material with a microorganism and/or an enzyme.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein contacting comprises saccharifying the material to produce one or more sugars.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the one or more sugars comprise xylose.

7. The method of claim 5 further comprising fermenting the one or more sugars to produce a product.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein irradiating is performed at a dose rate of 1 Mrad/s to 10 Mrad/s.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein irradiating comprises applying radiation to the lignocellulosic material with more than one electron beam device.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the electron beam delivers electrons having an energy of 0.3 MeV to 2.0 MeV.

11. A method of processing biomass, the method comprising:

irradiating a biomass feedstock with an electron beam as the biomass feedstock falls under the influence of gravity.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the biomass feedstock comprises a cellulosic or lignocellulosic material.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the fluid comprises a gas.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the gas is nitrogen or air.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the gas is saturated with a swelling agent and/or water vapor.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein the biomass is conveyed from a first belt at a first height above the ground and then captured by a second belt at a second level above the ground lower than the first level.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the trailing edge of the first belt and the leading edge of the second belt define a gap.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the ionizing radiation is applied at the gap.

19. The method of claim 11 wherein the electron beam delivers electrons having an energy of 0.7 MeV to 1.25 MeV.