Method for processing vegetable biomass

• US 9,976,195 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2010
• Issued: 05/22/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CTC - Centro de Tecnologia Canavieira S.A.
• Original Assignee: CTC - Centro de Tecnologia Canavieira S.A.
• Inventors: Baudel, Henrique Macedo, Tome, Jose Augusto Travassos Rios, Pegoretti, Dionisio Fabiano, Filho, Dionisio Morelli, Neto, Oswaldo Godoy, Fingerut, Jaime, Galvao, Celia Maria Araujo, Andrade, Liliane Pires
• Primary Examiner(s): CALL, DOUGLAS BRYANT
• Application Number:
  US13/512,615
• Publication Number:
  US 20140053827A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,730 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A23K 10/12 by fermentation of natural products, e.g. of vegetable material, animal waste material or biomass
• CPC Class Codes: A23K 10/37 from waste material from hydrolysates of wood or straw A23K10/32; from molasses A23K10/33
• CPC Class Codes: C08H 8/00 Macromolecular compounds derived from lignocellulosic materials pretreatment thereof B27N
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2300/1014 of vegetal origin
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 1/023 for spark ignition
• 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: C13B 10/02 Expressing juice from sugar cane or similar material, e.g. sorghum saccharatum
• CPC Class Codes: C13B 35/00 Extraction of sucrose from molasses
• CPC Class Codes: C13B 5/04 Shredding sugar cane
• CPC Class Codes: C13K 1/02 obtained by saccharification of cellulosic materials manufacture of fodder A23K10/32
• CPC Class Codes: C13K 13/002 Xylose
• CPC Class Codes: C13K 13/007 Separation of sugars provided for in subclass C13K C13K3/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 50/10 Biofuels, e.g. bio-diesel
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 30/20 using bio-feedstock
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 60/87 Re-use of by-products of food processing for fodder production

Abstract

The present invention relates to an energy-efficient process for the treatment of plant biomass, particularly sugar cane, for the production of carbohydrates and ethanol, using physico-chemical and extraction techniques, as well as very simple milling configurations, thereby minimizing energy consumption during extraction of the cane juice.

The biomass treated and obtained through this process, when subjected to a fermentation process for the production of ethanol, increases the yield of the process in comparison with that of traditional sugar cane. It can also be used for the production of enzymes, animal feedstuffs, and other useful products.

Claims

1. A process for the treatment of sugar cane biomass, consisting of the stages of:

a) defibrating the sugar cane biomass;

b) milling the defibrated sugar cane biomass, the milling stage characterized by at most 3 three-roller milling combinations, resulting in a saccharose content primary juice, and a bagasse containing a residual amount of saccharose and a fibrous fraction;

c) separating the saccharose content primary juice of stage b) from the bagasse of stage b); and

then

d) submitting the bagasse obtained in stage c) to a one-step physico-chemical treatment with addition of at least one chemical agent at conditions with severity level (S) within the range from 3.70 to 4.50

wherein the at least one chemical agent added is selected from the group consisting of ammonia, ammonium hydroxide, water steam, water, and combinations thereof.

2. The process according to claim 1, wherein the defibrating stage includes the placement of the sugar cane biomass in a piece of equipment selected from the group consisting of a blade mill and a knife mill.

3. The process according to claim 1, wherein the milling stage includes the use of 2 three roller milling combinations.

4. The process according to claim 1, wherein stage d) is a non-catalytic or auto-catalytic process.

5. The process according to claim 1, wherein the one-step physico-chemical treatment is an AFEX alkaline catalytic treatment.

6. The process according to claim 1, wherein the one-step physico-chemical treatment is an AHFEX alkaline catalytic treatment.

7. The process according to claim 4, wherein the one-step physico-chemical treatment is a STEX treatment.

8. The process according to claim 4, wherein the one-step physico-chemical treatment is a WEX treatment.

9. An integrated process for the production of cellulosic ethanol from a sugar cane biomass, consisting of the stages of:

a) defibrating a sugar cane biomass;

b) milling the defibrated sugar cane biomass, the milling stage characterized by at most 3 three-roller milling combinations, resulting in a saccharose content primary juice and a bagasse containing a residual amount of saccharose and a fibrous fraction;

c) submitting the bagasse obtained in stage b) to a one-step physico-chemical treatment with addition of at least one chemical agent at conditions with severity level (S) is within the range from 3.70 to 4.50;

d) hydrolyzing the treated sugar cane bagasse obtained from stage c) with an enzyme, such that a cellulosic hydrolysate is produced; and

e) fermenting the the cellulosic hydrolysate from stage d), such that a cellulosic ethanol is produced;

wherein the at least one chemical agent added at stage c) is selected from the group consisting of ammonia, ammonium hydroxide, water steam, water, and combinations thereof, and

wherein stages d) and e) are sequential or concurrent stages.