Process for recovering salt during a lignocellulosic conversion process

• US 9,102,951 B2
• Filed: 08/24/2012
• Issued: 08/11/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Iogen Energy Corporation (Iogen Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Iogen Energy Corporation (Iogen Corporation)
• Inventors: Griffin, Robert, Rahme, Ziyad, Foody, Brian, MacLean, Patricia Dawn
• Primary Examiner(s): DRODGE, JOSEPH W
• Application Number:
  US14/241,133
• Publication Number:
  US 20140248676A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,082 Days
• Field of Search: 443/07, 446/05, 71/11, 71/23, 71/26, 71/31, 159/47.1, 127/34, 127/36, 127/37, 127/46.1, 127/48, 127/53, 127/55, 127/58, 127/61, 203/39, 203/47, 210/632, 210/634, 210/702, 210/712, 210/770, 210/774, 210/806, 110/341, 110/346, 423/580.1, 423/158, 423/184, 423/499.5, 435/136, 435/161, 435/163, 435/165
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 3/002 by continuous methods
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 9/00 Crystallisation crystallisation directly from the vapour phase B01D7/02; making single crystals C30B ; crystallisation as part of the Bayer process also classified in C01F7/14
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/04 by distillation or evaporation
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/52 by flocculation or precipitation of suspended impurities C02F1/463 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 9/00 Multistage treatment of water, waste water or sewage
• CPC Class Codes: C05B 9/00 Fertilisers based essentially on phosphates or double phosphates of magnesium C05B11/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C05D 9/00 Other inorganic fertilisers
• CPC Class Codes: C05F 5/008 Waste from biochemical processing of material, e.g. fermentation, breweries
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 1/1988 epoxy resins and derivatives; natural resins, e.g. colophony
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 2200/0469 Renewables or materials of biological origin
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 2250/04 Additive or component is a polymer
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 2290/24 Mixing, stirring of fuel components
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 2290/26 Composting, fermenting or anaerobic digestion fuel components or materials from which fuels are prepared
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 2290/543 Distillation, fractionation or rectification for separating fractions, components or impurities during preparation or upgrading of a fuel
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 3/00 Preparation of elements or inorganic compounds except carbon dioxide recovery of carbon dioxides as by-products C12F3/02
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/10 substrate containing cellulosic material
• CPC Class Codes: C22B 26/22 Obtaining magnesium
• CPC Class Codes: D21C 11/0007 Recovery of by-products, i.e. compounds other than those necessary for pulping, for multiple uses or not otherwise provided for volatile compounds obtained by decomposition of spent liquors in order to regenerate them D21C11/125; compounds obtained by fractionating the liquors in order to regenerate them D21C11/0042
• CPC Class Codes: F22B 1/18 the heat carrier being a hot gas, e.g. waste gas such as exhaust gas of internal-combustion engines use of waste heat of combustion engines, in general, F02G
• CPC Class Codes: F23G 5/04 drying
• CPC Class Codes: F23G 7/10 : of field or garden waste or biomasses
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 40/20 : Fertilizers of biological origin, e.g. guano or fertilizers made from animal corpses
• 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: Y02W 30/40 : Bio-organic fraction processing; Production of fertilisers from the organic fraction of waste or refuse

Abstract

The present invention relates to a process for generating steam and recovering salts during a lignocellulosic conversion process. The process comprises de-salting a still bottoms stream; incinerating a stream comprising lignin and the de-salted still bottoms stream in an incinerator; and utilizing the heat generated from said incinerating to produce steam. Further provided is a process that comprises feeding a concentrated still bottoms stream to a crystallizer and forming insoluble solids therein comprising salts. Furthermore, the invention relates to a process for recovering salts from a lignocellulosic conversion process, which process comprises the addition of solvent to a still bottoms stream to precipitate salts therefrom. Also provided is a still bottoms composition, a fertilizer product and a composition for incineration.

Claims

1. A process for generating steam and recovering salts during a lignocellulosic conversion process, said process comprising the steps of:

obtaining a liquid-containing stream comprising lignin and a separate liquid still bottoms stream generated during the lignocellulosic conversion process;

(ii) removing at least a portion of the water from the still bottoms stream to produce a liquid-containing concentrated still bottoms stream;

(iii) removing at least a portion of the salts from the liquid concentrated still bottoms stream to produce a liquid-containing de-salted still bottoms stream;

(iv) introducing both the liquid-containing stream comprising lignin and the liquid-containing de-salted still bottoms stream to an incinerator and incinerating the same; and

(v) utilizing heat generated from said incinerating to produce steam.

2. The process of claim 1, wherein between about 10 and about 90% of the water is removed from the still bottoms stream to produce the concentrated still bottoms stream.

3. The process of claim 2, wherein between about 30 and about 90 wt % of the water is removed from the still bottoms stream to produce the concentrated still bottoms stream.

4. The process of claim 1, wherein the step of removing at least a portion of the salts from the concentrated still bottoms stream comprises precipitating salts from the concentrated still bottoms stream by addition of a solvent.

5. The process of claim 4, wherein the solvent is an alcohol.

6. The process of claim 5, wherein the alcohol is methanol, butanol, ethanol, propanol or isopropanol.

7. The process of claim 6, wherein the alcohol is methanol or ethanol.

8. The process of claim 6, wherein the alcohol is recovered and recycled.

9. The process of any claim 1, further comprising producing fertilizer from the salts removed from the concentrated still bottoms.

10. The process of claim 1, wherein said lignocellulosic conversion process comprises a step of enzymatic hydrolysis to produce glucose from cellulose and thereafter conducting a lignin separation process on a hydrolysate stream resulting from said enzymatic hydrolysis, thereby providing said stream comprising lignin.

11. The process of claim 10, wherein the lignin separation process utilizes a filter press.

12. The process of claim 1, wherein said lignocellulosic conversion process comprises a step of fermentation to produce a fermentation product and thereafter conducting a lignin separation process on a fermentation beer stream, thereby providing said stream comprising lignin.

13. The process of claim 12, wherein the fermentation produces ethanol.

14. The process of claim 12, wherein said lignocellulosic conversion process comprises a step of fermentation to produce a fermentation product and thereafter conducting a lignin separation process on a still bottoms stream thereby providing said stream comprising lignin.

15. The process of claim 14, wherein the fermentation produces ethanol.

16. The process of claim 1, wherein the incinerator is a boiler.

17. The process of claim 16, wherein the boiler comprises a bubbling fluidized bed.

18. The process of claim 1, wherein the step of removing water from the still bottoms comprises evaporation.