| Patent application number | Description | Published |
|---|
| 20090035826 | METHOD FOR THE PRODUCTION OF ALCOHOL FROM A PRETREATED LIGNOCELLULOSIC FEEDSTOCK - A process for the production of glucose from a pretreated lignocellulosic feedstock is provided. The method comprises enzymatically hydrolyzing the pretreated lignocellulosic feedstock with cellulase enzymes to produce a hydrolyzate slurry comprising glucose and unhydrolyzed cellulose and fermenting the hydrolyzate slurry in a fermentation reaction to produce a fermentation broth comprising alcohol. A process stream is obtained comprising unhydrolyzed cellulose, which is then subjected to a denaturing step, preferably comprising exposing the unhydrolyzed cellulose to elevated temperatures, thereby producing a heat-treated stream comprising the unhydrolyzed cellulose. The heat-treated stream comprising unhydrolyzed cellulose is then further hydrolyzed with cellulase enzymes to hydrolyze the cellulose to glucose. | 02-05-2009 |
| 20100221819 | UPFLOW HYDROLYSIS REACTOR SYSTEM FOR HYDROLYZING CELLULOSE - A process for the enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose to produce a hydrolysis product from a pre-treated cellulosic feedstock is provided. The process comprises introducing an aqueous slurry of the pre-treated cellulosic feedstock at the bottom of a hydrolysis reactor. Axial dispersion in the reactor is limited by avoiding mixing and maintaining an average slurry flow velocity of about 0.1 to about 20 feet per hour, such that the undissolved solids flow upward at a rate slower than that of the liquid. Cellulase enzymes are added to the aqueous slurry before or during the step of introducing. An aqueous stream comprising hydrolysis product and unhydrolyzed solids is removed from the hydrolysis reactor. Also provided are enzyme compositions which comprise cellulase enzymes and flocculents for use in the process. In addition, a kit comprising cellulase enzymes and flocculent is provided. | 09-02-2010 |
| 20120209028 | RECOVERY OF VOLATILE CARBOXYLIC ACIDS BY A STRIPPER-EXTRACTOR SYSTEM - A process for recovering a volatile carboxylic acid from an aqueous stream comprising same, the process comprising the steps of: (i) steam stripping the carboxylic acid from the aqueous stream, which aqueous stream is produced by a conversion process using a lignocellulosic feedstock as a substrate, the steam stripping comprising contacting the aqueous stream with steam by flowing the aqueous stream and the steam countercurrent to one another, thereby producing a vapour stream comprising vapourized carboxylic acid and steam and a stripped aqueous stream; (ii) extracting the vapourized carboxylic acid with an organic solvent by contacting the vapour stream with the organic solvent to produce (a) a stream comprising the organic solvent and the carboxylic acid and (b) the steam at least substantially depleted of the carboxylic acid, wherein the organic solvent has an atmospheric boiling point of at least about 150° C. and is insoluble in water; (iii) returning the steam from step (ii) to the steam stripping step (step i) to further strip the carboxylic acid from the aqueous stream; and (iv) separating the carboxylic acid from the organic solvent. | 08-16-2012 |
| Patent application number | Description | Published |
|---|
| 20080293114 | Method of Continuous Processing of Lignocellulosic Feedstock - A continuous process for treating a lignocellulosic feedstock is provided. This method comprises pretreating the lignocellulosic feedstock under pressure in a pretreatment reactor at a pH between about 0.4 and about 2.0. One or more than one soluble base is added to this pressurized, pretreated feedstock after it exits the pretreatment reactor to adjust the pretreated lignocellulosic feedstock to an intermediate pH of between about pH 2.5 to about pH 3.5. This pressurized, partially-neutralized feedstock is then further processed at the intermediate pH. This may include flashing one or more than one time at the intermediate pH. The pH of the pressurized, partially-neutralized feedstock may then be adjusted with one or more than one base to produce a neutralized feedstock having a pH between about 4 and about 6. Prior to adjusting the pH to between about 2.5 and about 3.5, the pressurized, pretreated feedstock may be partially depressurized. | 11-27-2008 |
| 20090023187 | Method of obtaining a product sugar stream from cellulosic biomass - A process for obtaining a product sugar stream from cellulosic biomass is disclosed. In one process, the cellulosic biomass is pretreated at a pH between about 0.4 to 2.0 by adding one or more than one acid to produce a pretreated cellulosic biomass comprising acetic acid. One or more than one base is then added to the pretreated cellulosic biomass to adjust the pretreated cellulosic biomass to a pH of about 4.0 to about 6.0 to produce a neutralized cellulosic biomass comprising inorganic salt and acetate salt. The neutralized biomass is then hydrolyzed by cellulase enzymes to produce a crude sugar stream. Insoluble residue is separated from the crude sugar stream and the resulting clarified sugar stream is treated using ion exclusion chromatography at about pH 5.0 to about 10.0 to produce one or more raffinate streams and a product stream. The raffinate stream comprises inorganic salts and acetate salts, and the product stream comprises sugar. The product stream may then be fermented or otherwise further processed. In an alternate process, a product sugar stream is obtained from a crude sugar stream that is produced from conversion of cellulosic biomass to sugar. The cellulosic biomass may be produced using any suitable method. In this process the crude sugar stream is treated using ion exclusion chromatography at about pH 5.0 to about 10.0 to produce one or more than one raffinate stream comprising sulfate and acetate salts, and a product stream comprising sugar, and the product sugar stream is obtained. | 01-22-2009 |
| 20090056707 | PROCESS OF REMOVING CALCIUM AND OBTAINING SULFATE SALTS FROM AN AQUEOUS SUGAR SOLUTION - The present invention provides a process for obtaining a product stream comprising one or more sulfate salts of potassium, sodium or ammonium from a sugar stream resulting from [processing a lignocellulosic feedstock, said sugar stream which includes calcium sulfate and one or more of these sulfate salts. The process comprises (i) treating the sugar stream to remove calcium, thereby producing a sugar stream containing substantially no calcium, and obtaining a salt stream comprising a calcium salt;(ii) choosing a feed stream that is either (a) a clarified salt stream derived from the salt stream of step (i) after removal of calcium therefrom; or (b) the sugar stream containing substantially no calcium that is produced in step (i); (iii) introducing the feed stream chosen in step (ii) to an ion exchange bed; and (iv) regenerating the ion exchange resin bed of step (iii) with sulfuric acid to produce the product stream. | 03-05-2009 |
| 20090107643 | Method For Mechanical Pulp Production - A method of producing hardwood pulp is provided. This method comprises treating hardwood chips with one or more than one Family 11 xylanase enzyme in the absence of adding an oxidizing enzyme for about 5 minutes to about 120 minutes, to produce a treated chip mixture. The treated chip mixture is then mechanically refined to produce the hardwood pulp. | 04-30-2009 |
| 20100003733 | RECOVERY OF INORGANIC SALT DURING PROCESSING OF LIGNOCELLULOSIC FEEDSTOCKS - A method for recovering inorganic salt during processing of a lignocellulosic feedstock is provided. The method comprises pretreating the lignocellulosic feedstock by adding an acid to the feedstock to produce a pretreated lignocellulosic feedstock. A soluble base is then added to the pretreated lignocellulosic feedstock to adjust the pH and produce a neutralized feedstock. The neutralized feedstock is then enzymatically hydrolyzed to produce an enzyme hydrolyzed feedstock and a sugar stream. Inorganic salt is recovered from either a stream obtained from the lignocellulosic feedstock prior to the step of pretreating, a stream obtained from the pretreated lignocellulosic feedstock, a stream obtained from the neutralized feedstock, a stream obtained from the sugar stream, or a combination of these streams. The inorganic salt may be concentrated, clarified, recovered and purified by crystallization, electrodialysis drying, or agglomeration and granulation, and then used as desired, for example as a fertilizer. | 01-07-2010 |
| 20100184151 | METHOD FOR THE PRODUCTION OF GLUCOSE FROM LIGNOCELLULOSIC FEEDSTOCKS - A method for producing glucose from a lignocellulosic feedstock is provided. The method comprises pretreating the lignocellulosic feedstock with acid to produce a pretreated feedstock composition. A calcium-containing stream is provided that comprises calcium that is obtained from the lignocellulosic feedstock and a calcium carbonate-containing stream is obtained by precipitation of the calcium from the calcium-containing stream. The pH of the pretreated feedstock is adjusted with (a) the calcium carbonate-containing stream; (b) a calcium hydroxide-containing stream that is derived from said calcium carbonate-containing stream by subjecting said calcium carbonate-containing stream to calcination; or (c) a combination of the calcium carbonate-containing stream and the calcium hydroxide-containing stream. The pH adjustment results in a neutralized pretreated lignocellulosic feedstock having a pH between about 3 and about 9 and enzymatic hydrolysis of the neutralized, pretreated lignocellulosic feedstock is then conducted with cellulase enzymes to produce the glucose. | 07-22-2010 |
| 20120215026 | RECOVERY OF VOLATILE CARBOXYLIC ACIDS BY EXTRACTIVE EVAPORATION - A process for recovering a volatile carboxylic acid from an aqueous stream containing same comprising the steps of: (a) evaporating the aqueous stream to produce a vapour stream comprising the volatile carboxylic acid that has been vapourized and water vapour, which aqueous stream is produced by a conversion process using a lignocellulosic feedstock as a substrate; (b) contacting the vapour stream with an organic solvent so as to extract the volatile carboxylic acid present in the vapour stream, thereby producing a liquid stream comprising the organic solvent and the volatile carboxylic acid, and a water vapour stream, wherein the organic solvent has an atmospheric boiling point of at least about 150° C. and is insoluble in water; and (c) separating the volatile carboxylic acid from the organic solvent. | 08-23-2012 |
| 20120329096 | RECOVERY OF INORGANIC SALT DURING PROCESSING OF LIGNOCELLULOSIC FEEDSTOCKS - A method for recovering inorganic salt during processing of a lignocellulosic feedstock is provided. The method comprises pretreating the lignocellulosic feedstock by adding an acid to the feedstock to produce a pretreated lignocellulosic feedstock. A soluble base is then added to the pretreated lignocellulosic feedstock to adjust the pH and produce a neutralized feedstock. The neutralized feedstock is then enzymatically hydrolyzed to produce an enzyme hydrolyzed feedstock and a sugar stream. Inorganic salt is recovered from either a stream obtained from the lignocellulosic feedstock prior to the step of pretreating, a stream obtained from the pretreated lignocellulosic feedstock, a stream obtained from the neutralized feedstock, a stream obtained from the sugar stream, or a combination of these streams. The inorganic salt may be concentrated, clarified, recovered and purified by crystallization, electrodialysis drying, or agglomeration and granulation, and then used as desired, for example as a fertilizer. | 12-27-2012 |
| 20130011886 | METHOD FOR THE PRODUCTION OF A FERMENTATION PRODUCT FROM LIGNOCELLULOSIC FEEDSTOCKS - The present invention comprises pretreating a lignocellulosic feedstock with acid at a pH between about 2.0 and about 3.5 to produce a composition comprising an acid pretreated feedstock. The acid pretreated feedstock is then enzymatically hydrolyzed with cellulases and β-glucosidase. The glucose is fermented by microorganisms to produce a fermentation broth comprising the fermentation product, followed by recovery of the fermentation product. The steps of enzymatically hydrolyzing and fermenting are conducted at a pH below about 4.0. | 01-10-2013 |
| 20130143278 | RECYCLE OF LEACHATE DURING LIGNOCELLULOSIC CONVERSION PROCESSES - The present invention provides a process for producing fermentable sugar or a fermentation product from a lignocellulosic feedstock. The process comprises leaching the lignocellulosic feedstock with an aqueous solution to remove at least potassium salts from the lignocellulosic feedstock and without significantly hydrolyzing hemicellulose and cellulose, thereby producing a leached feedstock and leachate. The leachate is removed from the leachate and concentrated. The leached feedstock is hydrolyzed to produce fermentable sugar, which may be fermented to produce a fermentation broth comprising the fermentation product. The concentrated leachate is recirculated to one or more stages in the process involving alkali addition to adjust the pH of a process stream. | 06-06-2013 |
| 20130143285 | METHOD FOR DILUTE ACID PRETREATMENT OF LIGNOCELLULOSIC FEEDSTOCKS - The present invention relates to a process for the conversion of a lignocellulosic feedstock involving acid pretreatment. The process comprises the steps of treating the lignocellulosic feedstock with alkali at a pH of between about 8.0 and about 12.0 so as to dissolve acetyl groups present on said lignocellulosic feedstock, while converting less than about 10% of the xylan present in the lignocellulosic feedstock to xylose and less than about 10% of the cellulose to glucose, thereby producing an alkali conditioned feedstock. The alkali conditioned feedstock is then pretreated at a temperature of about 160° C. to about 250° C., at a pH of about 0.5 to about 2.5 for about 0.5 to about 10 minutes so as to hydrolyze about 80 to 100% of the xylan and about 3 to about 15% of the cellulose to produce an acid pretreated feedstock comprising cellulose. The cellulose in the pretreated feedstock can be hydrolyzed to glucose with cellulase and the glucose can be fermented to produce a fermentation product. | 06-06-2013 |
| 20140134678 | METHOD OF HYDROLYZING CELLULOSE SLURRY USING CELLULASE AND FLOCCULENT (AS AMENDED) - A process for the enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose to produce a hydrolysis product from a pre-treated cellulosic feedstock is provided. The process comprises introducing an aqueous slurry of the pre-treated cellulosic feedstock at the bottom of a hydrolysis reactor. Axial dispersion in the reactor is limited by avoiding mixing and maintaining an average slurry flow velocity of about 0.1 to about 20 feet per hour, such that the undissolved solids flow upward at a rate slower than that of the liquid. Cellulase enzymes are added to the aqueous slurry before or during the step of introducing. An aqueous stream comprising hydrolysis product and unhydrolyzed solids is removed from the hydrolysis reactor. Also provided are enzyme compositions which comprise cellulase enzymes and flocculents for use in the process. In addition, a kit comprising cellulase enzymes and flocculent is provided. | 05-15-2014 |
