Patent application number | Description | Published |
20110183379 | FLOW PROCESS FOR PRETREATMENT OF LIGNOCELLULOSIC BIOMASS - Described are methods for pretreating lignocellulosic biomass that comprise thermally conditioning the biomass by flow processing an aqueous slurry of the biomass through an outer passage(s) of one or more heat exchange devices while circulating a heat exchange fluid through an inner passage(s) of the heat exchange device(s). Also described are methods for producing fermentation products, especially ethanol, from the pretreated biomass. | 07-28-2011 |
20110212499 | LOCALLY-REGULATED PRESSURIZED PRETREATMENT OF LIGNOCELLULOSIC BIOMASS - Described are methods for pretreating lignocellulosic biomass that comprise passing a hot aqueous biomass slurry through a heat exchange passage from an inlet to an outlet and locally regulating pressure in the passage by feed of a pressurized liquid medium to one or more intermediate locations of the passage. Also described are methods for producing ethanol from the pretreated biomass. | 09-01-2011 |
20120315683 | ETHANOL PRODUCTION FROM LIGNOCELLULOSIC BIOMASS WITH RECOVERY OF COMBUSTIBLE FUEL MATERIALS - Described are processes for producing a product, such as ethanol, from lignocellulosic biomass, and producing a burnable fuel material from byproducts. The burnable fuel material can be burned on site to produce energy to feed back into the production process. | 12-13-2012 |
20120322121 | PROCESS FOR PREPARING ENRICHED GLUCAN BIOMASS MATERIALS - The disclosure describes a process for the conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to ethanol utilizing a dicarboxylic acid such as maleic acid as an enzyme mimic to hydrolyze the hemicellulose and cellulose of the biomass. Controlling the condition of the maleic acid hydrolysis can selectively hydrolyze the hemicellulose giving as a result a liquid portion rich in xylose and a solid portion rich in glucan. The glucan can be further hydrolyzed to produce a glucose containing material. The sugar materials can be fermented to produce ethanol which is recovered. The dicarboxylic acid is then recovered from the residue left after the ethanol is removed from the fermentation material, and the recovered dicarboxylic acid is recycled to the beginning of the process to treat additional lignocellulosic biomass. | 12-20-2012 |
20130330782 | LIQUEFACTION BIOMASS PROCESSING WITH HEAT RECOVERY - Described are processes that include the non-enzymatic, hydrolytic liquefaction of lignocellulosic biomass to form digest slurries and heat recovery from such digest slurries. Due to enhanced flow properties of the digest slurries such heat recovery can be efficiently conducted in spiral, plate and frame or other heat exchanger designs, with the recovered heat going to unit operations of the process such as heating incoming pretreatment media for the liquefaction. Processes can also involve additional hydrolytic digestion of some or all of the initial slurry components with enzyme and/or additional heat recovery from the initial slurry by direct contact heat exchange in which a portion of the digest slurry liquids is flashed to vapor and that vapor is condensed onto incoming lignocellulosic biomass to the process. Processes as described can be integrated into ethanol manufacture by fermentation of sugars from the digested compositions. | 12-12-2013 |
20130330788 | BIOMASS LIQUEFACTION PROCESSES, AND USES OF SAME - Described are processes for the liquefaction of lignocellulosic biomass under the digestive action of dicarboxylic acid(s). Such digests can exhibit enhanced flowability, reduced volume, and significant biomass conversion to dissolved components, and can in some embodiments be further liquefied by contact with an enzyme. Products resultant of these steps can be used for their sugar content to manufacture biofuels or other products. | 12-12-2013 |
20140141480 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS USEFUL FOR DRYING ETHANOL - Mixtures of ethanol and water are dehydrated using starch pearls to adsorb and remove water. Vapor-phase adsorption equilibrium capacities of cassava starch pellets (tapioca pearls) having different particle sizes are disclosed, and tapioca pearl particles are shown to be surprisingly more effective for dehydrating 88 to 97% w/w feed ethanol than corn grits. The adsorption equilibrium curve and BET surface area measurement show that the adsorption capacity of tapioca pearls is a function of surface area available to water molecules. SEM images demonstrate that the particle architecture required for the adsorption and dehydration properties is that of a core-shell configuration with pre-gel starch acting as a central scaffold holding together other particles to the outer layer of the particle. The outer surface area of the pearls, populated with dry starch granules, is the main factor determining the adsorption capacity of the pearls. Tapioca pearls are shown to possess a surprisingly higher adsorption capacity than corn grits of the same particle size. Pearls of 2 mm size in diameter gave 34% higher linear adsorption equilibrium constant (K) than grits of 1.7 mm. | 05-22-2014 |
20150024471 | ENZYME CATALYZED DISASSEMBLY OF CORN KERNELS - Whole corn kernels or particles thereof are enzymatically disassembled. The method can produce a solid starch fraction, a solid pericarp fraction, and a liquid fraction. A high purity starch solids product can be provided suitable for use as a feedstock in other chemical processes. | 01-22-2015 |