Patent application number | Description | Published |
20130295628 | PROCESSES FOR PRODUCING ENERGY-DENSE BIOMASS AND SUGARS OR SUGAR DERIVATIVES, BY INTEGRATED HYDROLYSIS AND TORREFACTION - This invention provides processes to convert biomass into energy-dense biomass for combustion, alone or in combination with another solid fuel. In some variations, biomass is extracted to produce an extract liquor containing hemicellulosic oligomers and cellulose-rich solids; hemicellulosic oligomers are removed; and the cellulose-rich solids are torrefied to produce energy-dense biomass. In some embodiments, hydrotorrefaction is employed to produce hydrophobic, energy-dense biomass in an energy-efficient process that avoids intermediate drying between extraction/hydrolysis and torrefaction. The energy-dense biomass may be pelletized or directly combusted or gasified. The hemicellulosic oligomers may be hydrolyzed to fermentable sugars and then fermented to ethanol or other products, or further reacted to produce furfural or other products. | 11-07-2013 |
20140154756 | PROCESSES AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING NANOCELLULOSE, AND COMPOSITIONS AND PRODUCTS PRODUCED THEREFROM - Processes disclosed are capable of converting biomass into high-crystallinity nanocellulose with surprisingly low mechanical energy input. In some variations, the process includes fractionating biomass with an acid (such as sulfur dioxide), a solvent (such as ethanol), and water, to generate cellulose-rich solids and a liquid containing hemicellulose and lignin; and mechanically treating the cellulose-rich solids to form nanofibrils and/or nanocrystals. The total mechanical energy may be less than 500 kilowatt-hours per ton. The crystallinity of the nanocellulose material may be 80% or higher, translating into good reinforcing properties for composites. The nanocellulose material may include nanofibrillated cellulose, nanocrystalline cellulose, or both. In some embodiments, the nanocellulose material is hydrophobic via deposition of some lignin onto the cellulose surface. Optionally, sugars derived from amorphous cellulose and hemicellulose may be separately fermented, such as to monomers for various polymers. These polymers may be combined with the nanocellulose to form completely renewable composites. | 06-05-2014 |
20140154757 | PROCESSES AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING NANOCELLULOSE, AND COMPOSITIONS AND PRODUCTS PRODUCED THEREFROM - Processes disclosed are capable of converting biomass into high-crystallinity nanocellulose with surprisingly low mechanical energy input. In some variations, the process includes fractionating biomass with an acid (such as sulfur dioxide), a solvent (such as ethanol), and water, to generate cellulose-rich solids and a liquid containing hemicellulose and lignin; and mechanically treating the cellulose-rich solids to form nanofibrils and/or nanocrystals. The total mechanical energy may be less than 500 kilowatt-hours per ton. The crystallinity of the nanocellulose material may be 80% or higher, translating into good reinforcing properties for composites. The nanocellulose material may include nanofibrillated cellulose, nanocrystalline cellulose, or both. In some embodiments, the nanocellulose material is hydrophobic via deposition of some lignin onto the cellulose surface. Optionally, sugars derived from amorphous cellulose and hemicellulose may be separately fermented, such as to monomers for various polymers. These polymers may be combined with the nanocellulose to form completely renewable composites. | 06-05-2014 |
20140155301 | PROCESSES AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING NANOCELLULOSE, AND COMPOSITIONS AND PRODUCTS PRODUCED THEREFROM - Processes disclosed are capable of converting biomass into high-crystallinity nanocellulose with surprisingly low mechanical energy input. In some variations, the process includes fractionating biomass with an acid (such as sulfur dioxide), a solvent (such as ethanol), and water, to generate cellulose-rich solids and a liquid containing hemicellulose and lignin; and mechanically treating the cellulose-rich solids to form nanofibrils and/or nanocrystals. The total mechanical energy may be less than 500 kilowatt-hours per ton. The crystallinity of the nanocellulose material may be 80% or higher, translating into good reinforcing properties for composites. The nanocellulose material may include nanofibrillated cellulose, nanocrystalline cellulose, or both. In some embodiments, the nanocellulose material is hydrophobic via deposition of some lignin onto the cellulose surface. Optionally, sugars derived from amorphous cellulose and hemicellulose may be separately fermented, such as to monomers for various polymers. These polymers may be combined with the nanocellulose to form completely renewable composites. | 06-05-2014 |
20140182582 | PROCESSES FOR MAKING CELLULOSE WITH VERY LOW LIGNIN CONTENT FOR GLUCOSE, HIGH-PURITY CELLULOSE, OR CELLULOSE DERIVATIVES - In some variations, the invention provides a process for producing purified cellulose, comprising: providing a feedstock comprising lignocellulosic biomass; contacting the feedstock with sulfur dioxide, water, and a solvent for lignin, to produce intermediate solids and a liquid phase comprising hemicelluloses and lignin; mildly bleaching the intermediate solids to further delignify the intermediate solids, thereby generating cellulose-rich solids; and washing the cellulose-rich solids to generate purified cellulose with less than 2 weight percent lignin. The bleaching may employ bleaching agents including lignin-modifying enzymes. The bleaching and washing steps may be combined. It is also possible to carry out bleaching prior to, or simultaneously with, biomass fractionation in the digestor, which may help reduce downstream lignin precipitation. The purified cellulose may be utilized for making cellulose materials or cellulose derivatives, or for hydrolysis to produce glucose. | 07-03-2014 |
20140186898 | PROCESSES FOR FRACTIONATING WHOLE PLANTS TO PRODUCE FERMENTABLE SUGARS AND CO-PRODUCTS - The invention provides processes for producing fermentable sugars from whole biomass that includes cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, and non-lignocellulosic sugars. Some variations fractionate the whole feedstock in the presence of sulfur dioxide, a solvent for lignin, and water, to produce a liquor containing hemicellulose, cellulose-rich solids, lignin, and the non-lignocellulosic sugars. After removing the cellulose-rich solids from the liquor, the hemicellulose is hydrolyzed to hemicellulosic monomers; the cellulose-rich solids are hydrolyzed to glucose; and the hemicellulosic monomers, the glucose, and the non-lignocellulosic sugars are all recovered (separately or in combination) as fermentable sugars. The whole biomass feedstock may be selected from sugarcane, energy cane, corn, wheat, rice, sugar beets, energy beets, etc. Typical non-lignocellulosic sugars are sucrose or starch, which may be converted to monomer sugars during initial fractionation. The invention provides a convenient biorefining system, avoiding expensive logistics associated with separating agricultural residues at harvest or following transportation. | 07-03-2014 |
20140186903 | PROCESSES AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING FURFURAL, LEVULINIC ACID, AND OTHER SUGAR-DERIVED PRODUCTS FROM BIOMASS - In some variations, the invention provides a process for producing furfural, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, and/or levulinic acid from cellulosic biomass, comprising: fractionating the feedstock in the presence of a solvent for lignin, sulfur dioxide, and water, to produce a liquor containing hemicellulose, cellulose-rich solids, and lignin; hydrolyzing the hemicellulose contained in the liquor, to produce hemicellulosic monomers; dehydrating the hemicellulose to convert at least a portion of C | 07-03-2014 |
20140308720 | PROCESSES FOR PRODUCING LEVULINIC ACID FROM BIOMASS - This invention provides processes to convert biomass, including wood and agricultural residues, to levulinic acid and co-products. Some variations treat feedstock with steam and/or hot water to produce an extract liquor containing hemicellulosic oligomers, lignin, and cellulose-rich solids, wherein the hemicellulosic oligomers comprise C | 10-16-2014 |
20150079639 | PROCESSES AND APPARATUS FOR REFINING SUGARCANE TO PRODUCE SUGARS, BIOFUELS, AND/OR BIOCHEMICALS - Conventionally, sugarcane processing avoids leaving residual sucrose in the bagasse, since the bagasse will be burned and the value of the sucrose would be lost. However, when coupled with a Green Power+® process to extract hemicelluloses, sucrose may also be extracted and recovered from the bagasse. In some variations, a process includes mechanically treating a feedstock to generate a sucrose-rich stream and lignocellulosic material that intentionally retains a significant amount of the initial sucrose in the feedstock; extracting the lignocellulosic material with steam and/or hot water to produce cellulose-rich solids and an extract liquor containing hemicellulosic oligomers and sucrose; and then hydrolyzing the hemicellulosic oligomers into a hemicellulose sugar stream. Each of the sucrose-rich stream and the hemicellulose sugar stream (containing the starting residual sucrose) may be recovered or further processed (e.g., fermented to ethanol). Similar processes are possible with energy cane, sugar beets, and energy beets. | 03-19-2015 |