75results about "Fractionation/concentration of spent liquors" patented technology

The present invention relates to methods of processing lignocellulosic material to obtain hemicellulose sugars, cellulose sugars, lignin, cellulose and other high-value products. Also provided are hemicellulose sugars, cellulose sugars, lignin, cellulose, and other high-value products.

The method is for separation of lignin from original black liquor (BLIN) that has a first precipitation stage (PR) for precipitation of lignin by a first acidification using acidifier AC1, preferably using CO2, at alkaline conditions, then separating a lignin cake with subsequent suspension of the lignin cake in a strong acid in order to leach our metals from the lignin followed by dewatering and obtaining a clean lignin product LP. The process further is improved by intensified hydrolysis of lignin cake such that most of the carbohydrates are broken down to dissolvable monomers that could be separated from the lignin in the filtrate from a filtering stage subsequent to the hydrolysis. The improved hydrolysis could reduce as much as 90% of the carbohydrate content using a moderately increased temperature and increased charge of acidifier while avoiding any larger lignin yield losses.

The present invention relates to producing chemicals and biofuels from wood material, e.g. mixed forest biomass. Specifically, the invention concerns a process for conditioning spent liquor produced by SO2-ethanol-water (SEW) fractionation of wood chips for fermentation to butanol, ethanol and acetone / isopropanol (so called ABE process) by Clostridia bacteria.

In a digester, wood chips and white liquor are combined and cooked under pressure to pulp the wood. This produces black liquor which is concentrated and burned in a recovery boiler. The recovery boiler produces ash that contains sodium, sulphur, potassium and chloride. The ash is dissolved and subjected to a process that recovers sodium sulfate and burkeite. The concentration of potassium and chloride is reduced, in part at least, by subjecting the ash to adiabatic cooling in a crystallizer which produces glaserite and a purge stream rich in chloride. By leaching the glaserite, sodium sulfate is removed from the glaserite, leaving potassium sulfate. The recovered sodium sulfate and burkeite can be recycled and used as pulping chemicals. The removed potassium and chloride can be further treated or appropriately discarded.

Lignin and alkali are efficiently sorted out of alkaline black liquor discharged from the paper manufacturing / pulp and paper manufacturing industries and the treated water is made as purified water.Acid is added to the black liquor and its pH is adjusted to 2.5 to 3.5. An aggregating agent is added to have lignin contained in the black liquor settled and the black liquor is separated into lignin and clean water. Ozone gas, preferably in the micro bubble state, is given to the clean water for contact reaction.

Separation of a product of digestion of cellulosic biomass solids may be challenging due to the various components contained therein. Methods and systems for processing cellulosic biomass, particularly a reaction product of a hydrothermal reaction containing lignin-derived products, such as phenolics, comprise providing the reaction product to a separation zone comprising a liquid-liquid phase separation unit. The liquid- liquid phase separation unit can provide an aqueous portion and a non-aqueous portion, where these portions can be separated into various fractions individually. For example, desirable compounds in the aqueous portion and non-aqueous portion can be recovered from the portions individually and optionally combined to be further processed into a fuels product. Heavier components in the aqueous portion and non-aqueous portion can be recovered from the portions individually and used in the process, such as phenolics that can be used as a digestion solvent.

The present invention relates to a process for purifying, such as salt / ion depletion, and / or ash reduction,and / or sulphur removal, and / or free sugar depletion,and / or VOC depletion or fractionating,preferably by using dewatering, of a slurry comprising a lignin or lignin derivative or a combination thereof. A lignin or lignin derivative obtainable from said process and uses thereof are also disclosed.