ÁCIDO ALCANOSULFÔNICO MODIFICADO E USOS DO MESMO

Abstract

AQUEOUS COMPOSITIONS AND METHODS FOR DELIGNIFICATION OF BIOMASS OR PLANT MATERIAL. A method for delignifying plant material, said method comprising: providing said plant material comprising cellulose fibers and lignin; exposing said plant material requiring a composition comprising: alkanesulfonic acid; and a peroxide, wherein said alkanesulfonic acid and the peroxide are present in a molar ratio ranging from 1:1 to 15:1 and the exposure time is sufficient to substantially remove all the lignin present in said plant material. Compositions capable of achieving delignification are also disclosed.

Description

1 / 21 Modified Alkanesulfonic Acid and its Uses FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[001] The present invention is directed to a method and composition useful in the decomposition of organic material, such as biomass, by oxidation, such as, but not limited to, delignification of wood substance, as a broad example, and more specifically, to a method and composition for performing it under milder conditions than those in which the kraft process is conducted. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[002] The first and most energy-intensive step in papermaking is cellulose production. Besides water, wood and other plant materials used to make pulp contain three main components: cellulose fibers; lignin; and hemicellulose. Pulping aims primarily to separate the fibers from the lignin. Lignin is a three-dimensional polymer that figuratively acts as a mortar to hold all the fibers together within the plant. Its presence in the finished pulp is undesirable and adds nothing to the finished product. Wood pulping refers to breaking down the bulk structure of the fiber source, whether chips, stems, or other plant parts, into constituent fibers. Cellulose fibers are the most desirable component involved in papermaking. Hemicellulose is a shorter branched carbohydrate polymer consisting of several sugar monomers that form a random amorphous polymeric structure.The presence of hemicellulose in finished pulp is not as critical to paper stiffness as cellulose is. This is also true for biomass conversion. The challenges are similar. Only the desired outcome is different. Biomass conversion would have further breakdown into monocarbohydrates as a desired result, while a pulp-and-paper process typically stops soon after. Petition 870220075381, dated 08 / 22 / 2022, page 62 / 114 2 / 21 the dissolution of lignin.

[003] There are two main approaches to preparing wood pulp or woody biomass: mechanical treatment and chemical treatment. Mechanical treatment or pulping generally consists of physically breaking up wood chips and thus breaking up the cellulose fibers in an effort to separate them from each other. The shortcomings of this approach include: broken or damaged cellulose fibers, thus shorter fibers; and lignin contamination or residue in the cellulose fibers, thus introducing or leaving behind impurities in the final product. This process also consumes large amounts of energy and is capital intensive due to the high pressure, corrosive chemicals, and heat required. There are several approaches or processes included in chemical pulping. These are generally focused on the degradation of lignin and hemicellulose into water-soluble molecules.These now-degraded components are separated from the cellulose fibers by washing them without damaging the cellulose fibers. The chemical process is also energy-intensive, as it typically requires high amounts of heat; and, in many cases, also necessitates agitation or mechanical intervention, adding inefficiencies and costs to the process.

[004] There are pulping methods that combine, to varying degrees, the chemical aspects of pulping with the mechanical aspects of pulping. To name a few, one should consider thermomechanical pulping (also commonly called TMP) and chemothermomechanical pulping (CTMP). By selecting the advantages provided by each general pulping method, treatments are designed to reduce the amount of energy required by the mechanical side of the pulping treatment. This can also directly impact the loss of strength of fibers subjected to these combined pulping approaches. Generally, these approaches involve Petition 870220075381, dated 08 / 22 / 2022, pp. 63 / 114 3 / 21 a shorter chemical treatment (compared to conventional chemical pulping) which is followed by a mechanical treatment to separate the fibers.

[005] The most common process for making pulp for paper production is the kraft process. In the kraft process, wood chips are converted into wood pulp, which is almost entirely pure cellulose fiber. The multi-stage kraft process consists of a first stage where the wood chips are impregnated with a chemical solution. This is done by wetting the wood chips and preheating them with steam. This swells the wood chips and expels the air present in them and replaces the air with liquid. Then, the chips are saturated with black liquor and white liquor. Black liquor is a byproduct of the kraft process. It contains water, lignin residues, hemicellulose, and inorganic chemicals. White liquor is a strong alkaline solution comprising sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfide. After being soaked in different solutions, the wood chips are cooked.To achieve delignification of the wood chips, cooking is carried out for several hours at temperatures reaching up to 176 °C. At these temperatures, the lignin degrades to yield water-soluble fragments. The remaining cellulosic fibers are collected and washed after the cooking stage.

[006] Caro's acid, also known as peroxymonosulfuric acid (H2SO5), is one of the strongest oxidizers known. There are several known reactions for the preparation of Caro's acid, but one of the most straightforward involves the reaction between sulfuric acid (H2SO4) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The preparation of Caro's acid in this method allows for a further yield of potassium monopersulfate (PMPS), which is a valuable bleaching and oxidizing agent. Although Caro's acid has several known useful applications, its use in the delignification of Petition 870220075381, dated 08 / 22 / 2022, pp. 64 / 114 4 / 21 wood.

[007] U.S. Patent No. 5,080,756 teaches an improved kraft pulping process characterized by the addition of a spent concentrated sulfuric acid composition containing organic matter to a kraft recovery system to provide a mixture enriched in its total sulfur content which is subjected to dehydration, pyrolysis and reduction in a recovery furnace. The organic matter in the sulfuric acid composition is particularly beneficial as a source of thermal energy which allows high heat levels to be easily maintained to facilitate the oxidation and reduction reactions that take place in the furnace, thus resulting in the formation of sulfide used for the preparation of cooking liquor suitable for pulping.

[008] Rackemann et al. in “The effect of pretreatment on Methanesulfonic acid-catalyzed hydrolysis of bagasse to levulinic acid, formic acid and furfural” (2018) reveals the use of methanesulfonic acid in bagasse pretreated with an alkaline solution.

[009] U.S. Patent Application No. 2016 / 0074549 discloses activated hydrogen peroxide disinfectant compositions for low-foaming applications. A concentrate is provided for dilution by an end user, which includes a hydrogen peroxide source, a non-surfactant organic sulfonic acid or a salt thereof, a nonionic surfactant, and an optional organic acid. A ready-to-use hydrogen peroxide disinfectant solution is also provided, including a biocidal amount of hydrogen peroxide, a non-surfactant organic sulfonic acid or a salt thereof, a nonionic surfactant, water as a solvent, and an optional organic acid. An end user can disinfect a surface of microorganisms by bringing the surface into contact with the disinfectant composition for a period of time effective to kill most microbes located on it. Petition 870220075381, dated 08 / 22 / 2022, pp. 65 / 114 5 / 21 surface.

[010] Biofuel production is another potential application for the kraft process. One of the current disadvantages of biofuel production is that it requires the use of food-grade plant parts (such as seeds) in order to transform carbohydrates into fuel in a reasonably efficient process. Carbohydrates can be obtained from cellulosic fibers by using non-food-grade biomass in the kraft process; however, the energy-intensive nature of the kraft process for delignification makes this option less commercially viable. In order to build a plant-based chemical resource cycle, there is a great need for energy-efficient processes that can utilize plant-based inputs that do not compete with human food production.

[011] While the kraft pulping process is the most widely used chemical pulping process in the world, it is extremely energy intensive and has other disadvantages, for example, substantial odors emitted around the pulp production plants.

[012] In light of current environmental challenges and climate change caused by human-caused pollution, it is desirable to be able to perform the decomposition of organic material by mild oxidation. This would update pulping technology to provide good quality fibers without substantial harm to the environment during their production. Consequently, there is still a need for a composition capable of performing delignification in wood material under moderate temperature and pressure. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[013] According to one aspect of the present invention, an aqueous acidic composition is provided, said composition comprising: Petition 870220075381, dated 08 / 22 / 2022, pp. 66 / 114 6 / 21 - an alkylsulfonic acid; and - a peroxide; wherein the aforementioned alkylsulfonic acid and peroxide are present in a molar ratio ranging from 1:1 to 15:1.

[014] The inventors discovered that the delignification of organic material such as wood material (such as, but not limited to, wood chips or sawdust) can occur at substantially lower temperatures than those used during conventional kraft pulping. In fact, experiments conducted at room temperature with preferred compositions according to the present invention showed the degradation of lignin present in wood chips to produce high-quality cellulose fibers. According to a preferred embodiment of a method according to the present invention, a wood sample was treated at 30 °C after exposure to a composition according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the energy costs involved in pulp delignification can be substantially reduced by applying a method involving a preferred composition of the present invention.

[015] By reducing energy requirements and therefore capital costs in the pulping process, these teachings would make the pulping process less environmentally polluting, burning less fossil fuel or organic matter to generate the necessary heat required in the conventional pulping process. It would also retain many of the valuable constituents of biomass that are typically degraded or destroyed during the Kraft process, such as aromatic monomers. The technology disclosed in the present invention represents a substantial advance both in terms of environmental focus, but also as a method for generating chemical compounds used as building blocks. Petition 870220075381, dated 08 / 22 / 2022, page 67 / 114 7 / 21 or starting materials in various industrial chemical processes.

[016] According to one aspect of the present invention, an aqueous acidic composition is provided comprising: - an alkylsulfonic acid; and - a peroxide; where the acid is present in an amount ranging from 20-65% by weight of the total weight of the composition and where the peroxide is present in an amount ranging from 1-30% by weight of the total weight of the composition.

[017] According to another aspect of the present invention, an aqueous acidic composition is provided comprising: - an alkylsulfonic acid; and - a peroxide; wherein said alkylsulfonic acid and said peroxide are present in a molar ratio of not less than 1:1.

[018] Preferably, the composition further comprises a compound comprising an amine moiety.

[019] Preferably, said alkylsulfonic acid is selected from the group consisting of: alkylsulfonic acids in which the alkyl groups range from C1-C6 and are linear or branched; and combinations thereof. Preferably, said sulfonic acid is selected from the group consisting of: methanesulfonic acid; ethanesulfonic acid; propanesulfonic acid; 2-propanesulfonic acid; isobutylsulfonic acid; t-butylsulfonic acid; butanesulfonic acid; isopentylsulfonic acid; t-pentylsulfonic acid; pentanesulfonic acid; t-butylhexanesulfonic acid; and combinations thereof. More preferably, said alkylsulfonic acid is methanesulfonic acid.

[020] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, it is Petition 870220075381, dated 08 / 22 / 2022, pp. 68 / 114 8 / 21 provides an aqueous composition for use in the delignification of biomass / wood, wherein said composition comprises: - alkylsulfonic acid; and - a peroxide, in which said alkylsulfonic acid and peroxide are present in a molar ratio ranging from 1:1 to 15:1.

[021] Preferably, the peroxide is hydrogen peroxide.

[022] According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for delignifying biomass / plant material is provided, said method comprising: - to provide the aforementioned plant material comprising cellulose and lignin fibers; - to display the aforementioned plant material, requiring a composition comprising: - alkanesulfonic acid; and - a peroxide, wherein said alkanesulfonic acid and peroxide are present in a molar ratio ranging from 1:1 to 15:1 and the exposure time is sufficient to substantially remove all lignin present in said plant material. Preferably, the composition further comprises a compound comprising an amine moiety. Preferably, the compound comprising an amine moiety has a molecular weight below 300 g / mol. Also preferably, the compound comprising an amine moiety is a primary amine. More preferably, the compound comprising an amine moiety is an alkanolamine. Preferably, the compound comprising an amine moiety is a tertiary amine.

[023] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, Petition 870220075381, dated 08 / 22 / 2022, pp. 69 / 114 9 / 21 The alkanolamine is selected from the group consisting of: monoethanolamine; diethanolamine; triethanolamine; and combinations thereof. Preferably, the alkanolamine is triethanolamine.

[024] The inventors discovered that the delignification of wood material (such as, but not limited to, wood chips or other common biomass) can occur at substantially lower temperatures than those used during conventional kraft pulping. In fact, some experiments were conducted at average ambient temperatures in the range of 18 to 21 °C with the preferred compositions and, according to the present invention, showed to degrade the lignin present in wood chips to release cellulose fibers very efficiently. According to another preferred embodiment of a method according to the present invention, a wood sample was dissolved at 30 °C immediately after exposure to a composition according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to substantially reduce energy costs, capital costs involved, and greatly reduce the associated emissions currently emitted in pulp delignification by applying a method involving a preferred composition of the present invention.

[025] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a multi-step process is provided depending on the time and temperature and molar ratios of a preferred composition of the present invention, wherein separate dissolution steps achieve: 1. Delignification; 2. Dissolution of hemicellulose; and 3. Dissolution of crystalline cellulose. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[026] The invention can be more fully understood in Petition 870220075381, dated 08 / 22 / 2022, pp. 70 / 114 10 / 21 consideration of the following description of various embodiments of the invention in connection with the accompanying figures, in which: Figure 1 is an image of a wood chip in a composition according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention at t = 1 minute; Figure 2 is an image of a wood chip in a composition according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention at t = 60 minutes; Figure 3 is an image of a wood chip in a composition according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention at t = 1 day; and Figure 4 is an image of a wood chip in a composition according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention at t = 8 days. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED OPTIONS

[027] It will be appreciated that numerous specific details have provided a complete understanding of the exemplary embodiments described in the present invention. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described in the present invention can be practiced without these specific details. In other cases, well-known methods, procedures, and components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the embodiments described in the present invention. Furthermore, this description should not be considered as limiting the scope of the embodiments described in the present invention in any way, but rather as merely describing the implementation of the various embodiments described in the present invention.

[028] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, an acidic composition comprising an acid component is provided. Petition 870220075381, dated 08 / 22 / 2022, pp. 71 / 114 11 / 21 alkylsulfonic acid and a peroxide component. When this composition is placed in contact with biomass, such as wood chips, it delignifies the wood chips and leaves the cellulose and hemicellulose intact. Treatment as described above can be advantageous in the preparation of pulp from organic material. The separation of lignin material from cellulosic and hemicellulosic material allows for easier processing in the line to recover lignin monomers and other components. By lignin monomers, it is understood that these are chemical products that were part of the lignin structure before the material underwent acid hydrolysis.

[029] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a method is provided for processing organic material to obtain pulp and / or cellulosic material, wherein said method comprises the steps of: - to provide an organic material comprising cellulose and lignin; - To provide an acidic composition comprising an alkylsulfonic acid component and a peroxide component; - to place the aforementioned organic material in contact with the aforementioned composition for a period of time sufficient to substantially remove all lignin from the said organic material; and - optionally, by separating the lignin from the cellulose.

[030] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the remaining cellulose material can be further processed to finally obtain glucose monomers. Preferably, this processing step is performed using sulfuric acid or a modified acid comprising a sulfuric acid component.

[031] Preferably, the processing of delignified organic material comprises an intermediate step in which hemicellulose is separated from cellulose and subsequently removed from the remaining cellulose. A Petition 870220075381, dated 08 / 22 / 2022, pp. 72 / 114 The 12 / 21 hemicellulose now separated can be further processed to produce a variety of chemical compounds for future use. The remaining cellulose can be broken down by acid hydrolysis to produce glucose monomers. The glucose obtained can then be used as a starting block in a variety of industrial chemical processes.

[032] According to a preferred embodiment of the method according to the present invention, the recovered lignin does not require substantial processing to further separate it from hemicellulose and / or cellulose, as the method is quite selective. Preferably, carrying out the method under proper control greatly facilitates the processing of the lignin before its application in other fields. Lignin has a multitude of applications, such as: additives for oil and gas well drilling; agricultural chemicals; specialty polymers; as well as its most common use as a fuel source. In fact, the application of lignin and its derivatives in various industries is now a multi-billion dollar market, and improving the supply chain and reducing its processing requirements for future use would be highly advantageous.

[033] Experiments carried out using an acidic aqueous composition according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention have shown that wood chips can be delignified under controlled reaction conditions and eliminate or at least substantially minimize cellulose degradation. By degradation is meant cellulose darkening or carbonization (conversion to carbon black) which symbolizes an uncontrolled acid attack on the cellulose and its discoloration. Experiment #1

[034] A preferred embodiment of the composition according to the present invention was tested to determine its ability to delignify a Petition 870220075381, dated 08 / 22 / 2022, pp. 73 / 114 13 / 21 wood chip.

[035] The experiments were completed using approximately 0.2 g of wood and approximately 20 g of solution. The mixtures were stirred at 200 rpm at a temperature of 30 °C for one hour (Figures 1 and 2). Figures 3 and 4 show the wood chips in solution over time. The tested solution contained methanesulfonic acid and hydrogen peroxide at a concentration of 5.6 to 1. The titration of the resulting composition was done using permanganate and the results are tabulated in Table 1 below. Table 1 - Titration of the composition of Example 1 Time MSA-H2O2 (% H2O2 yield) After synthesis (mixing) 100 After 4 days 97.6 After 7 days 95.8

[036] The recorded pH value was -0.45 under ambient conditions (pH < 0). The molar ratio of MSA to peroxide was 5.6:1.

[037] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, methanesulfonic acid is the main component in terms of volume and weight percentage of the composition of the present invention. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the pH of the composition is less than 1. According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the pH of the composition is less than 0.5.

[038] Figures 3 and 4 show the delignification of a wood chip in the presence of an alkylsulfonic acid (methanesulfonic acid) and hydrogen peroxide for a period of up to 8 days at a temperature of approximately 22 °C. It is worth noting that at the end of the experiment (day 8) there are no signs of carbon black. This is an indication that there was no degradation of the cellulosic material into its most basic building block. Petition 870220075381, dated 08 / 22 / 2022, pp. 74 / 114 14 / 21

[039] The above experiment is a clear indication that the composition according to the present invention not only provides a suitable dissolving acid for delignifying plant material, but is also valuable for limiting the degradation of cellulosic material into carbon black residue, resulting in higher yields for plant operators and increased profitability, while reducing emissions and risks to employees, contractors and the public.

[040] A method for yielding glucose from wood pulp would represent a significant advance over the current process, where such conversion is chemically, energy and emissions intensive; expensive; and dangerous, although it does not produce highly efficient results, especially in large-scale operations. It is desirable to employ a composition that can delignify the wood but also allow the operator some control to preserve the cellulose, rather than degrade it into carbon black, in order to improve efficiency and yields, increase safety and reduce overall costs.

[041] Preferably, the alkylsulfonic acid compound and hydrogen peroxide are present in a molar ratio ranging from 1:1 to 15:1. Preferably, the resulting pH of the composition is less than 1. More preferably, the resulting pH of the composition is less than 0.5.

[042] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the compound comprising a sulfonic acid fraction is selected from the group consisting of: alkylsulfonic acids in which the alkyl groups range from C1-C6 and are linear or branched; and combinations thereof. Preferably, said compound comprising a sulfonic acid fraction is selected from the group consisting of: methanesulfonic acid; ethanesulfonic acid; propanesulfonic acid; 2-propanesulfonic acid; isobutylsulfonic acid; t-butylsulfonic acid; Petition 870220075381, dated 08 / 22 / 2022, pp. 75 / 114 15 / 21 butanesulfonic acid; isopentylsulfonic acid; t-pentylsulfonic acid; pentanesulfonic acid; t-butylhexanesulfonic acid; and combinations thereof. More preferably, the compound comprising a sulfonic acid fraction is methanesulfonic acid.

[043] As understood by those skilled in the art, alkylsulfonic acid is understood to encompass alkylsulfonic acid compounds where the alkyl group is saturated or unsaturated, cyclic, linear or branched, and / or substituted or unsubstituted.

[044] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the combination of a high concentration of an alkylsulfonic acid and a peroxide produces a modified acidic composition capable of providing controlled delignification of an organic material and leaving the cellulosic fibers relatively unaltered.

[045] By performing wood delignification using a composition according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the process can be carried out at substantially lower temperatures and pressures than those currently used in the conventional kraft pulping process. The advantages are substantial, here are some: the Kraft pulping process requires temperatures close to 176 - 180 °C to perform the delignification process, a preferred embodiment of the process according to the present invention can delignify wood at temperatures as low as 25 °C. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, wood delignification can be performed at temperatures as low as 10 °C. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, wood delignification can be performed at temperatures as low as 0 °C.According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the delignification of wood can be... Petition 870220075381, dated 08 / 22 / 2022, pp. 76 / 114 16 / 21 carried out at temperatures as low as 20 °C. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, wood delignification can be carried out at temperatures as low as 30 °C. According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, wood delignification can be carried out at temperatures as low as 40 °C. According to yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention, wood delignification can be carried out at temperatures as low as 50 °C. According to yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention, wood delignification can be carried out at temperatures as low as 60 °C. According to yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention, wood delignification can be carried out at temperatures as low as 80 °C.According to yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention, wood delignification can be performed at temperatures as low as 90 °C. According to yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention, wood delignification can be performed at temperatures as low as 100 °C. According to yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention, wood delignification can be performed at temperatures as low as 120 °C. According to yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention, wood delignification can be performed at temperatures as low as 130 °C.

[046] In each of the above preferred embodiments, the temperature at which the processes are carried out is substantially lower than the current kraft process, which is energy-intensive and comparatively inefficient.

[047] Furthermore, the kraft process requires high pressures to perform the delignification of the wood. According to a preferred embodiment of Petition 870220075381, dated 08 / 22 / 2022, page 77 / 114 17 / 21 of the present invention, the delignification of wood can be performed at atmospheric pressure. This, in turn, bypasses the need for highly specialized and expensive industrial equipment. It also allows the deployment of delignification units in many parts of the world where the deployment of a pulp and paper mill would previously have been impractical for various reasons.

[048] Some of the advantages of a process according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, over a conventional kraft process, are substantial, since the heat introduced in the latter is not only a major source of pollution, but is largely the reason why the resulting pulp is so expensive. The energy savings from implementing a process according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention would be reflected in lower-priced pulp and environmental benefits, both with an immediate impact and a multi-generational commercial and environmental benefit.

[049] Additional cost savings from implementing a process according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention can be found in the absence or minimization of restrictive regulations for the operation of high-temperature, high-pressure pulp pans.

[050] A method for producing glucose from wood pulp would represent a significant advance over current processes, where such conversion is chemically intensive and expensive and does not yield remarkable results, especially in large-scale operations. It is desirable to employ a composition that delignifies the biomass but also allows the operator some control to preserve the cellulose rather than degrade it into carbon black. Provide additional revenue streams for operators of such plants.

[051] According to a preferred embodiment of the method of the present Petition 870220075381, dated 08 / 22 / 2022, pp. 78 / 114 18 / 21 invention, the separation of lignin can be effective and the resulting cellulose fibers can be further processed to produce glucose monomers. Glucose chemistry has a myriad of uses, including as a precursor in the preparation of widely used chemicals, including, but not limited to, diacetonide, dithioacetal, ethanol, glycoside, glucal and hydroxyglucal, to name just a few.

[052] Another advantage of using a preferred composition according to the present invention, compared with current kraft pulp, is the absence of harmful gases or vapors. It is believed that the source of vapor in the kraft pulping process is primarily the emission of SO2. Delignification using a preferred composition according to the present invention has, so far and with the best available detection capabilities, not resulted in the production of SO2.

[053] Methanesulfonic acid (MSA), triethanolamine (TEOA), and hydrogen peroxide were mixed at varying concentrations of MSA, TEOA, and hydrogen peroxide and reacted with biomass (wood chips) overnight under ambient temperature and pressure conditions to evaluate the effectiveness of varying molar ratios. Control tests were performed with the respective formulas with only kraft lignin or only added cellulose versus biomass. Commercially available lignin (Sigma-Aldrich; Lignin, kraft; Prod n° 471003) was used as a control in the test. Commercially available cellulose (Sigma-Aldrich; Cellulose, fibers (medium); Prod n° C6288) was also used as a control in the tests.

[054] The solid phase of each mixture was filtered after a reaction time of 20 h, rinsed with water and dried in an oven at 45 °C until a constant dry weight. All data are an average of triplicate runs. An effective formula would dissolve all the lignin and leave the cellulose as preserved and intact as possible. Petition 870220075381, dated 08 / 22 / 2022, pp. 79 / 114 19 / 21 possible. The results of the experiments are reported in Table 2 below. Table 2 - Solids recovery (% of initial mass) after 20h reaction time Formula Ratio Wood (% by weight remaining after reaction) Lignin control (% by weight remaining after reaction) Cellulose control (% by weight remaining after reaction) 1:0:1 57.61 25.47 80.89 1:0:7 85.07 51.16 79.54 15:0:1 58.8 37.73 82.94 1:1:1 100 54.39 83.87 1:1:7 100 71.05 91.57 Batch process using a mixture of MSA: H2O2 in a molar ratio of 1:1

[055] A larger batch process was run in order to evaluate and verify the compositions and processes discussed previously performed on smaller volumes. For the preparation of a larger batch process, 548 g of methanesulfonic acid (MSA) (70%) were mixed with 453 g of hydrogen peroxide solution (29%) in a large beaker under ambient conditions (no cooling was required due to the minimal exothermic reaction). The molar mixing ratio was 1:1. 50 g of uncalibrated wood chips (sawdust) were added and the mixture was stirred under ambient conditions. After 20 hours, the reaction mixture was transferred to a filter system with a 20 μm Teflon filter sheet and the residual solids were dried at 45 °C for 12 hours. The solids yield compared to the added biomass was 54.2%.

[056] The hydrocarbon content of the resulting cellulose was determined Petition 870220075381, dated 08 / 22 / 2022, pp. 80 / 114 The 20 / 21 sample was determined to be 93.0%, which is close to the Sigma-Aldrich standard batch number WXBC9745V - 95.7% used for comparison. The water content was determined to be 3.38%, which is comparable to the Sigma-Aldrich standard batch number WXBC9745V - 3% used for comparison. The Kappa number = 11, meaning that delignification was not complete, but good enough for cardboard and utility paper. X-ray diffraction was performed on the sample and indicated that the apparent crystallinity was 58.2%, which is in accordance with our previously tested numbers, and the commercial Aldrich pulp was measured at 61.3%. Scanning electron microscopy was performed on the samples and indicated a very high fiber content.

[057] According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the composition can be used to decompose organic material by oxidation, such as that used in water treatment, water purification and / or water desalination. An example of this is the removal (i.e., destruction) of algae in filtration membranes. As these membranes are expensive, it is financially imperative that they be used for as long as possible. However, given the difficulty in removing the organic matter that accumulates over time, new approaches are needed to do so efficiently and with the least possible damage to the membrane. Mineral acids are very strong and, although they remove organic matter, they damage the filtration membranes. A preferred composition of the present invention remedies this problem, as it is less aggressive than mineral acids and, as such, removes organic contaminants in a much gentler way, thus minimizing damage to the membrane.

[058] Although the preceding invention has been described in some detail for the sake of clarity and understanding, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the relevant art once they are familiar with it. Petition 870220075381, dated 08 / 22 / 2022, pp. 81 / 114 21 / 21 disclosure that various changes in form and details can be made without departing from the true scope of the invention in the appended claims. Petition 870220075381, dated 08 / 22 / 2022, pp. 82 / 114

Claims

1 / 3 CLAIMS 1. An aqueous acidic composition, characterized in that it comprises: - water; - an alkylsulfonic acid; - a compound comprising an amine moiety which is an alkanolamine; and - a peroxide; wherein the acid is present in an amount ranging from 20 to 65% by weight of the total weight of the composition; wherein the peroxide is present in an amount ranging from 1 to 30% by weight of the total weight of the composition; and wherein the alkylsulfonic acid and the peroxide are present in a molar ratio ranging from 1:1 to 15:

1.

2. An aqueous acidic composition, characterized in that it comprises: - water; - an alkylsulfonic acid; - a compound comprising an amine moiety that is an alkanolamine; and - a peroxide; wherein said alkylsulfonic acid and said peroxide are present in a molar ratio ranging from 1:1 to 15:

1.

3. Composition according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said alkylsulfonic acid is selected from the group consisting of: alkylsulfonic acids in which the alkyl groups vary from linear C1-C6 or branched C3-C6; and combinations thereof.

4. Composition according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said alkylsulfonic acid is selected from the group consisting of: methanesulfonic acid; ethanesulfonic acid; propanesulfonic acid; 2-propanesulfonic acid; isobutylsulfonic acid; t-butylsulfonic acid; butanesulfonic acid; isopentylsulfonic acid; t-pentylsulfonic acid; pentanesulfonic acid; t-butylhexanesulfonic acid; and combinations thereof.

5. Composition according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that said alkylsulfonic acid is methanesulfonic acid.

6. Composition according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the peroxide is hydrogen peroxide.

7. Composition according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the compound comprising an amine moiety has a molecular weight below 300 g / mol.

8. Composition according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the alkanolamine is selected from the group consisting of: monoethanolamine, diethanolamine, triethanolamine; and combinations thereof.

9. Composition according to claim 8, characterized in that the alkanolamine is triethanolamine.

10. Aqueous composition for use in the delignification of biomass / wood, characterized in that said aqueous composition comprises: - water; - an alkylsulfonic acid; - a compound comprising an amine moiety which is an alkanolamine; and - a peroxide, wherein said alkylsulfonic acid and peroxide are present in a molar ratio ranging from 1:1 to 15:

1.

11. Method for delignifying biomass / plant material, characterized in that said method comprises: - providing said plant material comprising cellulose fibers and lignin; - exposing said plant material to a composition comprising: - water - alkylsulfonic acid; - a compound comprising an amine fraction that is an alkanolamine; and - a peroxide, wherein said alkylsulfonic acid and peroxide are present in a molar ratio ranging from 1:1 to 15:1 and the exposure time is sufficient to substantially remove all the lignin present in said plant material.

12. Method according to claim 11, characterized in that the compound comprising an amine moiety has a molecular weight below 300 g / mol.

13. Method according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that said alkanolamine is selected from the group consisting of: monoethanolamine; diethanolamine; triethanolamine; and combinations thereof.

14. Method according to any one of claims 11 to 13, characterized in that the said alkanolamine is triethanolamine.

15. Method according to any one of claims 11 to 14, characterized in that the peroxide is hydrogen peroxide. Petition 870240090192, dated 10 / 22 / 2024, p. 21 / 21

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