CARBOHYDRATE COMPOSITION DERIVED FROM HARDWOOD

Abstract

A carbohydrate composition derived from hardwood is disclosed. The hardwood-derived carbohydrate composition comprises monomeric sugars in an amount of 50 to 80% by weight relative to the total dry matter content of the carbohydrate composition, wherein the monomeric sugars comprise monomeric glucose and monomeric xylose, the amount of monomeric xylose in the carbohydrate composition being 40 to 60% by weight relative to the total dry matter content of the carbohydrate composition, and the weight ratio of monomeric glucose to monomeric xylose being 0.067 to 0.2. The invention also relates to a method for producing a wood-derived carbohydrate composition.

Description

Description Title of the invention: CARBOHYDRATE-DERIVED COMPOSITION HARDWOOD technical field

[0001] — The present disclosure relates to a carbohydrate composition derived from hardwood including monomeric sugars. Furthermore, this disclosure relates to a process for producing a carbohydrate composition derived from hardwood. Furthermore, the This disclosure concerns the use of carbohydrate composition derived from hardwood.

[0002] — Context

[0003] — Various processes are known for converting a raw material of origin biological, such as lignocellulosic biomass, into a liquid flow of various sugars. The ability to provide a sufficiently pure carbohydrate composition with properties suitable for other applications, such as the production of monoethylene glycol or ethanol, remains a task for researchers.

[0004] = Summary

[0005] — A carbohydrate composition derived from hardwood is disclosed. The composition of Carbohydrates derived from hardwood may include monomeric sugars in a quantity 50 to 80% by weight relative to the total dry matter content of the composition of carbohydrates. Monomeric sugars can include monomeric glucose and xylose monomer, the amount of xylose monomer in the carbohydrate composition can be 40 to 60% by weight relative to the total dry matter content of the carbohydrate composition, and the weight ratio of monomeric glucose to xylose monomer can be from 0.067 to 0.2.

[0006] — A process for producing a carbohydrate composition derived from hardwood is also disclosed. The process may include: the supply of a wood-based feed load from a raw material based on wood and including wood chips, in which wood chips are hardwood chips, ii. subjecting the wood-based feed to pretreatment to form a slip, in which the pretreatment includes: a. subjecting the wood-based feed load to a impregnation treatment with an impregnation liquid including sulfuric acid; b. the act of subjecting the feed load to wood impregnated with a steam explosion treatment to form a steam-treated wood-based feed charge, in which the amount of sulfuric acid in the explosion treatment of vapor is 0.10 to 0.75% by weight relative to the total content of dry matter of the wood-based feed charge; c the mixture of wood-based feed treated with the vapor from iib) with a liquid to form the slip; iii. the separation of the slip into a liquid fraction and a fraction comprising solid cellulose particles by a separation process solid-liquid to recover the liquid fraction as a composition of carbohydrates derived from hardwood. A hardwood-derived carbohydrate composition that can be obtained by the process as disclosed in this specification is further disclosed. The use of the hardwood-derived carbohydrate composition as disclosed in this specification for the production of a fermentation product, a sweetener, or an animal feed is also disclosed. Brief description of the drawings The attached drawing, which is included to facilitate understanding of the embodiments and forms part of this specification, illustrates one embodiment. In the drawing: Figure [Fig.1] presents a flowchart of one embodiment of the process for producing a carbohydrate composition derived from hardwood. Detailed description A carbohydrate composition derived from hardwood is disclosed. The hardwood-derived carbohydrate composition may include monomeric sugars in an amount of 50 to 80% by weight relative to the total dry matter content of the carbohydrate composition. The monomeric sugars may include monomeric glucose and monomeric xylose; the amount of monomeric xylose in the carbohydrate composition may be 40 to 60% by weight relative to the total dry matter content of the carbohydrate composition, and the weight ratio of monomeric glucose to monomeric xylose may be 0.067 to 0.2. A process for producing a carbohydrate composition derived from hardwood is also disclosed. The process may include: the supply of a wood-based feed load from a raw material based on wood and including wood chips, in which wood chips are hardwood chips, ii. subjecting the wood-based feed to pretreatment to form a slip, in which the pretreatment includes: a. subjecting the wood-based feed load to a impregnation treatment with an impregnation liquid including sulfuric acid; b. the act of subjecting the feed load to wood impregnated with a steam explosion treatment to form a steam-treated wood-based feed charge, in which the amount of sulfuric acid in the explosion treatment of vapor is 0.10 to 0.75% by weight relative to the total content of dry matter of the wood-based feed charge; © the mixture of wood-based feed treated with vapor from iib) with a liquid to form the slip; iii. the separation of the slip into a liquid fraction and a fraction comprising solid cellulose particles by a separation process solid-liquid to recover the liquid fraction as a composition of carbohydrates derived from hardwood. A carbohydrate composition derived from hardwood that can be obtained by the process as disclosed in this specification is further disclosed. In one embodiment, the carbohydrate composition derived from hardwood that can be obtained by the process as described in this specification is the carbohydrate composition derived from hardwood as described in this specification. That is, the carbohydrate composition derived from hardwood described in this specification can be produced by the process described in this specification. Furthermore, the use of the hardwood-derived carbohydrate composition as described in this specification for the production of a fermentation product, sweetener, or animal feed is disclosed. The fermentation product may be, for example, ethanol. The sweetener may be, for example, xylitol. The hardwood-derived carbohydrate composition as described in this specification refers to a composition that includes carbohydrates but may also include additional components and / or elements, such as those described in this specification. Thus, the "hardwood-derived carbohydrate composition" may be considered a "hardwood-derived carbohydrate-containing composition" or a "hardwood-derived composition containing carbohydrates." In one embodiment, the weight ratio of glucose monomer to xylose monomer is 0.08 to 0.17, or 0.1 to 0.14. The inventors have surprisingly discovered that by the process as described in this specification, it is possible to produce a carbohydrate composition derived from hardwood comprising a high content of C5 monomer sugars and, in particular, a high ratio of Monomeric xylose compared to monomeric glucose. Using the process described in this specification, sugars in CS can be efficiently recovered as a hardwood-derived carbohydrate composition. The amount of monomeric sugars, i.e., C5 monomeric and C6 monomeric sugars, as well as the amount of oligomeric sugars, i.e., C5 oligomeric and C6 oligomeric sugars, can be determined both qualitatively and quantitatively by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) by comparing them to standard samples. Examples of analytical methods can be found in, for example, Sluiter, A. et al., "Determination of sugars, byproducts, and degradation products in liquid fraction process samples," Technical Report, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 2008, and Sluiter, A., et al., "Determination of Structural Carbohydrates and Lignin in Biomass," Technical Report, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, revised in 2012. In this document, all weight percentages are expressed as a percentage of the total dry matter content of the carbohydrate composition, unless otherwise stated. Similarly, other weight fractions (ppm, etc.) may also refer to a fraction of the total dry matter content of the carbohydrate composition, unless otherwise stated. The term "total dry matter content" can refer to the total amount of solids, including suspended solids and soluble or dissolved solids. Total dry matter content can be determined after removing the liquid from a sample, followed by drying at 45 °C for 24 hours. The effectiveness of the liquid removal can be verified by weighing the sample, drying it for an additional two hours at the specified temperature, and weighing it again. If the measured weights are substantially the same, the drying was complete and the total weight can be recorded. The term "C5 sugars" shall be understood in this specification, unless otherwise specified, as referring to xylose, arabinose, or any mixture or combination thereof. The term "C6 sugars" shall be understood in this specification, unless otherwise specified, as referring to glucose, galactose, mannose, fructose, or any mixture or combination thereof. The term "sugar monomer" shall be understood in this specification, unless otherwise specified, as a sugar molecule present as a monomer, that is, not coupled or bonded to any other sugar molecule(s). In this specification, the quantities of different components / elements in the hardwood-derived carbohydrate composition are presented as a percentage by weight relative to the total dry matter content of the carbohydrate composition. In this specification, the term "total dry matter content of the carbohydrate composition" This can refer to the weight of the carbohydrate composition as determined after removing all particles or solid matter from the carbohydrate composition, for example, by filtering and removing the liquid from the filtrate or pressate, and then drying the mixture at 45 °C for 24 hours. The drying efficiency can be verified by weighing the sample, drying it for an additional two hours at the specified temperature, and weighing it again. If the measured weights are the same, the drying was complete and the total weight can be recorded. As is clear to those skilled in the art, the total quantity of the various components / elements in the composition of carbohydrates derived from hardwood cannot exceed 100% by weight. The percentage by weight of the various components / elements in the composition of carbohydrates derived from hardwood may vary within the given ranges. In one embodiment, the hardwood-derived carbohydrate composition comprises monomeric sugars in an amount of 60 to 80% by weight relative to the total dry matter content of the carbohydrate composition. In one embodiment, the carbohydrate composition comprises C6 monomeric sugars in an amount of at most 15% by weight, or at most 13% by weight, or at most 11% by weight, relative to the total dry matter content of the carbohydrate composition. C5 monomeric sugars can be xylose and / or arabinose. C6 monomeric sugars can be glucose, galactose, mannose, and / or fructose. In one embodiment, the amount of xylose monomer in the carbohydrate composition is 45 to 55% by weight relative to the total dry matter content of the carbohydrate composition. In one embodiment, in the carbohydrate composition, at least 90% or at least 95% of the xylose is in monomeric form. In one embodiment, the carbohydrate composition comprises monomeric and oligomeric sugars in a total quantity of 65 to 85% by weight relative to the total dry matter content of the carbohydrate composition. In another embodiment, the carbohydrate composition comprises oligomeric sugars in a quantity of 1 to 15% by weight, or 2 to 10% by weight relative to the total dry matter content of the carbohydrate composition. The expression that sugar is "oligomeric" is to be understood in this specification, unless otherwise stated, as a sugar molecule consisting of two or more monomers coupled or linked together. C5 oligomeric sugars can be xylose and / or arabinose. C6 oligomeric sugars can be glucose, galactose, mannose, and / or fructose. In one embodiment, the composition includes one or more of arabinose monomer, galactose monomer, mannose monomer and fructose monomer in an amount of 0.5 to 5% by weight, or 1 to 4% by weight each, relative to the total dry matter content of the carbohydrate composition. The effectiveness of the washing performed in step iii) can be assessed by analyzing the liquid fraction to determine its composition quantitatively and / or qualitatively. The analysis can be used to determine, for example, the quantities and types of impurities present in the liquid fraction, as well as the absolute and relative amounts of CS sugars and C6 sugars. Non-limiting examples of such a method for determining the presence of various impurities include, but are not limited to, conductivity, optical purity (e.g., color or turbidity), and the density of the liquid fraction. In one embodiment, the conductivity of a 10% aqueous solution of the carbohydrate composition is -2.8 to 3.5 mS / cm, when determined according to SFS-EN 27888 (1994). The conductivity value can be used to determine the effectiveness of the washing that takes place in step iii). That is, the conductivity value can be used to determine the amount of soluble lignin present. The carbohydrate composition may include organic impurities (including soluble lignin) in an amount of not more than 30% by weight, or not more than 28% by weight, or not more than 26% by weight, or not more than 24% by weight, or not more than 22% by weight, relative to the total dry matter content of the carbohydrate composition. The carbohydrate composition may include organic impurities (including soluble lignin) in an amount of 6 to 30% by weight, or 8 to 28% by weight, or 10 to 26% by weight, or 12 to 24% by weight, relative to the total dry matter content of the carbohydrate composition. The carbohydrate composition may include organic impurities in an amount of 6 to 30% by weight, or 8 to 28% by weight, or 10 to 26% by weight, or 12 to 24% by weight, relative to the total dry matter content of the carbohydrate composition.The carbohydrate composition may include inorganic impurities in an amount of 0 to 6% by weight, or 0.1 to 3% by weight, or 0.2 to 2% by weight, or 0.3 to 1% by weight, relative to the total dry matter content of the carbohydrate composition. Organic acids can be mentioned as examples of organic impurities. Non-limiting examples of organic impurities include oxalic acid, citric acid, succinic acid, formic acid, acetic acid, levulinic acid, 2-furoic acid, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (S-HMF), furfural, glycolaldehyde, glyceraldehyde, as well as various acetates, formates, and other salts or esters. The quality and quantity of organic impurities in the composition of carbohydrates can be determined using, for example, HPLC coupled with a suitable detector, infrared (IR) spectroscopy, or ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy. (UV-VIS) or nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Examples of organic impurities that may be present in the composition of carbohydrates are listed in Table 1 below. [Table 1] Takleäy Ÿ. INDUTVSLAN SIGANIQUES SL Leurë quantities The composition of carbohydrates may include inorganic impurities. Inorganic impurities can be, for example, soluble inorganic compounds in the form of various salts. Inorganic impurities may be salts of the group of elements consisting of Al, As, B, Ca, Cd, Cl, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Ni, P, Pb, S, Se, Si, and Zn. The quantities of inorganic impurities in the carbohydrate composition can be analyzed using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) in accordance with SFS-EN ISO 11885:2009. Examples of organic impurities that may be present in the carbohydrate composition are listed in Table 2 below. [Tables 2] Tshisau Æ. Inorganic impurities and their quantities In one embodiment, the carbohydrate composition comprises carboxylic acids in an amount of 5 to 20% by weight, or 5.5 to 18% by weight, or 6 to 16% by weight, relative to the total dry matter content of the carbohydrate composition. In one embodiment, the carbohydrate composition comprises S-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) in an amount of not more than 2% by weight, or not more than 1.5% by weight, or not more than 1.0% by weight, relative to the total dry matter content of the carbohydrate composition. In one embodiment, the carbohydrate composition comprises sulfur in an amount of 250 to 4000 mg / kg, or 500 to 3500 mg / kg, or 1000 to 3000 mg / kg, or 1500 to 2500 mg / kg, relative to the total dry matter content of the carbohydrate composition. The amount of sulfur can be determined in accordance with SFS-EN ISO 11885 (2009). The carbohydrate composition may contain nitrogen in an amount of not more than 0.3% by weight, or not more than 0.2% by weight, or not more than 0.1% by weight, relative to the total dry matter content of the carbohydrate composition, when measured as the total nitrogen content of the carbohydrate composition. The total amount of nitrogen present in the carbohydrate composition may be determined using any suitable method known to those skilled in the art, for example, the Kjeldahl method or catalytic thermal decomposition / chemioluminescence processes. The carbohydrate composition may include soluble lignin in an amount of 5 to 15% by weight, or 5.5 to 14% by weight, or 6 to 12% by weight, relative to the total dry matter content of the carbohydrate composition. The presence of soluble lignin in the carbohydrate composition can indicate that the carbohydrate composition is derived from wood. The amount of soluble lignin can be determined by UV-VIS absorption spectroscopy as follows: the amount of soluble lignin present in the carbohydrate composition is determined by diluting a sample of carbohydrate composition so that its absorbance at 205 nm is 0.2 to 0.7 AU relative to a pure water reference sample, using a cuvette with a path length of 1 cm. The soluble lignin content of the sample in mg / L can then be calculated using the following equation. [Math.1] x=(4)xD where A is the absorbance of the sample, a is the absorption coefficient 0.110 1 mgem, and D is a dilution factor. The total dry matter content of the carbohydrate composition derived from wood can be 5 to 15% by weight, or 6 to 14% by weight, or 7 to 13% by weight when determined after drying at a temperature of 45°C for 24 hours. The process for producing the hardwood-derived carbohydrate composition may include subjecting a wood-based feed to a pretreatment. For the purposes of this specification, "pretreatment" means, unless otherwise specified, (a) the process(es) carried out to convert the wood-based feed into a slurry that can be separated into a liquid fraction and a fraction comprising solid cellulose particles. That is, the liquid fraction can be separated from the fraction comprising solid cellulose particles. The fraction comprising solid cellulose particles may It also includes a quantity of lignocellulose particles as well as free lignin particles. Lignocellulose comprises lignin chemically bonded to cellulose particles. The raw material, based on wood, can, for example, come from beech, birch, ash, oak, maple, chestnut, willow, or poplar. The raw material, based on wood, can also be a combination or mixture of these. In general, wood and wood-based raw materials are primarily composed of cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, and extractives. Cellulose is a polysaccharide made up of a chain of glucose units. Hemicellulose includes polysaccharides such as xylan, mannan, and glucan. The supply of the wood-based feed charge in step i) may include submitting the wood-based raw material to a mechanical treatment selected from debarking, chipping, splitting, cutting, beating, grinding, crushing, splitting, screening and / or washing of the wood-based raw material to form the wood-based feed charge. Thus, the supply of wood-based feed from wood-based raw material may involve subjecting the wood-based raw material to mechanical processing to form a wood-based feed. Mechanical processing may include debarking, shredding, splitting, cutting, beating, grinding, crushing, slitting, screening, and / or washing the wood-based raw material. During mechanical processing, wood chips may be debarked and / or wood shavings of specified size and structure may be formed. The formed wood shavings may also be washed, for example with water, to remove sand, gravel, and stones. Furthermore, the structure of the wood shavings may be loosened before the pretreatment stage. The wood-based feed may contain a certain amount of bark from the wood chips. The supply of wood-based feed may include the purchase of wood-based feed. Purchased wood-based feed may include wood chips or sawdust derived from a wood-based raw material. The pretreatment in step 11) of the wood-based feedstock may include one or more different pretreatment steps. During the different pretreatment steps, the wood-based feedstock itself changes. The objective of the pretreatment step(s) is to form a slurry for further processing. Pretreatment ii) may include submitting the feed load to wood-based feedstock subjected to pre-steaming. Pretreatment ii) may include subjecting the wood-based feedstock received from mechanical processing to pre-steaming. Pretreatment in ii) may include, before subjecting it to impregnation treatment, subjecting the wood-based feedstock to pre-steaming to form a pre-steamed wood-based feedstock. Pretreatment in ii) may include an impregnation treatment and a steam blast treatment and include, before subjecting the wood-based feedstock to an impregnation treatment and then to a steam blast treatment, subjecting the wood-based feedstock to pre-steaming. In one embodiment, the pretreatment in (ii) comprises, prior to impregnation treatment, pre-curing the wood-based feed to form a pre-cured wood-based feed. Pre-curing the wood-based feed can be carried out with steam at a temperature of 100 to 130 °C at atmospheric pressure. During pre-curing, the wood-based feed is treated with low-pressure steam. Pre-curing can also be carried out with steam at a temperature below 100 °C, or below 98 °C, or below 95 °C. Pre-curing has the additional benefit of reducing or removing air from the interior of the wood-based feed. Pre-curing can take place in at least one pre-curing reactor. The pretreatment in ii) includes step iia), which consists of subjecting the wood-based feed to an impregnation treatment with an impregnation liquid comprising sulfuric acid. The impregnation liquid may consist of sulfuric acid and water. The impregnation liquid may comprise sulfuric acid in an amount of not more than 20% by weight relative to the total weight of the impregnation liquid. Subjecting the wood-based feed to the impregnation treatment may result in an impregnated wood-based feed comprising sulfuric acid in an amount of at least 0.5% by weight relative to the total dry matter content of the wood-based feed. The impregnation treatment can be carried out on the wood-based feed material received from mechanical processing and / or pre-steaming. The wood-based feed material can be transferred from mechanical processing and / or pre-steaming to the impregnation treatment using a feeding device. The feeder can be a screw feeder, such as a screw feeder. The feeder can compress the wood-based feed material during the transfer. When the wood-based feed material then enters the impregnation treatment, it can expand and absorb the impregnation liquid. The sulfuric acid may be dilute sulfuric acid. The total amount of acid added to the wood-based feed may be 0.3 to 5.0% w / w, 0.5 to 3.0% w / w, 0.6 to 2.5% w / w, 0.7 to 1.9% w / w, or 1.0 to 1.6% w / w relative to the total dry matter content of the wood-based feed. The impregnating liquid may act as a catalyst by affecting the hydrolysis of hemicellulose in the wood-based feed. In one embodiment, the sulfuric acid catalyzes the hydrolysis of hemicellulose in the wood-based feed into monomeric sugars. The impregnation treatment can be carried out in at least one impregnation reactor or tank. In one embodiment, two or more impregnation reactors are used. Transfer from one impregnation reactor to another can be accomplished using a screw feeder. The impregnation process can be carried out by conveying the wood-based feed through at least one impregnation reactor that is at least partially filled with the impregnation liquid. In other words, the wood-based feed can be transferred into the impregnation reactor, where it is immersed in the liquid, and then transferred out of the reactor so that the wood-based feed is homogeneously impregnated with the liquid. The result of the impregnation process is the formation of an impregnated wood-based feed. The impregnation process can be carried out in batches or continuously. The residence time of the wood-based feedstock in an impregnation reactor, that is, the time during which the wood-based feedstock is in contact with the impregnation liquid, can be from 1 to 30 minutes. The temperature of the impregnation liquid can be, for example, from 20 to 99 °C, or from 40 to 95 °C, or from 60 to 93 °C. Maintaining the temperature of the impregnation liquid below 100 °C has the additional benefit of preventing or reducing the dissolution of hemicellulose. In one embodiment, the impregnation treatment is carried out at a temperature of 80 to 100 °C, or 90 to 99 °C, for 1 to 30 minutes. After the impregnation treatment, the impregnated wood-based feed can be left in, for example, a storage tank or silo for a predetermined period of time to allow the impregnation liquid absorbed into the wood-based feed to stabilize. This predetermined period can be from 15 to 60 minutes, or for example, approximately 30 minutes. In one embodiment, the wood-based feed charge is subjected to an impregnation treatment with dilute sulfuric acid having a concentration of 1.32% w / w and a temperature of 92°C. Pretreatment ii) may include submitting the feed load to wood-based feed subjected to steam blast treatment. The wood-based feed resulting from the impregnation treatment may be subjected to steam blast treatment. That is, pretreatment ii) may include subjecting the impregnated wood-based feed to steam blast treatment to form a steam-treated wood-based feed. In one embodiment, the pretreatment in ii) comprises the mechanical processing of the wood-based material to form a wood-based feed, the pre-steaming of the wood-based feed to form a pre-steamed feed, the impregnation treatment of the pre-steamed wood-based feed to form an impregnated wood-based feed, and the steam blasting treatment of the impregnated wood-based feed.In one embodiment, the pretreatment in ii) comprises the impregnation treatment of the wood-based feedstock and the steam blast treatment of the impregnated wood-based feedstock. That is to say, the wood-based feedstock that has undergone the impregnation treatment can then undergo the steam blast treatment. Similarly, the wood-based feedstock that has undergone a pre-steaming treatment can then undergo the impregnation treatment, and the impregnated wood-based feedstock that has undergone the impregnation treatment can undergo the steam blast treatment. The wood-based feed can be stored in chip bins or silos, for example, between different processing stages. Alternatively, the wood-based feed can be transported continuously from one processing stage to the next. The pretreatment in ii) includes step 1iib), which consists of subjecting the impregnated wood-based feed to a steam blast treatment to form a steam-treated wood-based feed. The amount of sulfuric acid in the steam blast treatment may be from 0.10 to 0.75% by weight relative to the total dry matter content of the wood-based feed. The steam blast treatment in iib) may be carried out by treating the impregnated wood-based feed with steam having a temperature of 130 to 240 °C, or 180 to 200 °C, or 185 to 195 °C under a pressure of 0.17 to 3.25 MPaG followed by a sudden explosive decompression of the feed. The feed can be steam-treated for 1 to 20 minutes, or 2 to 15 minutes, or 4 to 13 minutes, or 3 to 10 minutes, or 3 to 8 minutes, before the sudden and explosive decompression of the steam-treated wood-based feed charge. In this specification, the term "steam explosion treatment" may refer to a hemihydrolysis process in which the feed is treated in a reactor (steam explosion reactor) with steam having a temperature of 130 to 240 °C, or 180 to 200 °C, or 185 to 195 °C under a pressure of 0.17 to 3.25 MPaG, followed by a sudden explosive decompression of the feed which causes the fibrous structure of the feed to rupture. In one embodiment, the amount of sulfuric acid in the steam explosion treatment can be from 0.10 to 0.75% by weight relative to the total dry matter content of the wood-based feedstock. The amount of acid present in the steam explosion treatment can be determined by measuring the sulfur content of the liquid portion of the steam-treated wood-based feedstock or of the liquid portion of the steam-treated wood-based feedstock after the steam explosion treatment. The amount of sulfuric acid in the steam explosion reactor can be determined by subtracting the amount of sulfur in the wood-based feedstock from the measured amount of total sulfur in the steam-treated wood-based feedstock. Steam blast treatment can be carried out in a pressurized reactor. This treatment involves treating the impregnated wood-based feed with steam at a temperature of 130–240 °C, 180–200 °C, or 185–195 °C under a pressure of 0.17–3.25 MPaG, followed by a sudden explosive decompression of the feed. The impregnated wood-based feed can be introduced into the pressurized reactor using a compression conveyor, such as a screw feeder. During conveying with the screw feeder, if used, the liquid acid is removed, and some of the impregnation liquid absorbed by the feed is removed as pressate, while the majority remains in the feed. The impregnated wood-based feed can be introduced into the reactor pressurized with steam and / or gas.The pressure in the pressurized reactor can be controlled by adding steam. The pressurized reactor can operate continuously or in batches. Impregnated wood-based feed, for example, wood-based feed that has undergone an impregnation treatment, can be introduced into the pressurized reactor at a temperature of 25 to 140°C. The residence time of the feed in the pressurized reactor can be from 0.5 to 120 minutes. The term "residence time" should be understood in this specification, unless otherwise specified, as the time between the introduction or entry of the feed, for example. in the pressurized reactor, and the exit or discharge of the charge from it. Following the hemihydrolysis of the wood-based feedstock affected by steam explosion treatment in the reactor, the hemicellulose present in the wood-based feedstock can be hydrolyzed or degraded into oligomers and / or monomers of xylose, for example. Hemicellulose comprises polysaccharides such as xylan, mannan, and glucan. The xylan is thus hydrolyzed into xylose, which is a monosaccharide. In one embodiment, 87–95%, 89–93%, or 90–92% of the xylan present in the impregnated wood-based feedstock is converted to xylose (1b). Thus, the steam explosion of the feedstock can lead to the formation of an outlet stream. The outlet stream from the steam explosion can be subjected to steam separation. The outlet stream from the steam explosion can be mixed or combined with a liquid, for example, water. The outlet stream from the steam explosion can be mixed with a liquid to form a slurry. The liquid can be pure water or water containing CS sugars. The water containing CS sugars can be recycled water from the separation and / or washing of the fraction containing solid cellulose particles prior to enzymatic hydrolysis. The outlet stream can be mixed with the liquid, and the resulting mass can be mechanically homogenized to break up agglomerates. The pretreatment in ii) can include mixing the steam-treated wood-based feedstock with a liquid.In one embodiment, the process includes step iic) of mixing the steam-treated wood-based feed from iib) with a liquid to form the slip. Thus, following pretreatment 11), a slurry can be formed. The slurry may comprise a liquid phase and a solid phase. The slurry may contain solid cellulose particles. In step iii), the slurry can be separated into a liquid fraction and a fraction containing solid cellulose particles. The process includes (iii) separating a liquid fraction from a fraction comprising solid cellulose particles by a solid-liquid separation process to recover the liquid fraction as a carbohydrate composition derived from hardwood. In one embodiment, the solid-liquid separation process in (iii) includes washing. In one embodiment, the washing in (iii) is continued until the amount of soluble organic components in the fraction comprising solid cellulose particles is 0.5 to 5% by weight, or 1 to 4% by weight, or 1.5 to 3% by weight relative to the total dry matter content. In one embodiment, the separation of the liquid fraction and the fraction comprising solid cellulose particles in iii) is carried out by washing with displacement or counter-current washing. Thus, the solid-liquid separation process can be chosen from displacement washing and counter-current washing. Displacement washing, also known as replacement washing, is a process for separating solids and liquids using a relatively small amount of washing liquid. Thus, displacement washing can be considered an operation by which solid particles can be washed with a minimal quantity of washing liquid, such as water. In countercurrent washing, the movement of the fraction containing solid cellulose particles is generally forward, while the wash liquid, such as water, flows in the opposite direction. As with displacement washing, countercurrent washing can also significantly reduce wash liquid consumption. In one embodiment, the countercurrent washing process comprises at least two solid-liquid separation steps and a dilution between steps with a washing solution. The washing solution may be clean water. The amount of water required may vary depending on the total number of solid-liquid separation steps performed, the total dry matter content of the feed to the solid-liquid separation step, and the total dry matter content of the fraction containing solid cellulose particles after each solid-liquid separation step. The washing fluid can be fresh or recycled wash water. It can be soft water, potable water, or a low-sugar liquid. The conductivity of the washing fluid can be approximately 0.1 mS / m. The ratio of used wash liquid to solids in step iii) can be from 0.5:1 to 8:1 (w / w), or from 0.5:1 to 5:1 (w / w), or from 0.5:1 to 3:1 (w / w), or from 0.5:1 to 2:1 (w / w) in the case of a displacement wash. The ratio of the washing liquid used to the solids in step iii) can be from 0.5:1 to 8:1 (w / w), or from 0.5:1 to 5:1 (w / w) in the case of a backwash. The progress of both displacement and countercurrent washing can be monitored by measuring the conductivity of the liquid fraction recovered from this treatment. When the conductivity of the liquid fraction is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold value of 0.35 mS / cm, it can be concluded that the desired amount of C5 sugars and other soluble impurities has been removed from the fraction containing solid cellulose particles, and the washing can be terminated. In one embodiment, washing is continued until the conductivity of the liquid fraction is 0.1 to 1.0 mS / cm or 0.2 to 0.5 mS / m. Alternatively, the separation in step iii) can be carried out by filtration, decantation, and / or centrifugation. Filtration can be vacuum filtration, or other filtration methods. Filtration can be based on the use of reduced pressure, overpressure, or a filter press effect. Decantation can be repeated to improve separation. The process described in this specification has the added benefit of providing a wood-derived carbohydrate composition with a high content of monomeric sugars, particularly monomeric xylose. This wood-derived carbohydrate composition also meets the purity requirements for subsequent use in, for example, a catalytic conversion process for the production of monoethylene glycol. Examples Reference will now be made in detail to the methods of implementation of this disclosure, an example of which is illustrated in the attached drawing. The description below presents certain embodiments in sufficient detail to enable a person skilled in the art to use the process based on the disclosure. Not all steps in the embodiments are discussed in detail, as many steps will be obvious to a person skilled in the art based on this disclosure. For simplicity, article numbers will be maintained in the following exemplary embodiments in the case of repetitive components. Figure 1 below illustrates a detailed flowchart of the process for producing a hardwood-derived carbohydrate composition. The process in Figure 1 for producing a hardwood-derived carbohydrate composition includes supplying a wood-based feedstock derived from a wood-based raw material and comprising wood chips, in which the wood chips are hardwood chips (step i) of Figure 1). The supplied wood-based feedstock is then pretreated to form a slurry (step ii) of Figure 1). The pretreatment includes: ii) subjecting the wood-based feedstock to an impregnation treatment with a sulfuric acid impregnation liquid to form an impregnated wood-based feedstock.After the impregnation treatment, the impregnated wood-based feedstock is subjected to steam blast treatment to form a steam-treated wood-based feedstock (step iib) [Fig. 1]. In step iic, the steam-treated wood-based feedstock from step iib is mixed with a liquid to form the slurry. Then, in step iii, the slurry is separated into a liquid fraction and a fraction comprising solid cellulose particles by a solid-liquid separation process to recover the liquid fraction as a derived carbohydrate composition. hardwood. Example | - Production of a Hardwood-Derived Carbohydrate Composition In this example, a hardwood-derived carbohydrate composition was prepared. First, a wood-based feed consisting of beech chips was provided. The wood-based feed was then pretreated as follows: The wood-based feedstock underwent pre-steaming. This pre-steaming was carried out at atmospheric pressure with steam at a temperature of 100 °C for 180 minutes. The pre-steamed feedstock was then impregnated with dilute sulfuric acid at a concentration of 1.32% w / w and a temperature of 92 °C. The pre-steamed wood-based feedstock was allowed to be affected by the impregnation liquid for 30 minutes. The acid-impregnated wood-based feedstock was then subjected to steam blasting. The steam explosion treatment was carried out by treating the wood-based impregnated feed charge with steam having a temperature of 191 °C at atmospheric pressure, followed by a sudden and explosive decompression of the wood-based feed charge.The amount of sulfuric acid in the steam explosion reactor was 0.33% by weight relative to the total dry matter content of the wood-based feedstock. To determine the amount of sulfuric acid, the sulfur content of the wood was 0.02% by weight relative to the total dry matter content of the wood used. During pretreatment, the conversion of xylan from the wood-based feed to xylose was 91%, and the ratio of solubilized glucose to solubilized xylose was 0.14, as determined by HPLC-RI as detailed below. The steam-treated wood-based feed was then mixed with water in a mixing vessel. Following the above pretreatment steps, a slurry was formed. The slurry comprises a liquid fraction and a fraction containing solid cellulose particles. The slurry was then separated into a liquid fraction and a fraction containing solid cellulose particles by a solid-liquid separation process, which in this example was backwashing. Backwashing was continued until the amount of soluble components in the fraction containing solid cellulose particles was 2.0 wt% relative to the total dry matter content. The dry matter content of the fraction containing solid cellulose particles was 32 wt% after washing. The recovered hardwood-derived carbohydrate composition was analyzed by HPLC-RI using a Waters Alliance e2695 separation module, a photo-array Waters 2998 todiodes and a Waters 2414 refractive index detector were used. Separation was performed using a 300 mm x 7.8 mm Bio-Rad Aminex HPX-87 column equipped with Micro-Guard Deashing and Carbo-P guard columns in series. Ultrapure water was used as the eluent. The results are presented in the table below: [Tables 3] The quantity of oligomeric sugars in the sample was determined by hydrolyzing the oligomeric sugars into monomeric sugars by acid hydrolysis, by analyzing The sample was acid-hydrolyzed by HPLC-RI, and the result was compared to those of samples that did not undergo hydrolysis. By subtracting the amount of monomeric sugars in the untreated sample, the amount of oligomeric sugars was calculated. It is obvious to a person skilled in the art that, with advances in technology, the basic idea can be implemented in various ways. The embodiments are therefore not limited to the examples described above; on the contrary, they can vary within the scope of the claims. The embodiments described above may be used in any combination with one another. Several embodiments may be combined to form an additional embodiment. A carbohydrate composition derived from hardwood or a process described in this document may include at least one of the embodiments described above. It will be understood that the advantages and benefits described above may relate to a single embodiment or to several embodiments. The embodiments are not limited to those that solve one or all of the stated problems or to those that offer one or all of the stated advantages and benefits. It will further be understood that a reference to "an element" refers to one or more of these elements.The term "including" is used in this specification to signify the inclusion of the feature(s) or act(s) which follows(s) afterwards, without excluding the presence of one or more additional features or acts.

Claims

Demands

1. Composition of carbohydrates derived from hardwood comprising sugars monomers in an amount of 50 to 80% by weight relative to the total dry matter content of the carbohydrate composition, in which monomeric sugars include monomeric glucose and Xylose monomer, the amount of xylose monomer in the composition of carbohydrates being 40 to 60% by weight relative to the total content of dry matter of the carbohydrate composition, and the weight ratio of glucose monomer to xylose monomer being from 0.067 to 0.

2.

2. Carbohydrate composition derived from hardwood according to claim 1, in which the amount of xylose monomer in the composition of carbohydrates is 45 to 55% by weight compared to the total content of dry matter of the carbohydrate composition.

3. Carbohydrate composition derived from hardwood according to any one of the previous claims, in which the carbohydrate composition includes monomeric sugars and oligomeric sugars in one total quantity of 65 to 85% by weight relative to the total content of dry matter of the carbohydrate composition.

4. Carbohydrate composition derived from hardwood according to any one of the previous claims, in which the weight ratio of glucose monomer on xylose monomer is 0.08 to 0.17, preferably of 0.1 to 0.

14.

5. Carbohydrate composition derived from hardwood according to any one of the previous claims, in which the carbohydrate composition includes soluble lignin in an amount of 5 to 15% by weight, of Preference for 5.5 to 14% by weight, more preferably 6 to 12% in weight, relative to the total dry matter content of the com- carbohydrate position.

6. Carbohydrate composition derived from hardwood according to any one of the previous claims, in which the carbohydrate composition includes carboxylic acids in an amount of 5 to 20% in weight, preferably from 5.5 to 18% by weight, more preferably from 6 at 16% by weight, relative to the total dry matter content of the carbohydrate composition.

7. Carbohydrate composition derived from hardwood according to any one of the previous claims, in which the carbohydrate composition includes 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) in an amount of plus 2% by weight, preferably no more than 1.5% by weight, plus prefer- yielding at most 1.0% by weight, relative to the total content of dry matter of the carbohydrate composition.

8. Carbohydrate composition derived from hardwood according to any one of the previous claims, in which the carbohydrate composition includes sulfur in an amount of 250 to 4000 mg / kg, preferably from 500 to 3500 mg / kg, more preferably from 1000 to 3000 mg / kg, even more preferentially from 1500 to 2500 mg / kg, compared to the Total dry matter content of the carbohydrate composition.

9. Carbohydrate composition derived from hardwood according to any one of the previous claims, in which the carbohydrate composition includes one or more of the following: arabinose monomer, galactose monomer, mannose monomer and fructose monomer, in one quantity of 0.5 to 5% by weight, preferably 1 to 4% by weight each, in relation to the total dry matter content of the composition of carbohydrates.

10. | Carbohydrate composition derived from hardwood according to any one of the previous claims, in which the carbohydrate composition includes nitrogen in an amount of no more than 0.3% by weight, of preferably of at most 0.2% by weight, more preferably of at most 0.1% by weight, relative to the total dry matter content of the carbohydrate composition when measured as total content in nitrogen from the composition of carbohydrates.

11. Carbohydrate composition derived from hardwood according to any one of the previous claims, in which the carbohydrate composition includes C6 monomeric sugars in an amount of no more than 15% in weight, preferably no more than 13% by weight, more preferably of no more than 11% by weight, relative to the total dry matter content of the carbohydrate composition.

12. Carbohydrate composition derived from hardwood according to any one of the previous claims, wherein the conductivity of a solution The aqueous concentration at 10% of the carbohydrate composition is 2.8 to 3.5 mS / cm. when it is determined according to the SFS-EN 27888 standard.

13. Process for producing a wood-derived carbohydrate composition hard, in which the process includes: to provide a wood-based feed load from made from a wood-based raw material and comprising wood chips, in which the wood chips are hardwood chips, ii. subject the wood-based feed load to a pre- treatment to form a slip, in which the pre- Treatment includes: to subject the wood-based feed load to a impregnation treatment with a liquid impregnation comprising sulfuric acid; b. subject the wood-based feed load impregnated with a steam explosion treatment for form a wood-based feed load steam-treated, in which the quantity of acid sulfuric acid in steam explosion treatment is 0.10 to 0.75% by weight relative to the content total dry matter of the feed load wooden base; € mix the wood-based feed charge steam-treated from iib) with a liquid to form the slip; lil. separate the slip into a liquid fraction and a fraction comprising solid cellulose particles by a process solid-liquid separation to recover the liquid fraction as a carbohydrate composition derived from hardwood.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein the treatment impregnation in step ii) is carried out at a temperature of 80 to 100 °C for 1 to 30 minutes.

15. A method according to any one of claims 13 to 14, wherein the steam explosion treatment in iib) is carried out by treating the wood-based feed charge impregnated with steam having a temperature of 130 to 240 °C, preferably 180 to 200 °C, plus preferably from 185 to 195 °C, under a pressure of 0.17 to 3.25 MPaG, followed by a sudden explosive decompression of the charge wood-based food.

16. A method according to any one of claims 13 to 15, wherein 87 to 95%, preferably 89 to 93%, most preferably 90 to 92% xylan present in wood-based feed impregnated is converted into xylose in iib).

17. A method according to any one of claims 13 to 16, wherein The pretreatment in 11) includes, before subjecting it to treatment impregnation, to subject the wood-based feed load to a pre-steaming process to create a wood-based feed load pre-stewed.

18. A method according to any one of claims 13 to 17, wherein The solid-liquid separation process in iii) includes a washing step.

19. A process according to claim 18, wherein the washing in iii) is continued until the quantity of soluble organic components in the fraction comprising solid cellulose particles, i.e. 0.5 to 5% by weight, preferably 1 to 4% by weight, more preferably approximately 1.5 to 3% by weight relative to the total content of matter dried.

20. A method according to any one of claims 13 to 19, wherein the separation of the liquid fraction and the fraction comprising solid cellulose particles in iii) is carried out by washing by de- placement or backwashing.

21. Carbohydrate composition derived from hardwood that can be obtained by the process as defined in any one of claims 13 to 20.

22. | Carbohydrate composition derived from hardwood according to claim 21, in which the carbohydrate composition derived from hardwood is such that defined in any one of claims 1 to 12.

23. Use of the carbohydrate composition derived from hardwood according to one any of claims 1 to 12 or 21 to 22 for production of a fermentation product, a sweetener or a food for animals.