Continuous counter-current organosolv processing of lignocellulosic feedstocks

a technology of lignocellulosic feedstock and organosolv, which is applied in the field of lignocellulosic feedstock fractionation, can solve the problems that the current available processes and systems are not yet economically feasible, and achieve the effects of facilitating and enhancing the rates and facilitating and enhancing the rate of concurrent fermentation and/or fermentation efficiencies and/or fermentation yields

Inactive Publication Date: 2008-12-04
LIGNOL INNOVATIONS
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0024]According to yet another aspect, there are provided processes and systems for producing ethanol from the monosaccarides hydrolyzed from the cellulosic fibrous pulp, by fermentation of the hydrolysate solutions. It is within the scope of this invention to controllably provide inocula comprising one or more selected strains of Saccharomyces spp. to facilitate and enhance the rates of fermentation and / or fermentation efficiencies and / or fermentation yields.
[0025]According to a further aspect, there are provided processes and systems for concurrently saccharifying and fermenting the cellulosic pulps produced as disclosed herein. It is within the scope of the present invention to controllably hydrolyze the cellulosic fibrous pulps into monosaccharides by providing suitable hydrolysis means exemplified by enzymatic, microbial, chemical hydrolysis and combinations thereof, while concurrently and controllably fermenting the monosaccharide moieties produced therein. It is within the scope of this invention to controllably provide inocula comprising one or more selected strains of Saccharomyces spp. to facilitate and enhance the rates of concurrent fermentation and / or fermentation efficiencies and / or fermentation yields.

Problems solved by technology

Although it appears that biorefining using organosolv systems has considerable potential for large-scale fuel ethanol production, the currently available processes and systems are not yet economically feasible because they require expensive pretreatment steps and currently produce only low-value co-products (Pan et al., 2006, J. Agric. Food Chem.

Method used

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  • Continuous counter-current organosolv processing of lignocellulosic feedstocks
  • Continuous counter-current organosolv processing of lignocellulosic feedstocks
  • Continuous counter-current organosolv processing of lignocellulosic feedstocks

Examples

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example 1

[0059]Representative samples of whole logs of British Columbian aspen (Populus tremuloides) (˜125 years old) were collected. After harvesting, logs were debarked, split, chipped, and milled to a chip size of approximately ≦10 mm×10 mm×3 mm. Chips were stored at room temperature (moisture content at equilibrium was ˜10%). The aspen chips were organosolv-pretreated in aqueous ethanol (50% w / w ethanol) with no addition of exogenous acid or base, in a 2-L Parr® reactor (Parr is a registered trademark of the Parr Instrument Company, Moline, Ill., USA). Duplicate 200 g (ODW) samples of the aspen chips, designated as ASP1, were cooked at 195° C. for 60 min. The liquor:wood ratio was 5:1 weight-based. After cooking, the reactor was cooled to room temperature. Solids and the spent liquor were then separated by filtration. Solids were intensively washed with a hot ethanol solution (70° C.) followed by a tap water wash step. The moisture content of the washed pulp was reduced to about 40% with...

example 2

[0061]Duplicate 200-g samples of the wood chips prepared in Example 1, designated as ASP2, were used for this study. The aspen chips were organosolv-pretreated in aqueous ethanol (50% w / w ethanol) with no addition of exogenous acid or base, in a 2-L Parr® reactor. Duplicate 200 g (ODW) samples of aspen chips were cooked at 195° C. for 90 min. The liquor:wood ratio was 5:1 (w:w). After cooking, the reactor was cooled to room temperature. Solids and liquids were then separated by filtration. Solids were intensively washed with a hot ethanol solution (70° C.) followed by a tap water wash step. The moisture content of the washed pulp was reduced to about 40% with the help of a hydraulic press (alternatively a screw press can be used). The washed pulp was homogenized and stored in a fridge at 4° C. The chemical composition (hexose, pentose, lignin content) of raw chips, washed, and unwashed pulps was determined according to a modified Klason lignin method derived from the Technical Assoc...

example 3

[0063]Duplicate 200-g samples of the wood chips prepared in Example 1, designated as ASP3, were used for this study. The aspen chips were organosolv-pretreated in aqueous ethanol (50% w / w ethanol) with no addition of exogenous acid or base, in a 2-L Parr® reactor. The duplicate samples of aspen chips were cooked in duplicate at 195° C. for 120 min. The liquor:wood ratio was 5:1 (w:w). After cooking, the reactor was cooled to room temperature. Solids and liquids were then separated by filtration. Solids were intensively washed with a hot ethanol solution (70° C.) followed by a tap water wash step. The moisture content of the washed pulp was reduced to about 40% with the help of a hydraulic press (alternatively a screw press can be used). The washed pulp was homogenized and stored in a fridge at 4° C. The chemical composition (hexose, pentose, lignin content) of raw chips, washed, and unwashed pulps was determined according to a modified Klason lignin method derived from the Technical...

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Abstract

A modular process for organosolv fractionation of lignocellulosic feedstocks into component parts and further processing of said component parts into at least fuel-grade ethanol and four classes of lignin derivatives. The modular process comprises a first processing module configured for physico-chemically digesting lignocellulosic feedstocks with an organic solvent thereby producing a cellulosic solids fraction and a liquid fraction, a second processing module configured for producing at least a fuel-grade ethanol and a first class of novel lignin derivatives from the cellulosic solids fraction, a third processing module configured for separating a second class and a third class of lignin derivatives from the liquid fraction and further processing the liquid fraction to produce a distillate and a stillage, a fourth processing module configured for separating a fourth class of lignin derivatives from the stillage and further processing the stillage to produce a sugar syrup.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application is a continuation-in-part of our prior application Ser. No. 11 / 839,378 filed Aug. 15, 2007, and claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60 / 941,220 filed May 31, 2007.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]This invention relates to fractionation of lignocellulosic feedstocks into component parts. More particularly, this invention relates to processes, systems and equipment configurations for recyclable organosolv fractionation of lignocellulosic material for continuous controllable and manipulable production and further processing of lignins, monosaccharides, oligosaccharides, polysaccharides and other products derived therefrom.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]Industrial processes for production of cellulose-rich pulps from harvested wood are well-known and typically involve the steps of physical disruption of wood into smaller pieces and particles followed by chemical digestion under elevated temperatures and pressur...

Claims

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Application Information

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Patent Type & Authority Applications(United States)
IPC IPC(8): D21C7/00C07G1/00C07G99/00C08H7/00C08H8/00
CPCB01D3/002B01D3/14B01D11/0226C02F3/34C02F11/04C07H19/00C08H6/00C08H8/00C08L3/02C08L5/04C12M21/04C12M21/12C12M45/02C12M45/04C12M45/06C12M45/09C12P5/023C12P7/00C12P7/08C12P7/10C12P7/40C12P7/54C12P19/14C13K1/02D21H17/00Y02E50/16Y02E50/17Y02E50/343B01D11/0288Y02E50/10Y02E50/30Y02W10/20
Inventor HALLBERG, CHRISTERO'CONNOR, DONALDRUSHTON, MICHAELPYE, EDWARD KENDALLGJENNESTAD, GORDONBERLIN, ALEXMACLACHLAN, JOHN ROSS
Owner LIGNOL INNOVATIONS
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