Method and arrangement for producing monoethylene glycol
Patent Information
- Application Number
- BR112022013923
- Authority / Receiving Office
- BR · BR
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Publication Date
- 2026-08-25
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Abstract
Description
1 / 37 METHOD AND ARRANGEMENT FOR PRODUCING MONOETHYLENE GLYCOL Technical Field
[001] The present disclosure relates to a method for producing monoethylene glycol (MEG) from a wood-based raw material. The present disclosure further relates to an arrangement for producing monoethylene glycol (MEG) from a wood-based raw material. The present disclosure further relates to monoethylene glycol obtained by the method as described in the current descriptive report. Fundamentals
[002] Monoethylene glycol (MEG), also called ethylene glycol or 1,2-ethanediol, is an important liquid raw material that finds use, for example, in the manufacture of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polyester resins. Monoethylene glycol can be used for applications requiring chemical intermediates for resins, solvent couplers, freezing point depressants, solvents, wetting agents, and chemical intermediates. The increasing use of monoethylene glycol in the polyester fiber and polyethylene terephthalate industries is driving the growth of the global monoethylene glycol market. Conventional methods for producing ethylene glycol involve the use of non-renewable resources. Inventors thus recognized the need to provide a method for producing monoethylene glycol using bio-based materials. Summary
[003] A method for producing monoethylene glycol from a wood-based raw material is disclosed. The method may comprise: i) providing a wood-based raw material Petition 870260064221, dated 06 / 30 / 2026, page 11 / 60 2 / 37 wood originating from raw wood-based material and comprising wood chips, wherein a maximum of 5% by weight of the wood chips in the wood-based raw material are very thick wood chips, as specified by SCAN-CM 40:01, and subjecting the wood-based raw material to at least one pretreatment to form a liquid fraction and a fraction comprising solid cellulose particles. The method may further comprise: ii) subjecting the fraction comprising solid cellulose particles to enzymatic hydrolysis to form a lignin fraction and a carbohydrate fraction. The method may further comprise: iii) subjecting the carbohydrate fraction to catalytic conversion to form a liquid glycol composition. The method may further comprise iv) recovering monoethylene glycol from the liquid glycol composition.
[004] Additionally, an arrangement for producing monoethylene glycol from a wood-based raw material is disclosed. The arrangement may comprise at least one pretreatment unit configured to subject wood-based raw material originating from the wood-based raw material and comprising wood chips, wherein a maximum of 5% by weight of the wood chips in the wood-based raw material are very thick wood chips, as specified by SCAN-CM 40:01, to at least one pretreatment to form a liquid fraction and a fraction comprising solid cellulose particles. The arrangement may further comprise at least one hydrolysis reactor configured to subject the fraction comprising solid cellulose particles to enzymatic hydrolysis to form a Petition 870260064221, dated 06 / 30 / 2026, page 12 / 60 3 / 37 lignin fraction and a carbohydrate fraction. The arrangement may further comprise a conversion reactor configured to subject the carbohydrate fraction to catalytic conversion to form a liquid glycol composition. The arrangement may further comprise a distillation unit configured to recover monoethylene glycol from the liquid glycol composition.
[005] Additionally, monoethylene glycol produced by the method as described in the current descriptive report is disclosed. Brief Description of the Drawings
[006] The attached drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the embodiments and which form part of this descriptive report, illustrate various embodiments. In the drawings: Figure 1 presents a flowchart of one embodiment of the method for producing monoethylene glycol; Figure 2 shows one embodiment of the arrangement for producing monoethylene glycol; Figure 3 shows the chip classifier presented in SCAN-CM 40:01; and Figures 4 and 5 show the measurements taken when measuring the geometric specific surface area (GSSA). Detailed Description
[007] A method for producing monoethylene glycol (MEG) from wood-based raw material is disclosed. The method may comprise the following: i) provide a wood-based raw material originating from raw wood material and comprising wood chips, of which a maximum of 5% by weight Petition 870260064221, dated 06 / 30 / 2026, page 13 / 60 4 / 37 of the wood chips in the wood-based feedstock are very thick wood chips, as specified by SCAN-CM 40:01, and subject the wood-based feedstock to at least one pretreatment to form a liquid fraction and a fraction comprising solid cellulose particles; ii) subjecting the fraction comprising solid cellulose particles to enzymatic hydrolysis to form a lignin fraction and a carbohydrate fraction; iii) subject the carbohydrate fraction to catalytic conversion to form a liquid glycol composition; and iv) recover monoethylene glycol from the liquid glycol composition.
[008] Additionally, an arrangement is disclosed for producing monoethylene glycol (MEG) from a wood-based raw material. The arrangement may comprise: at least one pretreatment unit configured to subject wood-based feedstock originating from wood-based raw material and comprising wood chips, wherein a maximum of 5% by weight of the wood chips in the wood-based feedstock are very thick wood chips, as specified by SCAN-CM 40:01, to at least one pretreatment to form a liquid fraction and a fraction comprising solid cellulose particles. at least one hydrolysis reactor configured to subject the fraction comprising solid cellulose particles to enzymatic hydrolysis to form a lignin fraction and a carbohydrate fraction; a conversion reactor configured to subject the carbohydrate fraction to catalytic conversion to form a liquid composition of glycols; and Petition 870260064221, dated 06 / 30 / 2026, page 14 / 60 5 / 37 a distillation unit configured to recover monoethylene glycol from the liquid glycol composition.
[009] Additionally, monoethylene glycol (MEG) obtained by the method as described in the current descriptive report is disclosed.
[0010] Unless otherwise indicated in this descriptive report, the term pretreating or pretreatment shall be understood to mean (a) process(es) conducted to convert wood-based raw material into a fraction comprising solid cellulose particles. As a result of pretreatment, in addition to the fraction comprising solid cellulose particles, a liquid fraction may be formed. The liquid fraction may be separated from the fraction comprising solid cellulose particles. The fraction comprising solid cellulose particles may additionally include a quantity of lignocellulose particles as well as free-form lignin particles. Lignocellulose comprises lignin chemically bound to cellulose particles. The wood-based raw material may be selected from a group consisting of hardwood, softwood, and combinations thereof.Raw wood material can, for example, originate from pine, poplar, beech, aspen, fir, eucalyptus, ash, or birch. Raw wood material can also be any combination or mixture of these. Raw wood material can be broadleaf wood. Preferably, raw wood material is broadleaf wood due to its relatively high inherent sugar content, but the use of other types of wood is not excluded. Broadleaf wood can be selected... Petition 870260064221, dated 06 / 30 / 2026, p. 15 / 60 6 / 37 of a group consisting of beech, birch, ash, oak, maple, chestnut, willow, poplar and any combination or mixture thereof.
[0011] Providing wood-based raw material in step i) may include subjecting the raw wood-based material to a selected mechanical treatment from peeling, chipping, splitting, cutting, refining, grinding, crushing, disintegration, screening and / or washing of the raw wood-based material to form the wood-based raw material.
[0012] The arrangement may comprise a mechanical unit configured to subject raw wood-based material to a mechanical treatment selected from peeling, chipping, splitting, cutting, refining, grinding, crushing, disintegration, screening and / or washing of the raw wood-based material to form the wood-based raw material.
[0013] Thus, supplying wood-based raw material originating from raw wood-based material may comprise subjecting the raw wood-based material to mechanical treatment to form a wood-based raw material. Mechanical treatment may comprise peeling, chipping, splitting, cutting, refining, grinding, crushing, slicing, screening and / or washing of the raw wood-based material. During mechanical treatment, for example, logs may be peeled and / or wood chips of specified size and structure may be formed. The formed wood chips may also be washed, for example, with water, in order to remove, for example, sand, fine gravel and stone material. Petition 870260064221, dated 06 / 30 / 2026, page 16 / 60 7 / 37 Additionally, the structure of the wood chips can be stretched before the pre-treatment stage. The wood-based raw material may contain a certain amount of bark from the logs.
[0014] Providing wood-based raw material may include purchasing wood-based raw material. Purchased wood-based raw material may include purchased wood chips or sawdust originating from raw wood-based material.
[0015] In one embodiment, the specific surface area (SSA) of wood chips is 2 to 35 cm2 / g, or 4 to 33 cm2 / g, or 6 to 30 cm2 / g, or 10 to 25 cm2 / g, or 12 to 20 cm2 / g.
[0016] The specific surface area (SSA) of wood chips can be measured by applying water to the surface of the wood chip pieces and measuring the mass of this water (SSA measured by liquid adsorption method). Based on the mass of water applied, it is possible to calculate the average specific surface area of the wood chip pieces per unit dry matter density. The chips are soaked before measurement to reach the cell wall saturation point. This prevents the water to be applied from being absorbed into the wood material. After soaking, the surfaces of the wood chip pieces are dried by centrifugation. The mass of the centrifuged wood chip pieces is weighed. After that, an aqueous film is applied to the surface of the wood chip pieces by immersing the wood chip pieces in water. The chips thus moistened are weighed again.The mass of water applied can be calculated from the difference between the masses of pieces of wood chips with a dry surface and... Petition 870260064221, dated 06 / 30 / 2026, page 17 / 60 8 / 37 coated with the aqueous film. After that, the pieces of wood chips are dried to determine the amount of dry matter in the sample. The specific surface area is calculated based on the ratio between the mass of water applied to the surface of the pieces of wood chips and the amount of dry matter in the pieces of wood chips. The calculation is performed using the formula presented below. In this way, the specific surface area can be determined as follows: A well-mixed sample is weighed in a quantity of 100 g by wet weight in a metal basket. The numbered metal basket is placed in a plastic bucket that has been filled with water at room temperature. It is confirmed that all the pieces of chips are below the surface of the water. The sample is soaked for at least 8 hours, more preferably overnight, so that the wood cell walls and cell lumens are filled with water.In this way, no water will be absorbed by them later to influence the specific surface area results. After soaking, the sample is placed in a centrifuge bag with standardized moisture. The moisture of the centrifuge bag is standardized by immersing the bag in water before each of the sample points and centrifuging it for 2 minutes. The sample is centrifuged for 4 minutes. The sample is weighed in the basket (weight 1.) with an accuracy of 0.01 g. The weighing result is recorded. The weighed sample is again immersed in water for 2 minutes, ensuring that all chip pieces are submerged. After that, the sample is drained in the basket over the bucket for 30 seconds. The moist chips are moved to a tared drying container and weighed (weight 2.) with an accuracy of... Petition 870260064221, dated 06 / 30 / 2026, page 18 / 60 9 / 37 0.01 g, and the weighing result is recorded. The sample is dried in a thermal chamber at 105 ± 2°C overnight. After drying, the sample is weighed (weight 3). The weighing result is recorded. The results are calculated according to the following formula gWater / god_wood (grams of water applied per grams of dry matter): ê water A od wood (& wet & dry ) &od _ wood where gdry = weight 1. (g) g«et = weight 2 . (g) god_wood=weight 3. (g)
[0017] The result is calculated as an average of two parallel measurements. The measurement results are converted into grams of water applied per gram of dry matter. The result in grams of water per gram of dry matter (gWater / god_wood) is converted into specific surface area (SSA) according to the following formula: SSA[cm2lgodwood]= 26.53l*(gwater / god wood)2+ 113.86* (gwater / g^^ )-19.718 In one embodiment, the geometric specific surface area (GSSA) of the wood chips is 2 to 40 cm2 / g, or 4 to 35 cm2 / g, or 6 to 30 cm2 / g, or 10 to 25 cm2 / g, or 12 to 20 cm2 / g.
[0018] The geometric specific surface area (GSSA) can be measured as described below: First, the size distribution of wood chips is measured according to SCAN-CM 40:01: Size Class Fraction % Size Class above 45 mm % F1 Very thick size class 45 to 8 mm % F2 Size class 8 to 13 mm % F3 Size class 13 to 7 mm % F4 Size class 7 to 3 mm % F5 Thin size class <3 mm % F6 Petition 870260064221, dated 06 / 30 / 2026, page 19 / 60 10 / 37
[0019] Next, 50 pieces of wood chips are randomly selected from each accepted fraction, and the following dimensions of each wood chip are measured as shown in Figure 4. The weighted average mass of the wood chip length and width of each fraction according to SCAN-CM 48:01 (revised in 2001) are measured. The wood chips are classified into 15 classes within each fraction, and the weighted average mass of the length and width is calculated: Length Class Fraction % < 10 L1 10.1 to 13 L2 13.1 to 16 L3 16.1 to 19 L4 19.1 to 22 L5 22.1 to 25 L6 25.1 to 28 L7 28.1 to 31 L8 31.1 to 34 L9 34.1 to 37 L10 37.1 to 40 L11 40.1 to 43 L12 43.1 to 46 L13 46.1 to 49 L14 > 49 L15 Width Class Fraction % < 10 W1 10.1 to 13 W2 13.1 to 16 W3 16.1 to 19 W4 19.1 to 22 W5 22.1 to 25 W6 25.1 to 28 W7 28.1 to 31 W8 31.1 to 34 W9 34.1 to 37 W10 37.1 to 40 W11 Petition 870260064221, dated 06 / 30 / 2026, page 20 / 60 11 / 37 40.1 to 43 W12 43.1 to 46 W13 46.1 to 49 W14 > 49 W15
[0020] Next, the wood chip thickness of each wood chip is measured with an accuracy of 0.1 mm, and the wood chips are classified into 15 classes, namely T1, T2 ... T15, from thinnest to thickest, and the average thickness of each class and the mass by weight of each class are calculated in the same way as in SCAN-CM 48:01. The weighted average by mass of the thickness is calculated.
[0021] Next, the cutting angle of 10 chips from each fraction is measured, and the average, An, of the angles is calculated.
[0022] Next, the angle of each wood chip is measured as shown in Figure 5, taking a wood chip, drawing the cutting angle on a piece of paper; extending the sides of the angle and forming a right triangle, the larger the triangle, the more precise it is; measuring the opposite face and the hypotenuse of the triangle; and calculating the angle from the equation An = arcsin (A / B).
[0023] Next, the geometric specific surface area (GSSA) of each fraction can be calculated using the equation: GSSAn=20000*(Wn*Ln+Tn*Ln+Wn*Tn / sin(An)) / (Ln*Wn*Tn*BD) where GSSAn = specific surface area of the Fn fraction, [cm2 / g] Wn = mass-weighted average of chip width in fraction Fn, [mm] Ln = weighted average mass of chip length in fraction Fn, [mm] Petition 870260064221, dated 06 / 30 / 2026, page 21 / 60 12 / 37 Tη = mass-weighted average of chip thickness in fraction Fn, [mm] An = average of the chip cutting angles in each fraction Fn, [radians] BD = basic density of wood, [kg of dry wood / m3 of wet wood solids]
[0024] Next, the mass-weighted average of the geometric specific surface area (GSSA) can be calculated using the equation: GSSA=(Σ(SSAn*Fn)) / 100 where GSSA = geometric specific surface area of the chips GSSAn = mass-weighted average of geometric specific surface area of the fraction Fn, [cm2 / g] Fn = mass fraction of each chip size classified according to the SCAN-CM 40:01 standard.
[0025] The wood-based raw material may comprise wood chips, wherein a maximum of 5% by weight of the wood chips in the wood-based raw material are very thick wood chips, as specified by SCAN-CM 40:01. The SCAN-CM 40:01 standard (revised version in 2001) describes a method for classifying wood chips, wherein a sample of wood chips is placed on the top sieve of a stack of five sieve trays and one fines tray (see Figure 3). The sieves have holes or openings of specified dimensions, and the stack is kept in alternating motion. After a specified time, the sieving is stopped, and the six classes obtained are weighed separately. The size of each class is its mass, Petition 870260064221, dated 06 / 30 / 2026, page 22 / 60 13 / 37 expressed as a percentage of the total mass of all six classes.
[0026] The characteristic that the wood chips in the wood-based raw material are very thick wood chips should, in this descriptive report, unless otherwise indicated, be understood as wood chips that pass through the first sieve of the chip classifier but are retained on the second sieve comprising 8 mm openings, when chip size classification is carried out as specified in SCAN-CM 40:01.
[0027] The characteristic that the wood chips in the wood-based raw material are fine should, in this descriptive report, unless otherwise indicated, be understood as wood chips that are not retained even on the fifth sieve comprising 3 mm holes, when chip size classification is carried out as specified in SCAN-CM 40:01.
[0028] In one embodiment, a maximum of 3.5% by weight, or a maximum of 3% by weight, or a maximum of 2.5% by weight, or a maximum of 2% by weight of the wood chips in the wood-based raw material are very thick wood chips, as specified by SCAN-CM 40:01.
[0029] In one embodiment, a maximum of 10% by weight, or a maximum of 6% by weight, or a maximum of 3% by weight, or a maximum of 1.5% by weight, or a maximum of 0.5% by weight of the wood chips in the wood-based raw material are fine, as specified by SCAN-CM 40:01.
[0030] In one embodiment, a maximum of 3% by weight, or a maximum of 1% by weight, or a maximum of 0.5% by weight, or a maximum of 0.1% by weight, or essentially 0% by weight, of the chips of Petition 870260064221, dated 06 / 30 / 2026, p. 23 / 60 14 / 37 wood chips in the wood-based raw material are very large wood chips, as specified by SCAN-CM 40:01. That is, very large wood chips can essentially be removed from the wood-based raw material. The characteristic that the wood chips in the wood-based raw material are very large wood chips should, in this descriptive report, unless otherwise indicated, be understood as wood chips that do not pass through the first sieve comprising 45 mm holes, when chip size classification is carried out as specified in SCAN-CM 40:01.
[0031] The inventors have surprisingly discovered that the impregnating liquid is more homogeneously absorbed and impregnated into the raw material comprising wood chips of the specified size when especially the quantity of very large wood chips is minimized, and the quantity of very thick wood chips in the raw material is controlled.
[0032] The pretreatment in step i) of the wood-based feedstock may comprise one or more different pretreatment processes. During the different pretreatment processes, the wood-based feedstock changes. The objective of at least one pretreatment process is to form a fraction comprising solid cellulose particles for further processing.
[0033] Pre-treatment i) may include subjecting the wood-based raw material to pre-steaming. Pre-treatment i) may include subjecting the wood-based raw material received from mechanical treatment to Petition 870260064221, dated 06 / 30 / 2026, p. 24 / 60 15 / 37 Pre-steaming. The pre-treatment in 1) may comprise an impregnation treatment and / or a steam blast and comprises, before subjecting the wood-based raw material to the impregnation treatment and / or steam blast, subjecting the wood-based raw material to pre-steaming, wherein the pre-steaming of the wood-based raw material is carried out with steam having a temperature of 100 to 130°C at atmospheric pressure. During pre-steaming, the wood-based raw material is treated with low-pressure steam. Pre-steaming may also be carried out with steam having a temperature below 100°C, or below 98°C, or below 95°C. Pre-steaming has the additional utility of reducing or removing air from within the wood-based raw material.
[0034] Pre-vaporization may occur in at least one pre-vaporization reactor. In one embodiment, one of at least one pretreatment units is a pre-vaporization reactor configured to subject the wood-based feedstock to pre-vaporization. In another embodiment, one of at least one pretreatment units is a pre-vaporization reactor operationally disposed before the impregnation reactor and / or the pressurized reactor and configured to subject the wood-based feedstock to pre-vaporization with steam having a temperature of 100 to 130°C at atmospheric pressure.
[0035] Additionally, i) pre-treatment may comprise subjecting the wood-based raw material to at least one impregnation treatment with an impregnation liquid. The impregnation treatment may be carried out on the wood-based raw material received from the Petition 870260064221, dated 06 / 30 / 2026, page 25 / 60 16 / 37 mechanical treatment and / or pre-steaming. The pre-treatment in i) may comprise, before subjecting to steam explosion, subjecting the wood-based raw material to at least one impregnation treatment with an impregnation liquid selected from water, at least one acid, at least one base, at least one alcohol or any combination or mixture thereof.
[0036] The inventors have surprisingly discovered that the specified size range of wood chips in the wood-based raw material has the added benefit of beneficially affecting the impregnation treatment. It has been surprisingly discovered that the impregnation liquid can be distributed and absorbed more evenly into the wood chips when the specified size of wood chips is used.
[0037] Wood-based raw material can be transferred from mechanical treatment and / or pre-steaming to impregnation treatment with a feeder. The feeder can be a screw feeder, as well as a screw feeder with a lock. The feeder can compress the wood-based raw material during transfer. When the wood-based raw material then enters the impregnation treatment, it can expand and absorb the impregnation liquid.
[0038] The impregnation liquid may comprise water, at least one acid, at least one base, at least one alcohol, or any combination or mixture thereof. The at least one acid may be selected from a group consisting of inorganic acids, such as sulfuric acid (H2SO4), nitric acid, phosphoric acid; organic acids, Petition 870260064221, dated 06 / 30 / 2026, p. 26 / 60 17 / 37 such as acetic acid, lactic acid, formic acid, carbonic acid; and any combination or mixture thereof. In one embodiment, the impregnation liquid comprises sulfuric acid, for example, dilute sulfuric acid. The acid concentration 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. The impregnation liquid may act as a catalyst affecting the hydrolysis of hemicellulose in the wood-based feedstock. In one embodiment, the impregnation is conducted using only water, i.e., by auto-hydrolysis. In another embodiment, the wood-based feedstock may be impregnated by means of alkaline hydrolysis. NaOH and Ca2(OH)a may be mentioned as examples to be used as the base in alkaline hydrolysis.
[0039] At least one of the pretreatment units may be an impregnation reactor configured to subject the wood-based feedstock to at least one impregnation treatment with an impregnation liquid. At least one of the pretreatment units may be an impregnation reactor operationally disposed before the pressurized reactor and configured to subject the wood-based feedstock to at least one impregnation treatment with an impregnation liquid selected from water, at least one acid, at least one alcohol, or any combination or mixture thereof. The impregnation treatment may thus be conducted in at least one reactor or impregnation vessel. In one embodiment, two or more impregnation reactors are used.
[0040] The transfer from one impregnation reactor to another impregnation reactor can be carried out with a Petition 870260064221, dated 06 / 30 / 2026, page 27 / 60 18 / 37 feeder, such as a screw feeder. The feeder can, together with the steam, balance the differences in liquid concentration within the wood chips, so that the impregnation liquid can penetrate the wood chips more easily.
[0041] The impregnation treatment can be carried out by transporting the wood-based raw material through at least one impregnation reactor, i.e., the wood-based raw material can be transferred to the impregnation reactor, interleaved within the impregnation reactor and transferred out of the impregnation reactor, so that the wood-based raw material is homogeneously impregnated with the impregnation liquid. The impregnation treatment can be carried out as a batch or continuous process.
[0042] The residence time of the wood-based raw material in an impregnation reactor, i.e., the time during which the wood-based raw material is in contact with the impregnation liquid, can be from 5 seconds to 5 minutes, or 0.5 to 3 minutes, or about 1 minute. The temperature of the impregnation liquid can be, for example, 20 to 99°C, or 40 to 95°C, or 60 to 90°C. Maintaining the temperature of the impregnation liquid below 100°C has the additional benefit of preventing or reducing the dissolution of hemicellulose.
[0043] After impregnation treatment, the wood-based raw material may remain, for example, in a storage tank or silo for a predetermined period of time to allow the impregnation liquid absorbed into the wood-based raw material to stabilize. This predetermined period of time may be from 15 to 60 Petition 870260064221, dated 06 / 30 / 2026, page 28 / 60 19 / 37 minutes or, for example, just 30 minutes.
[0044] Pretreatment i) may comprise subjecting the wood-based raw material to steam explosion. The wood-based raw material, from mechanical treatment, pre-steaming and / or impregnation treatment, may be subjected to steam explosion. In one embodiment, i) of the pretreatment comprises at least one of the following: mechanical treatment of wood-based material to form wood-based raw material, pre-steaming of the wood-based raw material, impregnation treatment of the wood-based raw material, and steam explosion of the wood-based raw material. In another embodiment, i) of the pretreatment comprises mechanical treatment of wood-based material to form a wood-based raw material, pre-steaming of the wood-based raw material, impregnation treatment of the wood-based raw material, and steam explosion of the wood-based raw material.In one embodiment, i) the pretreatment comprises pre-steaming of the wood-based raw material, impregnation treatment of the wood-based raw material, and steam explosion of the wood-based raw material. In another embodiment, i) the pretreatment comprises impregnation treatment of the wood-based raw material and steam explosion of the wood-based raw material. That is, the wood-based raw material that has undergone impregnation treatment can then be subjected to steam explosion. Furthermore, the wood-based raw material that has undergone pre-steaming can then be subjected to impregnation treatment, and then the wood-based raw material that has undergone... Petition 870260064221, dated 06 / 30 / 2026, p. 29 / 60 20 / 37 impregnation treatment may be subjected to steam explosion.
[0045] Wood-based raw material can be stored, for example, in boxes or chip silos between different treatments. Alternatively, wood-based raw material can be transported continuously from one treatment to another.
[0046] The pretreatment in i) may comprise subjecting the wood-based raw material to a steam explosion which is carried out by treating the wood-based raw material with steam having a temperature of 130 to 240°C under a pressure of 0.17 to 3.25 MPaG, followed by a sudden explosive decompression of the wood-based raw material. The wood-based raw material may be treated with steam for 1 to 20 minutes, or 1 to 20 minutes, or 2 to 16 minutes, or 4 to 13 minutes, or 3 to 10 minutes, or 3 to 8 minutes, before the sudden explosive decompression of the wood-based raw material.
[0047] In this descriptive report, the term steam explosion may refer to a hemi-hydrolysis process in which wood-based feedstock is treated in a reactor with steam having a temperature of 130 to 240°C under a pressure of 0.17 to 3.25 MPaG, followed by a sudden explosive decompression of the wood-based feedstock, which results in the rupture of the fiber structure of the wood-based feedstock.
[0048] The steam explosion process can be carried out in a pressurized reactor. That is, at least one of the pretreatment units can be a pressurized reactor configured to subject the wood-based raw material to steam. Petition 870260064221, dated 06 / 30 / 2026, p. 30 / 60 21 / 37 originating from wood-based raw material by steam explosion. Steam explosion can be carried out in the pressurized reactor by treating the wood-based raw material with steam at a temperature of 130 to 240°C under a pressure of 0.17 to 3.25 MPaG, followed by a sudden and explosive decompression of the wood-based raw material. The wood-based raw material can be introduced into the pressurized reactor with a compression conveyor, for example, a screw conveyor. During conveying with the screw conveyor, if used, some of the impregnation liquid absorbed by the wood-based raw material is removed as a press, while some of it remains in the raw material. The wood-based raw material can be introduced into the pressurized reactor along with steam and / or gas. The pressure of the pressurized reactor can be controlled by adding steam.The pressurized reactor can operate continuously or as a batch process. Wood-based feedstock, for example, wood-based feedstock that has undergone impregnation treatment, can be introduced into the pressurized reactor at a temperature of 25 to 140°C. The residence time of the wood-based feedstock in the pressurized reactor can be from 0.5 to 120 minutes. The term residence time in this descriptive report, unless otherwise indicated, should be understood as the time between the introduction or entry of the wood-based feedstock, for example, into the pressurized reactor and the exit or discharge of the wood-based feedstock from it.
[0049] As a result of the hemi-hydrolysis of the raw material Petition 870260064221, dated 06 / 30 / 2026, p. 31 / 60 22 / 37 In wood-based materials affected by steam treatment in the reactor, the hemicellulose present in the wood-based feedstock can be hydrolyzed or degraded into, for example, xylose oligomers and / or monomers. Therefore, the steam explosion of the wood-based feedstock can result in the formation of an output stream. The output stream from the steam explosion can be subjected to steam separation. The output stream from the steam explosion can be mixed or combined with a liquid. The output stream from the steam explosion can be mixed with a liquid to form a liquid fraction and a fraction comprising solid cellulose particles. The liquid can be pure water or water containing C5 sugars. The water containing C5 sugars can be recycled water from the separation and / or washing of the fraction comprising solid cellulose particles before enzymatic hydrolysis.The outflow stream can be mixed with the liquid, and the resulting mass can be mechanically homogenized to break up any lumps.
[0050] The liquid fraction may comprise sugars from hydrolyzed hemicellulose, as well as soluble lignin and other by-products. In one embodiment, the liquid fraction comprises carbohydrates, such as C5 sugars (C5H10O5 or (C5(H2O)n). The liquid fraction may comprise carbohydrates, such as monosaccharides (C6H12O6 or C5H10O5), disaccharides (C12H22O11), oligosaccharides and / or polysaccharides ((CeHioOsín or (CsHgCMn)). In one embodiment, the liquid fraction comprises soluble C5 carbohydrates (C5H10O5 or Cs(H2O)n) and other carbohydrates. The liquid fraction may also comprise other components.
[0051] The fraction comprising cellulose particles Petition 870260064221, dated 06 / 30 / 2026, page 32 / 60 23 / 37 Solid cellulose may, in addition to cellulose, comprise lignin. In one embodiment, the fraction comprising solid cellulose particles comprises carbohydrates, for example, solid C6 carbohydrates (C6H12O6 or Ce(H2O)n), and lignin. The fraction comprising solid cellulose particles may also comprise other carbohydrates and other components.
[0052] The method may comprise the separation and recovery of the liquid fraction and the fraction comprising solid cellulose particles formed in i) before ii). The separated or recovered fraction comprising solid cellulose particles may be washed before being subjected to enzymatic hydrolysis in ii). The fraction comprising solid cellulose particles may be diluted with water and / or another liquid containing at least soluble carbohydrates.
[0053] Step ii) of subjecting the fraction comprising solid cellulose particles to enzymatic hydrolysis can be carried out at a temperature of 30 to 70°C, or 35 to 65°C, or 40 to 60°C, or 45 to 55°C, or 48 to 53°C. Step ii) of subjecting the fraction comprising solid cellulose particles to enzymatic hydrolysis can be carried out at atmospheric pressure. The pH of the fraction comprising solid cellulose particles can be maintained during ii) at a pH value of 3.5 to 6.5, or 4.0 to 6.0, or 4.5 to 5.5. The pH of the fraction comprising solid cellulose particles can be adjusted by adding base and / or acid. Step ii) of subjecting the fraction comprising solid cellulose particles to enzymatic hydrolysis can proceed for 20 to 120 h, or 30 to 90 h, or 40 to 80 h. The enzymatic hydrolysis of the fraction comprising solid cellulose particles can be carried out continuously or as a process of the type... Petition 870260064221, dated 06 / 30 / 2026, page 33 / 60 24 / 37 discontinuous or as a combination of a continuous and discontinuous process.
[0054] In one embodiment, enzymatic hydrolysis is carried out at a temperature of 30 to 70°C, or 35 to 65°C, or 40 to 60°C, or 45 to 55°C, or 48 to 53°C, maintaining the pH of the fraction comprising solid cellulose particles at a pH value of 3.5 to 6.5, or 4.0 to 6.0, or 4.5 to 5.5, and where enzymatic hydrolysis can continue for 20 to 120 h, or 30 to 90 h, or 40 to 80 h.
[0055] Enzymatic hydrolysis can be carried out in at least one step of the process.
[0056] In one embodiment, enzymatic hydrolysis can be carried out as a one-step hydrolysis process, wherein the fraction comprising solid cellulose particles is subjected to enzymatic hydrolysis in at least one first hydrolysis reactor. After hydrolysis, the hydrolysis product, i.e., the hydrolysate, can be subjected to a separation, wherein the solid lignin fraction, which, in addition to lignin, may also comprise unhydrolyzed cellulose, is separated from the liquid carbohydrate fraction. The one-step hydrolysis process can be carried out as a batch process comprising, for example, several reactors operating in parallel, wherein each reactor can receive a portion of the fraction comprising solid cellulose particles. In addition, separate parallel lines with parallel reactors can be used.
[0057] In one embodiment, enzymatic hydrolysis can be carried out as a two-step hydrolysis process or as a multi-step hydrolysis process. In the two-step hydrolysis process or in the hydrolysis process Petition 870260064221, dated 06 / 30 / 2026, page 34 / 60 25 / 37 multi-stage, the fraction comprising solid cellulose particles may first be subjected to a first enzymatic hydrolysis in at least one first hydrolysis reactor. Then, the resulting liquid carbohydrate fraction may be separated from the solid lignin fraction, which may also comprise unhydrolyzed cellulose. The solid fraction may then be subjected to a second or any subsequent enzymatic hydrolysis, for example, in at least one second hydrolysis reactor. At least one of the first enzymatic hydrolysis and the second or any subsequent enzymatic hydrolysis may be carried out as a batch process or as a continuous process comprising, for example, one or more reactors operating in parallel. After the second or any subsequent enzymatic hydrolysis, the hydrolysis product, i.e., the hydrolysate, may be subjected to separation, whereby the solid lignin fraction is separated from the liquid carbohydrate fraction.
[0058] The reaction time in the first hydrolysis reactor can be from 8 to 72 hours. The reaction time in the second and / or any subsequent hydrolysis reactor can be from 8 to 72 hours.
[0059] Enzymes are catalysts for enzymatic hydrolysis. The enzymatic reaction decreases the pH and, by shortening the length of the cellulose fibers, can also decrease the viscosity. Subjecting the fraction comprising solid cellulose particles to enzymatic hydrolysis can result in the transformation of cellulose into glucose monomers with enzymes. The lignin present in the fraction comprising solid cellulose particles may remain essentially Petition 870260064221, dated 06 / 30 / 2026, page 35 / 60 26 / 37 in solid form.
[0060] At least one enzyme can be used to perform enzymatic hydrolysis. At least one enzyme can be selected from a group consisting of cellulases, hemicellulases, laccases, and lignolytic peroxidases. Cellulases are multiprotein complexes consisting of synergistic enzymes with different specific activities that can be divided into exo- and endocellulases (glucanase) and β-glucosidase (cellobiose). The enzymes can be commercially available cellulase mixtures or manufactured on-site.
[0061] Cellulose is an insoluble linear polymer of repeating glucose units linked by β-1-4-glycosidic bonds. During enzymatic hydrolysis, cellulose chains are broken by the cleavage of at least one β-1-4-glycosidic bond.
[0062] Enzymatic hydrolysis can result in the formation of a lignin fraction and a carbohydrate fraction. In one embodiment, the carbohydrate fraction comprises C6 sugars (C6H12O6 or (Ce(H2O)n)). In another embodiment, the carbohydrate fraction comprises monosaccharides (CeH^Oe or C5H10O5), disaccharides (C12H22O11), oligosaccharides and / or polysaccharides (CeHiOOsín or (CsHgCMn). In another embodiment, the carbohydrate fraction comprises galactose, glucose, mannose, arabinose, xylose, glucuronic acid and / or galacturonic acid.
[0063] The inventors surprisingly discovered that the specified size range of wood chips in the wood-based feedstock has the added utility of affecting the amount of carbohydrate fraction that is obtained from enzymatic hydrolysis. Petition 870260064221, dated 06 / 30 / 2026, page 36 / 60 27 / 37
[0064] In one embodiment, the lignin fraction is in solid form. In another embodiment, the carbohydrate fraction is in liquid form. The lignin fraction and the carbohydrate fraction formed in ii) can be separated and recovered before iii).
[0065] During the separation(s) conducted before ii) and / or before iii), the solid fraction may be separated from the liquid fraction. The separation(s) conducted before ii) and / or before iii) may be carried out by filtration and / or by centrifugal treatment. The filtration may be vacuum filtration, filtration based on the use of subpressure, filtration based on the use of overpressure or filter pressing.
[0066] The carbohydrate fraction recovered from enzymatic hydrolysis can be purified before step iii). The purification of the carbohydrate fraction can be carried out using at least one of the following: membrane filtration, crystallization, sterilization, pasteurization, evaporation, chromatography, ion exchange, or activated carbon. Purification of the carbohydrate fraction has the added benefit of providing a desired target quality of sugars. The carbohydrate fraction can be subjected to catalytic conversion iii).
[0067] Catalytic conversion iii) of the carbohydrate fraction may comprise subjecting the carbohydrate fraction to catalytic hydrogenolysis. That is, the carbohydrate fraction may be subjected to catalysts in the presence of hydrogen in step iii). The catalytic conversion may be carried out in the presence of water. In one embodiment, the catalytic conversion of the carbohydrate fraction comprises subjecting the fraction to Petition 870260064221, dated 06 / 30 / 2026, page 37 / 60 28 / 37 Carbohydrate undergoes catalytic hydrogenation in the presence of a solvent, preferably water, and a catalyst system.
[0068] Catalytic conversion can be carried out in the presence of a catalyst system comprising one or more catalysts. In one embodiment, the catalyst system comprises or consists of a first catalyst. In one embodiment, the catalyst system comprises or consists of at least one first catalyst and at least one second catalyst. In one embodiment, the catalyst system comprises or consists of a first catalyst and a second catalyst. The first catalyst may be a heterogeneous solid catalyst. The second catalyst may be a homogeneous catalyst. In one embodiment, the first and second catalysts may be heterogeneous catalysts, for example, supported on a vehicle.
[0069] The first catalyst may comprise an active metal component selected from Group 8, Group 9 or Group 10 of the IUPAC periodic table of elements, such as iron, cobalt, nickel, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, iridium and platinum, or a mixture thereof. In one embodiment, the first catalyst comprises or consists of a heterogeneous Ni alloy, such as Raney nickel. The active metal component of the first catalyst may be supported by a carrier comprising activated carbon, alumina, silica, silicon carbide, zirconia, zinc oxide, titanium dioxide or a mixture thereof. The active metal component of the first catalyst may represent from 0.05 to 70% by weight of the total weight of the catalyst. Petition 870260064221, dated 06 / 30 / 2026, pages 38 / 60 29 / 37
[0070] The second catalyst may comprise at least one active component selected from tungsten oxide, tungsten sulfide, tungsten hydroxide, tungsten oxide-bronze, tungstic acid, tungstate, metatungsic acid, metatungsic acid, paratungsic acid, paratungsic acid, peroxotungsic acid, pertungsic acid, heteropoly tungsic acid. In one embodiment, the second comprises or consists of homogeneous sodium tungstate.
[0071] The first catalyst may be active in hydrogenation. The second catalyst may be active in cracking.
[0072] In one embodiment, the second catalyst is a homogeneous catalyst, and the second catalyst can be recovered and recycled for reuse in iii).
[0073] Step iii) of catalytic conversion of the carbohydrate fraction can be carried out at a temperature of 120 to 300°C, or 180 to 270°C, or 230 to 270°C. The initial pressure at room temperature in iii) can be 1 to 15 MPa, or 9 to 12 MPa. Catalytic conversion can be carried out continuously. The time the carbohydrate fraction is subjected to catalytic conversion can be from 5 minutes to 3 hours, or from 30 minutes to 2.5 hours.
[0074] Catalytic conversion can occur in a conversion reactor, such as a fixed bed or a fluidized paste reactor. Catalytic conversion of the carbohydrate fraction can occur as a fluidized paste reaction. Hydrogen and the carbohydrate fraction can be added to the reactor separately or simultaneously using respective pumps and compressors. The second catalyst, being in liquid form, can be added to the reactor separately or Petition 870260064221, dated 06 / 30 / 2026, pp. 39 / 60 30 / 37 simultaneously with the carbohydrate fraction. The first catalyst can be supplied to the reactor separately from the carbohydrate fraction, preferably before the carbohydrate fraction is fed to the reactor. The liquid and gaseous reaction products comprising glycols can be removed from the reactor. The reaction products can be cooled and depressurized. After depressurization, the gaseous products can be subjected to gas / liquid separation to separate the product comprising glycols in liquid form.
[0075] Subjecting the carbohydrate fraction to catalytic conversion iii) can thus result in a glycol liquid composition. The catalytic conversion performs at least hydrogenation and hydrocracking reactions to achieve hydrogenation and hydrocracking of the carbohydrate fraction, so that a glycol liquid composition is formed. The glycol liquid composition may comprise or consist of monoethylene glycol (MEG, also called 1,2-ethanediol), monopropylene glycol (MPG, also called 1,2-propanediol), and 1,2-butanediol (BDO, also called butylene glycol). These glycols may be present at a concentration of 0.1–40% by weight based on the total weight of the glycol liquid composition. The glycol liquid composition may also comprise other byproducts. The yield of the ethylene glycol reaction may be at least 60%.
[0076] The recovery of monoethylene glycol from the liquid composition of glycols in step iv) can be carried out by a separation technique selected from adsorption, evaporation, distillation, extractive distillation, azeotropic distillation, vacuum distillation, distillation Petition 870260064221, dated 06 / 30 / 2026, pages 40 / 60 31 / 37 atmospheric, membrane separation, filtration, reactive purification or a combination thereof.
[0077] In one embodiment, monoethylene glycol is recovered by distillation. Distillation may be carried out in at least one distillation column. Distillation may be carried out at a temperature of 50 to 250°C, or 100 to 200°C. Distillation may be carried out at a pressure of at least 0.1 kPa, or at least 10 kPa, or at least 50 kPa. The pressure may be at most 400 kPa, or at most 200 kPa, or at most 120 kPa. It will be evident to the skilled person the variation of temperature and pressure relative to each other to achieve suitable conditions. [007 8] MEG recovered in iv) can be subjected to an esterification reaction with terephthalic acid to form polyethylene terephthalate (PET). This esterification reaction can be carried out at a pressure of 0.27 to 0.55 MPa and a temperature of 220 to 260°C. The water that is formed during the reaction can be removed by distillation.
[0079] PET can be used to form a resin. The resin can be further processed into containers using, for example, injection molding or stretch blow molding.
[0080] The method as disclosed in the current descriptive report has the added benefit of making use of wood chips having the specified size range. The specified size of the wood chips has the added benefit of beneficially affecting the impregnation treatment. The specified size of the wood chips has the added benefit of making the impregnation treatment efficient, for example, the impregnation liquid. Petition 870260064221, dated 06 / 30 / 2026, page 41 / 60 32 / 37 is uniformly distributed over the wood chips and absorbed by them, whereby less impregnation liquid may be required. The use of wood chips of the specified chip size has the added benefit of making the method easier to control. By limiting the amount of very thick chips in the method, the formation of fiber bundles and unhydrolyzed sticks in pretreatment i) can be reduced or minimized, and the yield of the fraction comprising solid cellulose particles from pretreatment i) can be increased. This can then affect the yield of the carbohydrate fraction received from enzymatic hydrolysis ii) and additionally the yield of glycols received from catalytic conversion iii).The impregnation treatment, as described in this descriptive report, has the additional benefit of beneficially affecting the vapor explosion so that a fraction comprising solid cellulose particles with a larger surface area can be achieved. In this way, the overall process for producing monoethylene glycol can be improved. Examples
[0081] Reference will now be made in detail to the modalities of the present disclosure, an example of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
[0082] The description below discloses some modalities in detail such that a person versed in the technique is able to utilize the arrangement and its use, and the method based on the revelation. Not all steps of the modalities are discussed in detail, as many of the steps will be obvious to the person versed in the technique based on this revelation.
[0083] For simplicity, the item numbers Petition 870260064221, dated 06 / 30 / 2026, page 42 / 60 33 / 37 will be maintained in the following illustrative modalities in the case of repeated components.
[0084] Figure 1 and Figure 2 attached illustrate an example of a flowchart of the method for producing monoethylene glycol and a corresponding arrangement 1 in some detail. The figures are not drawn to scale, and many of the components are omitted for clarity. Arrangement 1 of Figure 2 for producing monoethylene glycol (MEG) from a wood-based raw material comprises at least one pretreatment unit 2 configured to subject the wood-based raw material originating from the wood-based raw material to at least one pretreatment to form a liquid fraction and a fraction comprising solid cellulose particles.
[0085] The arrangement in Figure 2 further comprises a mechanical unit 6 configured to subject raw wood-based material to mechanical treatment. The mechanical treatment may be selected from peeling, chipping, splitting, cutting, refining, grinding, crushing, slicing, screening and / or washing of the raw wood-based material to form the wood-based feedstock. The wood-based feedstock comprises wood chips, wherein a maximum of 5% by weight of the wood chips in the wood-based feedstock are very thick wood chips as specified by SCAN-CM 40:01.
[0086] At least one of the pretreatment units 2 is a pressurized reactor 2c configured to subject the wood-based feedstock originating from the wood-based raw material to steam blasting. Petition 870260064221, dated 06 / 30 / 2026, page 43 / 60 34 / 37
[0087] The arrangement shown in Figure 2 further comprises the impregnation reactor 2b operationally disposed before the pressurized reactor 2c. The impregnation unit 2b is configured to subject the wood-based raw material to at least one impregnation treatment with an impregnation liquid. The impregnation liquid may be selected from water, at least one acid, at least one base, at least one alcohol, or any combination or mixture thereof.
[0088] The arrangement shown in Figure 2 further comprises a pre-vaporization reactor 2a operationally disposed before the impregnation reactor 2b and the pressurized reactor 2c. The pre-vaporization unit is configured to subject the wood-based raw material to pre-vaporization.
[0089] At least one pretreatment unit may comprise at least one of the pre-vaporization reactor 2a, the impregnation reactor 2b and the pressurized reactor 2c. Alternatively, at least one pretreatment unit may comprise two of them or all three, one after the other.
[0090] After the pretreatment unit(s), at least one hydrolysis reactor 3 is provided. The at least one hydrolysis reactor 3 is configured to subject the fraction comprising solid cellulose particles to enzymatic hydrolysis to form a lignin fraction and a carbohydrate fraction.
[0091] The arrangement shown in Figure 2 additionally comprises a conversion reactor 4 configured to subject the carbohydrate fraction to catalytic conversion to form Petition 870260064221, dated 06 / 30 / 2026, page 44 / 60 35 / 37 a liquid composition of glycols.
[0092] The arrangement in Figure 2 additionally comprises a distillation unit 5 configured to recover monoethylene glycol from the liquid glycol composition. Example 1 - Effect of wood chip size on wood-based raw material
[0093] In this example, the effect of the specified size of wood chips on the wood-based raw material was tested. The wood-based raw material was subjected to pre-steaming followed by impregnation treatment, as described in the current descriptive report. The impregnation treatment was conducted using H2SO4 at an acid concentration of 13 g / l as the impregnation liquid. The temperature of the impregnation liquid was 90°C. The residence time was 1 minute. The results are presented in Table 1 below. Table 1. Raw material based on wood supplied comprising wood chips. Dry matter content (wood chips) % 70.7 Size class above 45 mm % 0.0 Size class very thick 45 to 8 mm % 1.2 Size class 8 to 13 mm % 61.0 Size class 13 to 7 mm % 28.6 Size class 7 to 3 mm % 8.1 Size class thin 3 mm % 1.0 Apparent density (wood chips) kg / m3 190 Specific surface area (SSA) of chips cm2 / g 10.6 Petition 870260064221, dated 06 / 30 / 2026, pages 45 / 60 36 / 37 Geometric specific surface area (GSSA) of wood chips cm2 / g 13.7 Wood-based raw material supplied comprising wood chips After impregnation treatment Sulfur, S, ICP mg / kg 82.5 2215 Sulfur as sulfuric acid, H2SO4, % w / w 0.025%* 0.670%* Impregnated sulfuric acid, H2SO4, % w / w 0% 0.645% *The sulfuric acid content was calculated from the amount of sulfur.
[0094] From Table 1 above, it can be seen that the sulfur content measured as TCP mg / kg (Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry according to SFSEN ISO 11885) increased as a result of the impregnation treatment, indicating that the impregnation liquid was well impregnated.
[0095] It is obvious to a person skilled in the art that, with the advancement of technology, the basic idea can be implemented in various ways. The embodiments are therefore not limited to the examples described above; instead, they can vary within the scope of the claims.
[0096] The embodiments described above may be used in any combination with each other. Several of the embodiments may be combined to form an additional embodiment. A method, arrangement or monoethylene glycol disclosed in this document may comprise at least one of the embodiments described above. It will be understood that the benefits and advantages described above may refer to one embodiment or may refer to several embodiments. Petition 870260064221, dated 06 / 30 / 2026, pp. 46 / 60 37 / 37 The options are not limited to those that solve any or all of the stated problems or those that have some or all of the stated benefits and advantages. It will be further understood that reference to an item refers to one or more of these items. The term "comprising" is used in this descriptive report to mean that it includes the feature(s) or act(s) that follow(s) subsequently, without excluding the presence of one or more additional features or acts. Petition 870260064221, dated 06 / 30 / 2026, pp. 47 / 60
Claims
1 / 6 CLAIMS 1. A method for producing monoethylene glycol (MEG) from a wood-based raw material, characterized in that the method comprises: i) providing a wood-based raw material originating from the wood-based raw material and comprising wood chips, wherein a maximum of 5% by weight of the wood chips in the wood-based raw material are very thick wood chips, as specified by SCAN-CM 40:01, and subjecting the wood-based raw material to at least one pretreatment to form a liquid fraction and a fraction comprising solid cellulose particles; ii) subjecting the fraction comprising solid cellulose particles to enzymatic hydrolysis to form a lignin fraction and a carbohydrate fraction; iii) subjecting the carbohydrate fraction to catalytic conversion to form a liquid glycol composition; and iv) recovering monoethylene glycol from the liquid glycol composition.
2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that at most 3.5% by weight, or at most 3% by weight, or at most 2.5% by weight, or at most 2% by weight of the wood chips in the wood-based raw material are very thick wood chips as specified by SCAN-CM 40:
01.
3. Method, according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that at most 10% by weight, or at most 6% by weight, or at most 3% by weight, or at most 1.5% by weight, or at most 0.5% by weight of the wood chips in the wood-based raw material are fines as specified by SCAN-CM 40:01, as specified in Petition 870260064221, dated 06 / 30 / 2026, page 48 / 60 2 / 6.
4. A method, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the specific surface area (SSA) of the wood chips is 2 to 35 cm2 / g, or 4 to 33 cm2 / g, or 6 to 30 cm2 / g, or 10 to 25 cm2 / g, or 12 to 20 cm2 / g.
5. A method, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the geometric specific surface area (GSSA) of the wood chips is 2 to 40 cm2 / g, or 4 to 35 cm2 / g, or 6 to 30 cm2 / g, or 10 to 25 cm2 / g, or 12 to 20 cm2 / g.
6. A method, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the raw wood-based material is broadleaf wood.
7. A method according to claim 6, characterized in that the broadleaf wood is selected from a group consisting of beech, birch, ash, oak, maple, chestnut, willow, poplar and any combination or mixture thereof.
8. A method, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that providing the wood-based raw material comprises subjecting the raw wood-based material to a mechanical treatment selected from peeling, chipping, splitting, cutting, refining, grinding, crushing, disintegration, sieving and / or washing of the raw wood-based material to form the wood-based raw material.
9. Method, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pretreatment in i) comprises subjecting the wood-based raw material Petition 870260064221, dated 06 / 30 / 2026, page 49 / 60 3 / 6 to a steam explosion which is carried out by treating the wood-based raw material with steam having a temperature of 130 to 240°C under a pressure of 0.17 to 3.25 MPaG, followed by a sudden and explosive decompression of the wood-based raw material.
10. A method, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pretreatment in i) comprises, before subjecting to steam explosion, subjecting the wood-based raw material to at least one impregnation treatment with an impregnation liquid selected from water, at least one acid, at least one base, at least one alcohol, or any combination or mixture thereof.
11. Method, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pretreatment in i) comprises, before subjecting to impregnation treatment and / or steam explosion, subjecting the wood-based raw material to pre-steaming, wherein the pre-steaming of the wood-based raw material is carried out with steam having a temperature of 100 to 130°C at atmospheric pressure.
12. A method, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the enzymatic hydrolysis is carried out at a temperature of 30 to 70°C, or 35 to 65°C, or 40 to 60°C, or 45 to 55°C, or 48 to 53°C, maintaining the pH of the fraction comprising solid cellulose particles at a pH value of 3.5 to 6.5, or 4.0 to 6.0, or 4.5 to 5.5, and where the enzymatic hydrolysis can continue for 20 to 120 h, or 30 to 90 h, or 40 to 80 h.
13. Method, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the catalytic conversion of the carbohydrate fraction comprises subjecting the carbohydrate fraction to catalytic hydrogenation in the presence of water and a catalyst system.
14. A method, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the recovery of monoethylene glycol from the liquid glycol composition is carried out by distillation of the liquid glycol composition.
15. Arrangement (1) for producing monoethylene glycol (MEG) from a wood-based raw material, according to the method defined in any one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that the arrangement comprises: at least one pretreatment unit (2) configured to subject wood-based raw material originating from the wood-based raw material and comprising wood chips, wherein at most 5% by weight of the wood chips in the wood-based raw material are very thick wood chips, as specified by SCAN-CM 40:01, to at least one pretreatment to form a liquid fraction and a fraction comprising solid cellulose particles; at least one hydrolysis reactor (3) configured to subject the fraction comprising solid cellulose particles to enzymatic hydrolysis to form a lignin fraction and a carbohydrate fraction;a conversion reactor (4) configured to subject the carbohydrate fraction to catalytic conversion to form a liquid glycol composition; and a distillation unit (5) configured to recover monoethylene glycol from the liquid glycol composition.
16. Arrangement according to claim 15, characterized in that the arrangement comprises a mechanical unit (6) configured to subject the raw wood-based material to a mechanical treatment selected from peeling, chipping, splitting, cutting, refining, grinding, crushing, disintegration, sieving and / or washing of the raw wood-based material to form the wood-based raw material.
17. Arrangement according to claim 15 or 16, characterized in that one of at least one pretreatment unit (2) is a pressurized reactor (2c) configured to subject wood-based raw material originating from wood-based raw material to steam explosion.
18. Arrangement according to any one of claims 15 to 17, characterized in that at least one of the pretreatment units (2) is an impregnation reactor (2b) operationally disposed before the pressurized reactor (2c) and configured to subject the wood-based raw material to at least one impregnation treatment with an impregnation liquid selected from water, at least one acid, at least one base, at least one alcohol, or any combination or mixture thereof.
19. Arrangement according to any one of claims 15 to 18, characterized in that at least one of the pretreatment units is a pre-vaporization reactor (2a) operationally disposed before the impregnation reactor (2b) and / or the pressurized reactor (2c) and configured to subject the wood-based raw material to pre-vaporization with steam having a temperature of 100 to 130°C at atmospheric pressure.