Method and system for producing saccharification reaction solution

Abstract

This invention provides a novel and useful method and system for producing a saccharification reaction solution from a reaction system that overcomes the drawbacks associated with the use of centrifuges by employing a mechanism other than centrifugal separation. [Solution] In the reaction slurry containment tank 120, the enzyme-reacted reaction slurry is pulled upward and compressed, causing the liquid to flow into the dewatering drum through the punch holes in the drum body, while the fibrous material intertwines and mat formation progresses. Furthermore, when the drum is pulled up to a position where the body of the pressurized dewatering drum 121B is closest to the body of the fixed dewatering drum 121A, the mat M is compressed and the saccharification reaction liquid is squeezed out as liquid. Shortened fibers during the saccharification reaction are captured by the mat. The squeezed-out saccharification reaction liquid flows into the drum through the punch holes and exists as a supernatant. When the mat becomes thicker, the air spring elastically compresses, allowing it to withstand the increased pressure, thus preventing damage to the dewatering drum and failure of the motor of the rotating mechanism.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for producing a saccharification reaction solution obtained by saccharifying pulp fibers by an enzymatic reaction, and more particularly to a method for producing a saccharification reaction solution characterized by separating fiber components from a reaction slurry.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes that a reaction solution containing cellooligosaccharide and glucose is obtained by saccharifying cellulose, the obtained reaction solution is withdrawn from the reaction system, and then the cellulose solid content is separated from the reaction solution to obtain a saccharification reaction solution. Regarding separation, it has been proposed to perform rough separation using a centrifuge and then perform fine separation using a filter or a filter cloth.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Due to its characteristics of being able to separate quickly, in large quantities, and continuously, the centrifuge itself has been conventionally used in a wide variety of applications, not limited to the above uses. However, in the above uses, depending on the business scale, at present, for the assumed throughput, a large-scale introduction cost is required, and the power cost during operation is considered too high. In addition, the enzymatic reaction is a biochemical reaction, and the function of the enzyme changes depending on the temperature, pH, and the production amount of the reactant. Therefore, although the ratio of the cellulose solid content input to the centrifuge always fluctuates, the rotational speed of the rotating body provided in the centrifuge is set to be constant, so it cannot follow the fluctuations and often causes failures. The process of obtaining cellooligosaccharides and glucose through enzymatic saccharification using pulp-derived cellulose as a substrate is attracting attention from the perspective of effective biomass utilization. As a result, there is ongoing search for new separation mechanisms that move beyond the current reliance on centrifuges.

[0005] This invention addresses the above-mentioned conventional problems and aims to provide a novel and useful method for producing a saccharification reaction solution from a reaction system that eliminates the drawbacks associated with the use of a centrifuge by using a mechanism other than separation by centrifugation. Furthermore, the present invention aims to propose a manufacturing method that utilizes a specific apparatus capable of implementing the above-described separation mechanism. Furthermore, the objective is to provide a saccharification reaction solution manufacturing system that effectively utilizes the features of the above-mentioned apparatus to enable the efficient production of saccharification reaction solutions. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention was made to solve the above problems, and the first invention is a method for producing a saccharification reaction solution by separating fibrous material from a reaction slurry obtained by saccharification by enzymatic reaction of pulp fibers in an aqueous medium using cellulase, characterized in that the fibrous material contained in the reaction slurry is intertwined to form a mat, and the formed mat is further compressed to trap short fibers in the mat while separating the compressed liquid as a saccharification reaction solution. manufacturing It is a method.

[0007] Preferably, a press is used that includes a reaction slurry containment tank, a pair of dewatering drums housed in the reaction slurry containment tank with their bodies arranged side by side, a rotating means for rotating the pair of dewatering drums in opposite directions to pull the reaction slurry up from below between their bodies, a reaction slurry supply port provided in the reaction slurry containment tank and communicating with the lower side of the dewatering drums, a supernatant discharge port provided in the reaction slurry containment tank and communicating with the inside of the dewatering drums, and a compression adjustment means that allows the reaction slurry, which has been pulled up between the bodies, to be compressed while retracting in a way that allows elastic recovery as its thickness increases. When the reaction slurry extracted from the reaction tank in which the enzymatic reaction is taking place is sent into the reaction slurry containment tank, the reaction slurry is matted as the fibers intertwine during the process of being pulled up, and the mat is further compressed at the position where the distance between the bodies is narrowest, thereby separating the saccharification reaction liquid as a pressed liquid and taking out the supernatant that was inside the bodies. Preferably, a return route is provided for the compressed residue mat to be returned to the reaction tank, and a fibrous circulation system is configured between the reaction slurry containment tank and the reaction tank. Preferably, the system includes a route for supplying pulp fibers to a reaction tank for enzymatic reaction and a route for supplying them directly to a press, in which the pulp fibers supplied directly are used to form a mat.

[0008] The second invention is a manufacturing system for carrying out the above manufacturing method, comprising a pulper, a reaction tank, and a press, wherein the reaction tank is connected to the pulper via a pump, a discharge port provided at the bottom of the reaction tank and a reaction slurry supply port of the press are connected via a pump, and furthermore, the press and the reaction tank are linked by a return path through which the compressed residue mat is returned to the reaction tank.

[0009] Preferably, the flow path between the pulper and the reaction tank is branched downstream of the pump by a three-way valve, with one end connected to the reaction tank and the other to a replenishment tank where pulp fibers are stored before being sent directly to the press. Preferably, a channel for discharging pulp fibers from a replenishment tank is connected to a channel connecting a discharge port provided at the bottom of the reaction tank and the reaction slurry supply port of the press, and an inline mixer is inserted downstream of the confluence. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the manufacturing method of the present invention, a saccharification reaction solution can be obtained without using a centrifuge. Furthermore, the press proposed as an alternative to the centrifugal separator not only eliminates the drawbacks associated with using centrifugal separators, but can also be constructed using the dehydration mechanism of devices already proposed as concentrate dehydrators, thus eliminating the need for new development. Furthermore, by utilizing the aforementioned press, it is possible to construct a saccharification reaction solution manufacturing system that effectively takes advantage of its features to enable the efficient production of saccharification reaction solutions. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a production system for a saccharification reaction solution according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a magnified view of the press installed in the manufacturing system shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3] Figure 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the press. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] The method for producing a saccharification reaction solution according to an embodiment of the present invention involves obtaining a highly pure saccharification reaction solution by separating the fiber component from the reaction slurry extracted from the reaction slurry, which is obtained by saccharification of pulp fibers by an enzymatic reaction using cellulase in an aqueous medium, using the reaction slurry as the material to be processed, and is characterized by its separation mechanism. First, we will explain the steps leading up to the separation process, starting with the raw materials and then the reaction system, followed by the extraction and separation process. Furthermore, a [manufacturing system] for carrying out the method for producing a saccharification reaction solution according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0013] [Raw materials] (Pulp fiber) Pulp is classified into kraft pulp, dissolving pulp, etc. according to the method of extracting fibers from wood such as coniferous trees and broad-leaved trees. However, all of them are the objects to be processed in the present invention. Also, depending on the raw material wood, it is classified into softwood pulp (NBKP) and hardwood pulp (LBKP). However, all of them are the objects to be processed in the present invention. Since the cellulose content is higher in softwood pulp (NBKP), if this is processed, the recovery amount of the saccharification reaction solution as the result will increase. However, in the [extraction and separation process] of the present invention, when processing softwood pulp (NBKP) and hardwood pulp (LBKP), no problem in the processing direction appears. (Cellulase) Since the enzymatic reaction uses cellulose, which is the main component of pulp fibers, as a substrate, the cellulase enzyme only needs to be able to decompose cellulose into cellooligosaccharides such as cellobiose or glucose, and its origin is not limited.

[0014] [Reaction system] Using pulp fibers as a substrate, an enzymatic reaction is carried out with cellulase in an aqueous medium (usually water). The addition of cellulase may be done once, continuously, or sequentially multiple times. The reaction system is set such that, for example, at the end of the reaction, the concentration of pulp fibers is 1.0 - 6.0%, the temperature is 40 - 60°C, the concentration of the reaction product is 0.4 - 0.6% in the case of cellooligosaccharides, and 5.0 - 10.0% in the case of glucose. By this enzymatic reaction, the pulp fibers are saccharified and reaction products are generated. The reaction products are in various forms depending on the degree of progress of saccharification, and are divided into intermediate reaction products such as cellobiose and the monosaccharide glucose as the final reaction product.

[0015] In the saccharification reaction using cellulase, the production of cellobiose and glucose compete with each other. When the goal is to produce cellobiose, the system should be adjusted to have a relatively higher cellobiose content, while when the goal is to produce glucose, the system should be adjusted to have a higher glucose content. Regarding the relationship between saccharification time and saccharification rate, after a certain saccharification time, the amount of cellobiose produced plateaus, while the amount of glucose produced increases linearly, exceeding the amount of cellobiose produced around the time it plateaus. Therefore, when the goal is to produce cellobiose, the timing of the plateau serves as an indicator for when to remove the mixture from the reaction vessel. However, in any case, the reaction time is expected to be in the range of approximately 2 to 24 hours, depending on the size of the reaction vessel used and the degree of reduction due to saccharification of pulp fibers.

[0016] [Extraction and Separation Process] In the above [reaction system], a reaction slurry is obtained. This reaction slurry is a mixture of pulp fibers, i.e., fibrous material, an aqueous medium, and reaction products. When the fibrous material is removed by a separation process, it becomes a saccharification reaction solution. The reaction slurry is withdrawn from the reaction vessel, and the fibrous components contained in the slurry are intertwined with the withdrawn reaction slurry to form a mat. Furthermore, the formed mat is compressed, so that the short fibers in the process of saccharification are captured by the mat through a filtering effect, and the compressed liquid is separated as the saccharification reaction solution. This separation process can be carried out using the press provided in the [manufacturing system] described later.

[0017] [Manufacturing System] A manufacturing system 1 for carrying out the method for producing a saccharification reaction solution according to the above embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figure 1. The processing unit consists of a pulper 2, a reaction tank 3, and a press 12. Pulper 2 is a device that has been conventionally used to disintegrate papermaking raw materials such as pulp and recycled paper. It works by agitating the material with water and disintegrating it into fine fibers using a high-speed rotating rotor (blades). In Pulper 2, the pulp to be saccharified is agitated with water and disintegrated into fine pulp fibers, which are then dispersed in water. The reaction vessel 3 is cylindrical with its axial direction running vertically and has a hopper bottom. Its upper side is open, serving as an inlet for receiving pulp fibers dispersed in water from the pulper 2. The opening at the bottom of the hopper also serves as an outlet for the reaction slurry. A stirrer 3a is installed inside the reaction vessel 3 and rotates around its axis with its axial direction running vertically. The detailed configuration of the press 12 will be described later, but the reaction slurry receiving tank 120 of this press 12 is provided with a reaction slurry supply port 120a, a supernatant discharge port 120b, and a compressed residue mat discharge port 120c.

[0018] The outlet for the pulp fibers dispersed in water within the pulper 2 and the inlet for the pulp fibers dispersed in water within the reaction tank 3 are connected by a channel 4 made of pipes. A pump 5 is interposed in this channel 4, with the flow from the pulper 2 to the reaction tank 3 being forward. Downstream from there, it branches into two channels 4a and 4b via a three-way valve 6. Channel 4a is then connected to the reaction tank 3. The reaction slurry discharge port at the bottom of the hopper of reaction tank 3 and the reaction slurry supply port 120a of the reaction slurry containment tank 120 of the press 12 are connected by a flow path 7 made of pipes. A pump 8 is also installed in this flow path 7, and the flow is in the forward direction from reaction tank 3 to press 12.

[0019] Furthermore, the aforementioned flow path 4b is connected to the receiving port of the pulp fiber replenishment tank 16. A replenishment flow path 9, made of pipes, is connected to the discharge port of the replenishment tank 16, and this flow path 9 is connected to and merges with the aforementioned flow path 7. An inline mixer 10 is interposed downstream of this merger. A pump 11 is also interposed in flow path 9. The supernatant discharge port 120b of the reaction slurry containment tank 120 is connected to the receiving port of the supernatant storage tank 14 by a flow path 13 made of pipes. In addition, the compressed residue mat discharge port 120c is linked to a return path 15 that returns it to the reaction tank 3, and by providing this return route, a fibrous circulation system is established between the reaction slurry containment tank 120 and the reaction tank 3.

[0020] Manufacturing system 1 is configured as described above and is characterized by the use of a press 12. This press 12 is composed of a concentrate dewatering machine described in patents No. 3433905 and No. 7208618 owned by the present applicant, and Figures 2 and 3 are front view and longitudinal cross-sectional view of its main parts. Furthermore, while the above patents target dewatered fiber components, the present invention targets dewatering from fiber components, so the names of the parts are described differently according to this difference, but since the drawings are largely used, it should be understood that the expected functions themselves are the same.

[0021] In this press 12, the reaction slurry containment tank 120 consists of a fixed tank 120A, a tilting tank 120B, and an expandable section 120C connecting them. Two dewatering drums 121, 121 are housed in the reaction slurry containment tank 120 in a horizontal, parallel arrangement. The fixed tank 120A houses the fixed-side dewatering drum 121A, which is supported to rotate around its axis, and the tilting tank 120B houses the pressurized-side dewatering drum 121B, which is supported to rotate around its axis. The dewatering drums 121A and 121B rotate in opposite directions around their axes, as shown by the arrows, by the drive of a motor, which serves as the means of rotation.

[0022] The dewatering drum 121 is made of perforated metal and has numerous water passage holes. Although not shown in the illustration, two types of mesh wire (lower mesh) and wire (upper mesh) are stretched over its exterior. The wire mesh is made of SUS304 or SUS316. The mesh size of the upper wire mesh is finer than that of the lower wire mesh, and furthermore, the mesh size of the upper wire mesh is finer on the fixed side than on the pressurized side. The mesh size is optimized each time according to the type of raw material and design changes to other parts of the press 12. In tests conducted by the inventor of this invention, the mesh size of the upper wire mesh was set to 20-60 mesh on the fixed side and 14-50 mesh on the pressurized side.

[0023] The reaction slurry containment tank 120 is installed on the base 122, but the tilting tank 120B side is supported by a tilting table 124 that tilts with the support shaft 123 as the pivot point. In addition, the base 122 is equipped with an air spring 125, which supports the lower side of the tilting table 124. The biasing force of the air spring 125 causes the body of the pressurized dewatering drum 121B to be pressed against or close to the body of the fixed dewatering drum 121A via the tilting table 124, and the pressure applied to the mat that enters between them is set to 0.1 to 0.5 MPa. As the mat thickens, the force is transmitted to the air spring 125, causing it to contract and move downward. Consequently, as shown by the dotted line in Figure 2, the body of the pressurized dewatering drum 121B moves away from the body of the fixed dewatering drum 121A, widening the gap (clearance) between the bodies. Then, as the force resisting the biasing force disappears or weakens, the air spring 125 extends and rises, returning to its original state or approaching it. In this way, the compression adjustment means is configured by the linkage mechanism between the air spring 125 and the tilting tank 120B.

[0024] The inner surface of the reaction slurry containment tank 120 is waterproofly connected to the annular portions at both axial ends of the body of the dewatering drum 121, and on one axial side of the reaction slurry containment tank 120, within the annular portion, supernatant outlets 120b, 120b are formed at a height suitable for removing supernatant liquid that communicates with the outside. Furthermore, the reaction slurry containment tank 120 is provided with a reaction slurry supply port 120a located below the dewatering drum 121. On the fixed tank 120A side, a doctor blade 126 is positioned above the body of the fixed dewatering drum 121A. The doctor blade 126 extends downwards to the outside of the reaction slurry containment tank 120, and a discharge section is located at its lower end. The lower end opening of this discharge section is the discharge port 120c for the compressed residue mat. This residue mat discharge port 120c and the upper opening of the reaction tank 3 are connected by a return path 15.

[0025] [Advancements in processing within manufacturing systems] The manufacturing system is configured as described above. With pump 8 stopped, pump 5 operates, and the pulp fibers dispersed in water within the pulper 2 are sent to the reaction vessel 3 via channel 4 → 4a. Cellulase is also added to the reaction vessel 3, and under stirring, the pulp fibers are used as a substrate for an enzymatic reaction with the cellulase in an aqueous medium (usually water). After a predetermined amount has been delivered, the pump 5 on the flow path 4 side stops, so batch processing effectively proceeds within the reaction vessel 3. As described above, in the glycation reaction by cellulase, the cellobiose and glucose production reactions are in competition. When the goal is to produce cellobiose, the pump 8 on the channel 7 side is activated to begin withdrawal when the amount of cellobiose produced plateaus.

[0026] Once extracted as a reaction slurry and sent to the reaction slurry containment tank 120 of the press 12, a pair of dewatering drums 121, 121 rotate in opposite directions as indicated by the arrows in the reaction slurry containment tank 120. This creates a natural vacuum effect, causing the material to move towards the boundary between the bodies of the pair of dewatering drums 121, 121, and further upward between the body of the fixed-side dewatering drum 121A and the body of the pressurized-side dewatering drum 121B. As the distance between the pair of dewatering drums 121, 121 narrows upward, the material is compressed, and the liquid flows into the interior of the dewatering drums 121 through the punch holes in the bodies, while the fibers become entangled and mat formation progresses. Furthermore, when the mat is raised to a position where the body of the pressurized dewatering drum 121B is closest to the body of the fixed dewatering drum 121A, the mat is compressed and the saccharification reaction liquid is squeezed out as liquid. The compressed liquid, i.e., the squeezed saccharification reaction liquid, then flows into the drum through the punch holes and exists as a supernatant liquid. It is then discharged from the supernatant liquid outlet 120b, passes through the flow path 13, and is stored in the supernatant liquid storage tank 14.

[0027] As the enzymatic reaction is a biochemical reaction as described above, the sequential reaction yields different amounts, and the thickness of the mat formed by the fibrous material also fluctuates. However, when the mat becomes thicker, the air spring 125 elastically compresses, allowing it to withstand the increased pressure, thus preventing damage to the dewatering drum 121 or failure of the motor of the rotating mechanism.

[0028] The reaction slurry contains short, fibrous fibers that are part of the saccharification process, but these are captured by the mat during pressing, so their inclusion in the saccharified reaction solution that is squeezed out and discharged as the supernatant is almost completely suppressed. The compressed residue mat M is transferred to the wire mesh of the fixed dewatering drum 121A, adhering to it, and is scraped off by the doctor 126. It is then returned to the reaction tank 3 via the return path 15 through the residue mat discharge port 120c. Therefore, the fibrous components of the residue mat M are reused in the enzymatic reaction. Cellulase is also added in the minimum necessary amount as needed.

[0029] Between the reaction tank 3 and the press 12, after the start of extraction, the reaction slurry is extracted and the residue mat M is returned, and the fibrous material is successively replenished in the residue mat M on the reaction tank 3 side. As the reaction product decreases sequentially by the amount extracted, even if the production of cellobiose in the reaction tank 3 reaches a plateau, it will continue to be produced in additional amounts to compensate for the decrease. In this way, by creating a circulating system, the shortened fibers produced during the enzymatic reaction are also subjected to the enzymatic reaction again, allowing for the efficient generation of reaction products.

[0030] As the enzymatic reaction in reaction tank 3 progresses, the amount of fiber decreases and the amount of short fibers increases. Therefore, especially when the goal is to produce glucose as a reaction product, mat formation in the press 12 would be insufficient. However, the pump 11 operates, and fiber is replenished from the replenishment tank 16. This fiber is thoroughly mixed with the reaction slurry sent from reaction tank 3 in the inline mixer 10 before being sent to the reaction slurry containment tank 120, where it is evenly dispersed in the water. To ensure a suitable pressing capacity, fiber is appropriately replenished so that the solid content of the residue mat M after pressing is between 15% and 45%. Furthermore, the replenishment tank 16 contains pulp fibers dispersed in water, generated within the pulper 2, which are sent via the flow path 4 → 4b and stored in advance.

[0031] The pulp fibers replenished from the replenishment tank 16 are in the amount required for replenishment. After the maximum amount of saccharification reaction solution has been obtained from the pulp fibers for one batch processed and delivered from the pulper 2, the next batch process is carried out in the same manner. However, since the fibers and cellulase used in the previous batch process remain in the reaction vessel 3, the pulp fibers and cellulase supplied are adjusted to account for these residual components. Thus, in this manufacturing system 1, the fibrous material is circulated in the reaction system and used up as much as possible while new fibrous material is replenished. Although it is a sequential system, it can be constructed as a sequential-continuous system that mimics a continuous system, and in terms of processing capacity, it is comparable to that of a centrifuge, which is said to be able to separate materials quickly, in large quantities, and continuously.

[0032] Furthermore, in the above manufacturing system 1, the relatively compact press 12 can achieve a high compression rate with minimal power, and since the pressing pressure is automatically adjusted, malfunctions are less frequent. Furthermore, the saccharification reaction solution after extraction and separation contained almost no short fiber particles, resulting in a higher purity than that obtained using a centrifuge. Therefore, the burden of subsequent purification processes (screening, concentration, etc.) is reduced, enabling the efficient production of highly pure reaction products. By optimizing the timing of withdrawal from reaction vessel 3 and appropriately replenishing fiber from replenishment tank 16, not only glucose but also intermediate reaction products such as cellobiose can be produced efficiently while reducing fiber waste.

[0033] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and any design changes or other modifications that do not depart from the spirit of the present invention are also included in the invention. For example, in the configuration of the press 12, the air spring 125 is linked to the dewatering drum 121B on the pressurized side via the tilting tank 120B. However, the configuration of the reaction slurry receiving tank 120 may be changed so that the dewatering drum 121B on the pressurized side directly receives the biasing force of the air spring 125. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0034] 1…Manufacturing system 2…Pulper 3…Reaction vessel (3a…Stirring bar) 4…Flow channel (4a…Flow channel, 4b…Flow channel) 5... Pump 6... Three-way valve 7…Flow path 8…Pump 9…Flow channel 10…Inline mixer 11...Pump 12...Presser 13…Flow channel 14…Supernatant storage tank 15…Return route 16…Refill tank 120...Reaction slurry containment tank (120A...Fixed tank, 120B...Tilting tank, 120C...Expandable section) 120a…Reaction slurry supply port 120b…Supernatant discharge port 120c... Residue mat discharge port 121...Dehydration drum (121A...Fixed side, 121B...Pressurized side) 122...Base 123...Support shaft 124...Tilting platform 125...Air spring 126... Doctor M... Residue mat

Claims

1. In a method for producing a saccharified reaction solution by separating fiber components from a reaction slurry obtained by saccharification of pulp fibers by enzymatic reaction in an aqueous medium using cellulase, A press comprising a reaction slurry containment tank, a pair of dewatering drums housed in the reaction slurry containment tank with their bodies arranged side by side, a rotating means for rotating the pair of dewatering drums in opposite directions to draw the reaction slurry up from below between their bodies, a reaction slurry supply port provided in the reaction slurry containment tank and communicating with the lower side of the dewatering drums, a supernatant discharge port provided in the reaction slurry containment tank and communicating with the inside of the dewatering drums, and a compression adjustment means that allows the reaction slurry drawn up between the bodies to be compressed while retracting in a way that allows elastic recovery as its thickness increases, A manufacturing method characterized in that, when the reaction slurry withdrawn from the reaction vessel in which the enzymatic reaction is taking place is sent to the reaction slurry receiving tank, the reaction slurry is pulled up and its fibrous components become entangled, forming a mat, and when the distance between the cylinders is narrowest, the mat is compressed, so that the short fibers are captured in the mat, the saccharification reaction solution is separated as a pressed liquid, and the supernatant liquid that was inside the cylinders is taken out.

2. In the method for producing the saccharification reaction solution described in claim 1, A manufacturing method characterized by having a return route for the compressed residue mat to be returned to the reaction tank, and a fibrous circulation system being configured between the reaction slurry containment tank and the reaction tank.

3. In the method for producing a saccharification reaction solution according to claim 1 or 2, A manufacturing method characterized by having a route for supplying pulp fibers to a reaction tank for enzymatic reaction and a route for supplying them directly to a press, wherein the pulp fibers supplied directly to the press are used to form a mat.

4. A manufacturing system for carrying out the method for producing the saccharification reaction solution described in Claim 3, Equipped with a pulper, a reaction tank, and a press, A manufacturing system characterized in that the reaction tank is connected to the pulper via a pump, the discharge port provided at the bottom of the reaction tank and the reaction slurry supply port of the press are connected via a pump, and the press and the reaction tank are linked by a return path through which the compressed residue mat is returned to the reaction tank.

5. In the production system for the saccharification reaction solution described in claim 4, A manufacturing system characterized in that the flow path between the pulper and the reaction tank is branched by a three-way valve downstream of the pump, with one end connected to the reaction tank and the other to a replenishment tank that stores pulp fibers before they are directly sent to the press.

6. In the production system for the saccharification reaction solution described in claim 5, A manufacturing system characterized in that a flow path for dispensing pulp fibers from a replenishment tank is connected to a flow path connecting a discharge port provided at the bottom of a reaction tank and the reaction slurry supply port of the press, and an in-line mixer is inserted downstream of the confluence.

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