Treatment of lignocellulosic biomass with aromatic chemicals as scavengers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10370501-B2
Application number	US-201515317293-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 15, 2015
Priority date	Jun 17, 2014
Publication date	Aug 6, 2019
Grant date	Aug 6, 2019

Abstract

A method for using at least one compound as a scavenger, in particular as a scavenger in the hydrolytic treatment of lignocellulosic biomass is provided. The compound includes at least one aromatic ring substituted with at least two moieties each having a free electron pair, wherein the at least two moieties are arranged in meta-position to each other, and at least two alkyl or alkenyl moieties.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A process for the production of a cellulosic feedstock by hydrolytic treatment of lignocellulosic biomass wherein at least one compound is added to the lignocellulosic biomass during at least one of before, during or after the aqueous treatment autohydrolysis of the lignocellulosic biomass, wherein the compound is selected from at least one compound of

the general formula (II)

wherein
X 1 , X 2 , X 3 =OH,
R=unsubstituted or substituted alkyl substituent(s) or unsubstituted or substituted alkenyl substituent(s), and

n=2.

2. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the aqueous treatment of the lignocellulosic biomass is a liquid hot water treatment or an aqueous steam treatment.

3. The process according to claim 1 , wherein lignocellulosic biomass consists of lignocellulosic material containing fermentable carbohydrate.

4. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the aqueous treatment autohydrolysis of the lignocellulosic biomass is carried out under inert gas, oxygen containing, ozone containing or hydrogen containing atmosphere.

5. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the aqueous treatment autohydrolysis of the lignocellulosic biomass is carried out in a temperature range from 100 to 260° C., and at a pressure within the range from 0 to 500 bar.

6. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the pH during the aqueous treatment of the lignocellulosic biomass is adjusted by the addition of at least one acid.

7. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the pH during the aqueous treatment of the lignocellulosic biomass is adjusted by the addition of at least one base.

8. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the water to dry biomass ratio is in the range between 1:5 and 100:1.

9. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one compound used as scavenger is added an amount between 0.01 to 20% w/w based on dry biomass loading.

10. The process according to claim 1 , wherein any unreacted scavenger compound is recovered after autohydrolysis treatment and recycled to the autohydrolysis treatment stage.

11. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the reacted scavenger compound is recovered after autohydrolysis with a laccase treatment and recycled to the autohydrolysis treatment stage.

12. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the hydrolytically treated lignocellulosic biomass is washed before entering the enzymatic hydrolysis stage.

13. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the lignocellulosic biomass comprises lignocellulosic material containing fermentable carbohydrate comprising at least one of softwood spruce, hardwood beech, herbs or agricultural residues.

14. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the aqueous treatment autohydrolysis of the lignocellulosic biomass is carried out under inert gas or air.

15. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the aqueous treatment autohydrolysis of the lignocellulosic biomass is carried out in a temperature range from 190 to 240° C.

16. The process according to claim 1 , herein the aqueous treatment autohydrolysis of the lignocellulosic biomass is carried out at a pressure within the range from 1 to 40 bar.

17. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the pH during the aqueous treatment of the lignocellulosic biomass is adjusted by the addition of at least one inorganic acid which comprises nitric acid, hydrochloric acid, phosphoric acid or mixtures thereof.

18. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the pH during the aqueous treatment of the lignocellulosic biomass is adjusted by the addition of at least one organic acid which comprises acetic acid, formic acid or mixtures thereof.

19. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the pH during the aqueous treatment of the lignocellulosic biomass is adjusted by the addition of at least one inorganic base which comprises at least one alkali salt.

20. The process according to claim 19 , wherein the alkali salt comprises sodium hydroxide.

21. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the pH during the aqueous treatment of the lignocellulosic biomass is adjusted by the addition of at least one organic base which comprises pyridine.

22. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the water to dry biomass ratio is in the range between 1:1 and 5:1.

23. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the compound is:

wherein R 1 and R 2 have the meaning of R and are the same or different.

24. The process according to claim 1 , wherein each R is independently selected from a C 1 -C 10 alkyl substituent or a C 1 -C 10 alkenyl substituent.

25. The process according to claim 1 , wherein each R is independently selected from a C 1 -C 5 alkyl substituent or a C 1 -C 5 alkenyl substituent.

26. The process according to claim 1 , wherein each R is independently selected from a methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, i-propyl, n-butyl, i-butyl, t-butyl, propenyl, butenyl or pentenyl substituent.

27. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the compound comprises dimethylphloroglucinol.

28. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the compound is dimethylphloroglucinol.

29. A cellulosic feedstock or lignin fraction obtainable by a process according to claim 1 .

Assignees

• Eth Zuerich

Inventors

• Rudolf Von Rohr Philipp
• Pielhop Thomas
• Larrazábal Labrador Gastón

Classifications

• C12P19/14

  produced by the action of a carbohydrase {(EC 3.2.x)}, e.g. by alpha-amylase {, e.g. by cellulase, hemicellulase} · CPC title

• Y02E50/16

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• D21C5/005

  Treatment of cellulose-containing material with microorganisms or enzymes · CPC title

• D21C11/0007

  Recovery of by-products, i.e. compounds other than those necessary for pulping, for multiple uses or not otherwise provided for (volatile compounds obtained by decomposition of spent liquors in order to regenerate them D21C11/125; compounds obtained by fractionating the liquors in order to regenerate them D21C11/0042) · CPC title

• C08H8/00 Primary

  Macromolecular compounds derived from lignocellulosic materials {(pretreatment thereof B27N)} · CPC title