Cellulose-containing compositions and methods of making same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10385140-B2
Application number	US-201515511183-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 25, 2015
Priority date	Sep 26, 2014
Publication date	Aug 20, 2019
Grant date	Aug 20, 2019

Abstract

Cellulose-containing compositions and method of making same are disclosed. The compositions comprise a cellulose product comprising a type-I cellulose, a type-II cellulose, amorphous cellulose, or a combination thereof. Further, methods are disclosed for making these compositions and for further hydrolyzing these compositions. Additionally, uses for the cellulose-containing compositions are disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A method comprising:
providing a feedstock comprising a type-I cellulose;
converting at least a portion of the type-I cellulose by contacting the feedstock with a fluid comprising a near critical or a supercritical water at a temperature above about 300° C. to form a cellulose product comprising a type-II cellulose; and
hydrolyzing at least a portion of the type-II cellulose to form a hydrolyzed cellulose product.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cellulose product comprises an unconverted type-I cellulose and the type-II cellulose.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein at least one of conditions (1) and (2) is satisfied:
(1) the cellulose product comprises cellulose having a weight-average molecular weight of about 3,000 g/mol to about 25,000 g/mol as determined on a sample of the cellulose product that has been prepared for gel-permeation chromatography analysis according to a first condition; and
(2) cellulose in the cellulose product has a carbonyl content of at least about 60 μmol/g, as determined on a sample of the cellulose product that has been prepared for gel-permeation chromatography analysis according to a second condition.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the composition further comprises lignin.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the cellulose product has a weight-average molecular weight that is less than about 0.5 times the weight-average molecular weight of microcrystalline cellulose.

6. The method of claim 2 , further comprising separating the lignin from the cellulose product using a hydrocyclone;
wherein at least a portion of the lignin is removed in an underflow of the hydrocyclone and at least a portion of the cellulose product is removed in an overflow of the hydrocyclone.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hydrolyzing is carried out at a lower temperature than the converting.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hydrolyzing comprises employing a fluid comprising hot compressed water.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hydrolyzing is carried out using thermal energy originating from the converting.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the converting is conducted at a temperature above 100° C., and the type-II cellulose produced in the converting is maintained at a temperature above 100° C. prior to the hydrolyzing, and optionally during the hydrolyzing.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the converting produces a stream at a first temperature, and the method further comprises:
lowering the first temperature of the stream to a second temperature;
maintaining the stream at the second temperature for a period of time, and changing the stream to a third temperature prior to the hydrolyzing;
wherein the hydrolyzing is conducted at a fourth temperature that is the same as or different from the third temperature.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hydrolyzing comprises acid hydrolysis.

13. The method of claim 2 , further comprising hydrolyzing the type-II cellulose, wherein the type-II cellulose is selectively hydrolyzed over the unconverted type-I cellulose.

14. The method of claim 2 , further comprising recovering the unconverted type-I cellulose.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cellulose product acts as a rheology modifier.

16. The method of claim 2 , further comprising employing at least a portion of the cellulose product as at least a portion of the feedstock, and repeating the method at least one time.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the feedstock is fractionated biomass.

18. The method of claim 1 , further comprising incorporating the hydrolyzed cellulose product into an adhesive selected from the group consisting of a phenolic resin, a phenol-formaldehyde resin, or a combination thereof.

19. A method comprising:
providing a feedstock comprising a type-I cellulose;
converting at least a portion of the type-I cellulose by contacting the feedstock with a fluid comprising a sub-critical, near-critical, or a supercritical water to form a composition comprising a cellulose product, wherein the cellulose product comprises unconverted type-I cellulose and a type-II cellulose, and
hydrolyzing, in a different step from the converting, at least a portion of the unconverted type-I cellulose at the same or different conditions as the converting.

20. A method comprising:
providing a feedstock comprising a type-I cellulose;
converting at least a portion of the type-I cellulose to a type-II cellulose; and
hydrolyzing at least a portion of the type-II cellulose;
wherein the converting produces a composition comprising a cellulose product, wherein the cellulose product comprises an unconverted type-I cellulose and the type-II cellulose; and wherein the uncoverted type-I cellulose is recovered.

Assignees

• Renmatix Inc

Inventors

• Capanema Ewellyn A
• Balakshin Mikhail Y
• Fitzgibbon Patrick David
• Kosa Matyas
• Mclarty Todd Michael
• Sanderson Charles Sebastian

Classifications

• C09J161/06

  of aldehydes with phenols · CPC title

• C09J101/02

  Cellulose; Modified cellulose · CPC title

• C08B15/00 Primary

  Preparation of other cellulose derivatives or modified cellulose {, e.g. complexes} · CPC title

• C09J175/04

  Polyurethanes · CPC title

• C08B15/06

  containing nitrogen {, e.g. carbamates} · CPC title