Method for treating lignocellulosic biomass

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11976259-B2
Application number	US-201816956168-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 4, 2018
Priority date	Dec 20, 2017
Publication date	May 7, 2024
Grant date	May 7, 2024

Abstract

The invention concerns a method for treating lignocellulosic biomass, said method comprising the following steps: a, Preparing an impregnation liquor ( 4 ) containing a chemical catalyst intended to impregnate the biomass b. Introducing the crushed biomass ( 6 ) through an inlet of an impregnation reactor ( 5 ), said inlet being situated in a first impregnation area ( 5 a ) of said impregnation reactor that comprises two superposed areas, said first impregnation area and a second so-called dewatering area ( 5 b ) above the impregnation area c. Introducing the liquor ( 4 a ) through a first liquor inlet situated in said first impregnation area ( 5 a ) of the reactor, d. Introducing said liquor ( 4 b ) into said reactor through a second liquor inlet in another area of the reactor ( 5 d ) situated below the biomass inlet in the first impregnation area ( 5 b ). The invention also concerns the facility for implementing the method.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A process for treating a lignocellulosic biomass ( 6 ), said process comprising the following steps:
a. preparing an impregnation liquor ( 4 ) containing a chemical catalyst intended for the impregnation of the biomass, selected from the group consisting of an acid catalyst, a basic catalyst and an oxidizing catalyst,
b. introducing milled biomass via an inlet of an impregnation reactor ( 5 ), said inlet being located in a first impregnation zone ( 5 a ) of said impregnation reactor wherein said impregnation reactor comprises two superposed zones which are said first impregnation zone and a second “draining” zone ( 5 b ) positioned above the impregnation zone,
c. introducing a first portion of the liquor ( 4 ) via a first liquor inlet located in said first impregnation zone ( 5 a ) of the reactor, and
d. introducing a second portion of said liquor into said reactor ( 5 ) via a second liquor inlet in another reactor zone ( 5 d ) located below a biomass inlet ( 6 ) located in the first impregnation zone ( 5 b ),
e. transferring the impregnated and drained biomass from a reactor draining zone outlet ( 5 ) to a cooking pretreatment reactor ( 9 ),
f. pretreating said impregnated and drained biomass in said cooking reactor ( 9 ), and
g. conducting enzymatic hydrolysis ( 16 ) of the pretreated biomass ( 15 ).

2. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the biomass ( 6 ) is transported from the first impregnation zone ( 5 a ) to the second draining zone ( 5 b ) by one or more transportation screws ( 5 c ), the biomass being impregnated with the liquor ( 4 ) in the first zone and being drained in the second zone.

3. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the introduction of the biomass ( 6 ) into the first impregnation zone ( 5 a ) of the reactor is performed by a feeder ( 6 a ) creating a biomass plug ( 6 b ) which prevents backflow of any liquid from said first zone ( 5 a ) into said feeder ( 6 a ).

4. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein 80% to 98%, of the liquor introduced into the impregnation reactor ( 5 ) is introduced via the first liquor inlet ( 4 a ), and the remainder of the liquor is introduced into the reactor via the second liquor inlet ( 4 b ).

5. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the introduction of liquor via the first liquor inlet ( 4 a ) and via the second liquor inlet ( 4 b ) takes place continuously or discontinuously.

6. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein an impregnation reactor zone ( 5 d ) of the reactor ( 5 ) in which the second liquor inlet is located, is an inactive zone located at a bottom of the reactor positioned substantially vertically or obliquely relative to the vertical.

7. The process as claimed in claim 1 , additionally comprising,
adjusting the pH of the liquor to between 0.1 and 4 and wherein the liquor ( 4 ) is an acid catalysis liquor.

8. A facility for treating a lignocellulosic biomass, comprising:
a zone ( 3 ) for preparing an impregnation liquor ( 4 ) containing a chemical catalyst for the impregnation of the biomass, chosen from an acid, basic or oxidizing catalyst, and equipped with a liquor outlet;
an impregnation reactor ( 5 ) comprising a first impregnation zone ( 5 a ) equipped with a biomass inlet and a second zone superposed on the first, wherein the second zone is a draining zone ( 5 b ), and equipped with a biomass outlet;
a milled biomass feeder ( 6 a ) to the impregnation reactor ( 5 ) via the biomass inlet of the reactor located in the first impregnation zone ( 5 a );
a first impregnation liquor feeder ( 4 a ) to the reactor ( 5 ) connecting a liquor outlet of the liquor ( 4 ) preparation zone ( 3 ) to a first liquor inlet in the first impregnation zone of the reactor; and
a second impregnation liquor feeder ( 4 b ) to the reactor ( 5 ) connecting a liquor outlet of the liquor preparation zone ( 3 ) to a second liquor inlet in a reactor zone ( 5 d ) located below the biomass inlet of the first impregnation zone ( 5 a );
a cooking pretreatment reactor ( 9 ) which receives impregnated and drained biomass from a reactor draining zone outlet ( 5 ) and pretreats said impregnated and drained biomass, and an enzymatic hydrolysis reactor ( 16 ) which receives the pretreated biomass ( 15 ).

9. The process of claim 1 for the treatment of the biomass ( 6 ), wherein said treatment results in the production of sugars, biofuels or biobased molecules.

10. The process of claim 1 , wherein the chemical catalyst is an acid catalyst.

11. The process as claimed in claim 1 , additionally comprising adjusting the pH of the liquor to between 0.3 and 2.

12. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein 85% to 90% of the liquor introduced into the impregnation reactor ( 5 ) is introduced via the first liquor inlet.

13. A process of claim 1 , additionally comprising: a step of h. alcoholic fermentation ( 18 ) of enzymatic hydrolysis must ( 17 ) obtained from the enzymatic hydrolysis of the pretreated biomass.

14. The facility as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the impregnation reactor ( 5 ) is of vertical or oblique orientation relative to the vertical, the biomass undergoing an ascending motion from the first impregnation zone ( 5 a ) to the second draining zone ( 5 b ) by one or more transportation screws ( 5 c ) wherein said one or more transportation screws are placed in the reactor connecting said zones.

15. The facility as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the liquor preparation zone ( 3 ) is a tank or a static mixer or a dynamic mixer.

16. The facility as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the first and the second liquor feeders comprise a common pipe portion ( 4 ) connected to the same liquor outlet of the liquor preparation zone ( 3 ) or are each connected to a different outlet of the liquor preparation zone ( 3 ).

17. The facility as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the biomass feeder ( 6 a ) creates a biomass plug ( 6 b ) which prevents the backflow of any liquid from said first zone into said biomass feeder, wherein said biomass feeder is a feed screw.

18. The facility as claimed in claim 8 , additionally comprising:
an alcoholic fermentation reactor ( 18 ) positioned downstream from the enzymatic hydrolysis reactor, wherein at least two of the reactors, are mounted in series.

19. The process of claim 8 , wherein the chemical catalyst is an acid catalyst.

20. A process for treating a lignocellulosic biomass ( 6 ), said process comprising the following steps:
a. preparing an impregnation liquor ( 4 ) containing a chemical catalyst intended for the impregnation of the biomass, selected from the group consisting of an acid catalyst, a basic catalyst and an oxidizing catalyst,
b. introducing milled biomass via an inlet of an impregnation reactor ( 5 ), said inlet being located in a first impregnation zone ( 5 a ) of said impregnation reactor wherein said impregnation reactor comprises two superposed zones which are said first impregnation zone and a second “draining” zone ( 5 b ) positioned above the impregnation zone,
c. introducing a first portion of the liquor ( 4 ) via a first liquor inlet located in said first impregnation zone ( 5 a ) of the reactor, and
d. introducing a second portion of said liquor into said reactor ( 5 ) via a second liquor inlet in another reactor zone ( 5 d ) located below a biomass inlet ( 6 ) located in the first impregnation zone ( 5 b )
e. transferring the impregnated and drained biomass from a reactor draining zone outlet ( 5

Assignees

• Ifp Energies Now
• Institut National De Rech Pour Lagriculture Lalimentation Et Lenvironment
• Agro Industrie Recherches Developpement

Inventors

• Aymard Caroline
• Perotta Larissa

Classifications

• C12G3/021 Primary

  of botanical family Poaceae, e.g. wheat, millet, sorghum, barley, rye, or corn · CPC title

• C12G3/04

  by mixing, e.g. for preparation of liqueurs · CPC title

• C12G3/08

  by methods for altering the composition of fermented solutions or alcoholic beverages not provided for in groups C12G3/02 - C12G3/07 (methods for reducing the alcohol content of fermented solutions or alcoholic beverages C12H3/00; methods for increasing the alcohol content of fermented solutions or alcoholic beverages C12H6/00) · CPC title

• C12M23/40

  Manifolds; Distribution pieces (fluid transfer means B01L3/563) · CPC title

• C12M45/02

  by mechanical forces; Stirring; Trituration; Comminuting (crushing, pulverizing, disintegrating in general B02C) · CPC title