Biocarbon compositions with optimized compositional parameters, and processes for producing the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12103892-B2
Application number	US-202217982697-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 8, 2022
Priority date	Nov 12, 2021
Publication date	Oct 1, 2024
Grant date	Oct 1, 2024

Abstract

In some variations, the disclosure provides a renewable biocarbon composition comprising from 50 wt % to 99 wt % total carbon, wherein the biocarbon composition is characterized by a base-acid ratio selected from 0.1 to 10, an iron-calcium ratio selected from 0.05 to 5, iron-plus-calcium parameter selected from 5 to 50 wt %, a slagging factor selected from 0.001 to 1, and/or a fouling factor or modified fouling factor selected from 0.1 to 10. Some variations provide a process comprising: providing a biomass feedstock; pyrolyzing the biomass feedstock to generate an intermediate biocarbon stream; washing or treating the intermediate biocarbon stream with an acid, a base, a salt, a metal, H 2 , H 2 O, CO, CO 2 , or a combination thereof, and/or introducing an additive in the process, to adjust a base-acid ratio or other compositional parameter; and recovering a biocarbon composition comprising from 50 wt % to 99 wt % total carbon and optimized for a compositional parameter.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A process for producing a biocarbon composition with an optimized base-acid ratio, the process comprising:
(a) providing a starting feedstock comprising biomass, wherein the starting feedstock is optionally dried;
(b) pyrolyzing the starting feedstock to generate an intermediate biocarbon stream and a pyrolysis vapor, wherein the intermediate biocarbon stream is characterized by a base-acid ratio defined by the following formula:

Base
-
Acid
⁢

Ratio

=

Fe
2

⁢

O
3

+
CaO
+
MgO
+

K
2

⁢
O

+

Na
2

⁢
O

SiO
2

+

Al
2

⁢

O
3

+

TiO
2

wherein each of the Fe 2 O 3 , CaO, MgO, K 2 O, Na 2 O, SiO 2 , Al 2 O 3 , and TiO 2 correspond to weight percentages pursuant to ASTM D4326;
(c) washing or treating the intermediate biocarbon stream with an acid, a base, a salt, a metal, H 2 , H 2 O, CO, CO 2 , or a combination thereof, to adjust the base-acid ratio; and/or introducing an additive during step (a) or step (b), to adjust the base-acid ratio; and
(d) recovering a biocarbon composition comprising from about 50 wt % to about 99 wt % total carbon, wherein the total carbon is at least 50% renewable as determined from a measurement of the 14 C/ 12 C isotopic ratio of the total carbon, and wherein the base-acid ratio of the biocarbon composition is selected from about 0.1 to about 10;
wherein step (c) utilizes acidic water that is obtained from step (a), step (b), or another process step that is conducted prior to step (c).

2. The process of claim 1 , wherein the acidic water is obtained from condensation of the pyrolysis vapor to generate a condensed liquid having a pH from about 1 to about 7.

3. A process for producing a biocarbon composition with an optimized base-acid ratio, the process comprising:
(a) providing a starting feedstock comprising biomass, wherein the starting feedstock is optionally dried;
(b) pyrolyzing the starting feedstock to generate an intermediate biocarbon stream and a pyrolysis vapor, wherein the intermediate biocarbon stream is characterized by a base-acid ratio defined by the following formula:

Base
-
Acid
⁢

Ratio

=

Fe
2

⁢

O
3

+
CaO
+
MgO
+

K
2

⁢
O

+

Na
2

⁢
O

SiO
2

+

Al
2

⁢

O
3

+

TiO
2

wherein each of the Fe 2 O 3 , CaO, MgO, K 2 O, Na 2 O, SiO 2 , Al 2 O 3 , and TiO 2 correspond to weight percentages pursuant to ASTM D4326;
(c) washing or treating the intermediate biocarbon stream with an acid, a base, a salt, a metal, H 2 , H 2 O, CO, CO 2 , or a combination thereof, to adjust the base-acid ratio; and/or introducing an additive during step (a) or step (b), to adjust the base-acid ratio; and
(d) recovering a biocarbon composition comprising from about 50 wt % to about 99 wt % total carbon, wherein the total carbon is at least 50% renewable as determined from a measurement of the 14 C/ 12 C isotopic ratio of the total carbon, and wherein the base-acid ratio of the biocarbon composition is selected from about 0.1 to about 10;
wherein step (c) utilizes alkaline water that is obtained from step (a), step (b), or another process step that is conducted prior to step (c).

4. A process for producing a biocarbon composition with an optimized expanded base-acid ratio, the process comprising:
(a) providing a starting feedstock comprising biomass, wherein the starting feedstock is optionally dried;
(b) pyrolyzing the starting feedstock to generate an intermediate biocarbon stream and a pyrolysis vapor, wherein the intermediate biocarbon stream is characterized by an expanded base-acid ratio defined by the following formula:

Expanded
⁢

Base
-
Acid
⁢

Ratio

=

Fe
2

⁢

O
3

+
CaO
+
MgO
+

K
2

⁢
O

+

Assignees

• Carbon Tech Holdings Llc

Inventors

• Mennell James A
• Slack Dustin
• Daugaard Daren

Classifications

• C10B57/06

  containing additives · CPC title

• C10B53/02 Primary

  of cellulose-containing material (production of pyroligneous acid C10C5/00) · CPC title

• C10L2290/28

  Cutting, disintegrating, shredding or grinding · CPC title

• C10L2290/02

  Combustion or pyrolysis · CPC title

• C10L9/08

  by heat treatments, e.g. calcining · CPC title