Process for increasing digestion efficiency of lignocellulosic material in a treatment vessel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12351981-B2
Application number	US-202218057982-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 22, 2022
Priority date	Nov 23, 2021
Publication date	Jul 8, 2025
Grant date	Jul 8, 2025

Abstract

A process for increasing digestion efficiency of lignocellulosic material in a treatment vessel includes providing lignocellulosic material comprising lignocellulosic biomass, providing an alkyl polyglycoside, an alkoxylated alcohol, and a white liquor comprising sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfide, combining the lignocellulosic material, the alkyl polyglycoside, the alkoxylated alcohol, and the white liquor to form a mixture, and heating the mixture in the treatment vessel to a temperature of from about 125° C. to about 185° C. to digest at least a portion of the lignocellulosic material. The alkyl polyglycoside and the alkoxylated alcohol are present in the mixture in a weight ratio of actives from about 5:95 to about 95:5, respectively. The mixture is free of added surfactants that are not the alkyl polyglycoside and/or the alkoxylated alcohol. The process has increased digestion efficiency as compared to a process that does not utilize a combination of the alkyl polyglycoside and the alkoxylated alcohol.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A process for increasing digestion efficiency of lignocellulosic material in a treatment vessel, said method comprising:
providing lignocellulosic material comprising lignocellulosic biomass;
providing an alkyl polyglycoside;
providing an alkoxylated alcohol having a single (—OH) group and comprising an eight mole ethoxylate of isotridecyl alcohol;
providing a white liquor comprising sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfide;
combining the lignocellulosic material, the alkyl polyglycoside, the alkoxylated alcohol, and the white liquor to form a mixture; and
heating the mixture in the treatment vessel to a temperature of from about 125° C. to about 185° C. to digest at least a portion of the lignocellulosic material;
wherein the lignocellulosic material is present in an amount of from about 10 to about 30 weight percent based on a total weight of the mixture;
wherein the alkyl polyglycoside and the alkoxylated alcohol are present in the mixture in a weight ratio of actives from about 5:95 to about 95:5, respectively;
wherein a combination of the alkyl polyglycoside and the alkoxylated alcohol is present in an amount of from 0.1 to about 10 kg actives/metric ton dry lignocellulosic material;
wherein the white liquor is present in an amount of from about 70 to about 90 weight percent based on a total weight of the mixture;
wherein the mixture is free of added surfactants that are not the alkyl polyglycoside and/or the alkoxylated alcohol; and
wherein said process has an increased digestion efficiency as compared to a process that does not utilize a combination of the alkyl polyglycoside and the alkoxylated alcohol.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein the alkyl polyglycoside has the following structure:

wherein m has an average value of from about 1 to about 3 and n has an average value of from about 5 to about 17.

3. The process of claim 1 wherein the alkyl polyglycoside comprises an oligomeric D-Glucopyranose C10-16 alkyl glycoside.

4. The process of claim 3 wherein the alkyl polyglycoside and the alkoxylated alcohol are present in the mixture in a weight ratio of actives of about 2:1.

5. The process of claim 1 wherein the alkyl polyglycoside and the alkoxylated alcohol are present in the mixture in a weight ratio of actives from about 25:75 to about 75:25.

6. The process of claim 1 wherein the alkyl polyglycoside and the alkoxylated alcohol are present in the mixture in a weight ratio of actives of about 2:1.

7. The process of claim 1 wherein the mixture consists essentially of the lignocellulosic material, the alkyl polyglycoside, the alkoxylated alcohol, and the white liquor.

8. The process of claim 1 wherein the mixture consists essentially of the lignocellulosic material, the alkyl polyglycoside, the alkoxylated alcohol, and the white liquor, and wherein the alkyl polyglycoside is an oligomeric D-Glucopyranose C10-16 alkyl glycoside, the alkoxylated alcohol is an eight mole ethoxylate of isotridecyl alcohol, and the alkyl polyglycoside and the alkoxylated alcohol are present in the mixture in a weight ratio of actives of about 2:1.

9. A mixture comprising:
lignocellulosic material comprising lignocellulosic biomass present in an amount of from about 10 to about 30 weight percent based on a total weight of said mixture;
white liquor comprising sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfide and present in an amount of from about 70 to about 90 weight percent based on a total weight of said mixture;
an alkyl polyglycoside; and
an alkoxylated alcohol having a single (—OH) group and comprising an eight mole ethoxylate of isotridecyl alcohol;
wherein said alkyl polyglycoside and said alkoxylated alcohol are present in said mixture in a weight ratio of actives from about 5:95 to about 95:5, respectively;
wherein a combination of said alkyl polyglycoside and said alkoxylated alcohol is present in an amount of from about 0.1 to about 10 kg actives/metric ton dry lignocellulosic material; and
wherein said mixture is free of added surfactants that are not said alkyl polyglycoside and/or said alkoxylated alcohol.

10. The mixture of claim 9 wherein said alkyl polyglycoside and said alkoxylated alcohol are present in said mixture in a weight ratio of actives from about 25:75 to about 75:25.

11. The mixture of claim 9 wherein said alkyl polyglycoside and said alkoxylated alcohol are present in said mixture in a weight ratio of actives of about 2:1.

12. The mixture of claim 9 wherein said alkyl polyglycoside comprises an oligomeric D-Glucopyranose C10-16 alkyl glycoside.

13. The mixture of claim 12 wherein said alkyl polyglycoside and said alkoxylated alcohol are present in said mixture in a weight ratio of actives of about 2:1.

14. The mixture of claim 9 that consists essentially of said lignocellulosic material, said alkyl polyglycoside, said alkoxylated alcohol, and said white liquor, and wherein said alkyl polyglycoside is an oligomeric D-Glucopyranose C10-16 alkyl glycoside, said alkoxylated alcohol is an eight mole ethoxylate of isotridecyl alcohol, and said alkyl polyglycoside and said alkoxylated alcohol are present in said mixture in a weight ratio of actives of about 2:1.

15. A mixture comprising:
lignocellulosic material comprising lignocellulosic biomass that is Eucalyptus hardwood chips and present in an amount of about 18 weight percent based on a total weight of said mixture;
white liquor comprising sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfide and present in an amount of from about 70 to about 90 weight percent based on a total weight of said mixture;
an alkyl polyglycoside that is an oligomeric D-Glucopyranose C10-16 alkyl glycoside; and
an alkoxylated alcohol having a single (—OH) group and that is an eight mole ethoxylate of isotridecyl alcohol;
wherein said alkyl polyglycoside and said alkoxylated alcohol are present in said mixture in a weight ratio of actives that is 2:1;
wherein a combination of said alkyl polyglycoside and said alkoxylated alcohol is present in an amount of from about 0.1 to about 10 kg actives/metric ton dry lignocellulosic material;
wherein a total weight of the actives of said alkyl polyglycoside and said alkoxylated alcohol is about 0.1% weight percent based on a total weight of the dry lignocellulosic material; and
wherein said mixture is free of added surfactants that are not said alkyl polyglycoside and/or said alkoxylated alcohol.

Assignees

• Solenis Tech Lp

Inventors

• Schnelle Scott Thomas
• Nicholson Daniel Joseph
• Oliveira Perissotto Danyella

Classifications

• D21C3/003

  with organic compounds (D21C3/20 and D21C3/222 take precedence) · CPC title

• D21C3/28

  Prevention of foam · CPC title

• D21C3/006

  with compounds not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• D21C3/02 Primary

  with inorganic bases or alkaline reacting compounds, e.g. sulfate processes · CPC title

• D21C3/222 Primary

  Use of compounds accelerating the pulping processes · CPC title