Systems and Methods for the Depolymerization of a Biopolymer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016130202-A1
Application number	US-201414897306-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 13, 2014
Priority date	Jun 14, 2013
Publication date	May 12, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Methods for the production and isolation of a monomer from a biopolymer are described. The method includes extracting a biopolymer from a biopolymer source and depolymerizing the biopolymer into a monomer.
Methods for the production and isolation of a monomer from corn lignin are also described. The method includes extracting corn lignin from corn biomass and depolymerizing the corn lignin into a monomer.

First claim

1 . A method for producing a monomer from a biopolymer source, the method comprising depolymerizing at least one biopolymer from the biopolymer source into a monomer within a system comprised of at least one solvent and at least one catalyst.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises the step of extracting the at least one biopolymer from the biopolymer source.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the method further comprises the step of fractionating the at least one biopolymer from the biopolymer source.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one biopolymer is lignin.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the biopolymer source comprises biomass.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the biomass comprises a nutshell from the candlenut tree.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one solvent is methanol.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one catalyst is a porous metal oxide (PMO) catalyst.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the PMO is comprised of at least one divalent metal cation and at least one trivalent metal cation.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the at least one divalent metal cation is selected from the group consisting of copper(II), magnesium(II), manganese(II), and zinc(II).

11 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the at least one trivalent metal cation is selected from the group consisting of aluminum(III), chromium(III), and lanthanum(III).

12 . The catalyst of claim 9 , wherein the catalyst is comprised of two divalent metal cations and one trivalent metal cation.

13 . The catalyst of claim 12 , wherein the two divalent cations are copper(II) and magnesium(II), and the trivalent metal cation is aluminum(III).

14 . The catalyst of claim 13 , wherein the molar ratio of copper(II) to magnesium(II) to aluminum(III) is about 0.03:0.12:0.05.

15 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the molar ratio of total divalent metal cations to total trivalent metal cations is about 3:1.

16 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the system is heated to a temperature no greater than about 120° C.

17 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the system is heated to a temperature no greater than about 180° C.

18 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the system is heated to a temperature no greater than about 220° C.

19 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the system is pressurized to a pressure of about 40 bar.

20 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the system is pressurized by the addition of a gas to the system.

21 . The method of claim 20 , wherein the gas is hydrogen gas.

22 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the steps of extracting the at least one biopolymer from the biopolymer source and depolymerizing at least one biopolymer from the biopolymer source into a monomer both occur within the same system.

23 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises the step of isolating the monomer from the system.

24 . The method of claim 23 , wherein the method further comprises the step of purifying the monomer using a method of purification.

25 . The method of claim 24 , wherein the method of purification is column chromatography.

26 . A method for producing an oligomer from a biopolymer source, the method comprising depolymerizing at least one biopolymer from the biopolymer source into an oligomer within a system comprised of at least one solvent and at least one catalyst.

27 . The method of claim 26 , wherein the method further comprises the step of extracting the at least one biopolymer from the biopolymer source.

28 . The method of claim 27 , wherein the method further comprises the step of fractionating the at least one biopolymer from the biopolymer source.

29 . The method of claim 26 , wherein the at least one biopolymer is lignin.

30 . The method of claim 26 , wherein the biopolymer source comprises biomass.

31 . The method of claim 30 , wherein the biomass comprises a nutshell from the candlenut tree.

32 . The method of claim 26 , wherein the at least one solvent is methanol.

33 . The method of claim 26 , wherein the at least one catalyst is a porous metal oxide (PMO) catalyst.

34 . The method of claim 33 , wherein the PMO is comprised of at least one divalent metal cation and at least one trivalent metal cation.

35 . The method of claim 34 , wherein the at least one divalent metal cation is selected from the group consisting of copper(II), magnesium(II), manganese(II), and zinc(II).

36 . The method of claim 34 , wherein the at least one trivalent metal cation is selected from the group consisting of aluminum(III), chromium(III), and lanthanum(III).

37 . The catalyst of claim 34 , wherein the catalyst is comprised of two divalent metal cations and one trivalent metal cation.

38 . The catalyst of claim 37 , wherein the two divalent cations are copper(II) and magnesium(II), and the trivalent metal cation is aluminum(III).

39 . The catalyst of claim 38 , wherein the molar ratio of copper(II) to magnesium(II) to aluminum(III) is about 0.03:0.12:0.05.

40 . The method of claim 34 , wherein the molar ratio of total divalent metal cations to total trivalent metal cations is about 3:1.

41 . The method of claim 26 , wherein the system is heated to a temperature no greater than about 120° C.

42 . The method of claim 26 , wherein the system is heated to a temperature no greater than about 180° C.

43 . The method of claim 26 , wherein the system is heated to a temperature no greater than about 220° C.

44 . The method of claim 26 , wherein the system is pressurized to a pressure of about 40 bar.

45 . The method of claim 26 , wherein the system is pressurized by the addition of a gas to the system.

46 . The method of claim 45 , wherein the gas is hydrogen gas.

47 . The method of claim 26 , wherein the steps of extracting the at least one biopolymer from the biopolymer source and depolymerizing the at least one biopolymer from the biopolymer source into a monomer both occur within the same system.

48 . The method of claim 26 , wherein the method further comprises the step of isolating the oligomer from the system.

49 . The method of claim 48 , wherein the method further comprises the step of purifying the oligomer using a method of purification.

50 . The method of claim 49 , wherein the method of purification is column chromatography.

51 . A method for producing a monomer from corn biomass, the method comprising depolymerizing corn lignin from the corn biomass into a phloretic acid derivative within a system comprised of at least one solvent and at least one catalyst.

52 . The method of claim 51 , wherein the method further comprises the step of extracting the corn lignin from the corn biomass.

53 . The method of claim 52 , wherein the method further comprises the step of fractionating the corn lignin from the corn biomass.

54 .

Assignees

• Univ Yale

Inventors

• Barta Katalin
• Anastas Paul
• Beach Evan
• Hansen Thomas
• Warner Genoa
• Foley Patrick

Classifications

• B01J23/002

  Mixed oxides other than spinels, e.g. perovskite · CPC title

• B01J23/10

  of rare earths · CPC title

• C07C37/54 Primary

  by hydrolysis of lignin or sulfite waste liquor · CPC title

• B01J23/34

  Manganese · CPC title

• C08H6/00

  Macromolecular compounds derived from lignin, e.g. tannins, humic acids · CPC title