Methods and systems for processing cellulosic biomass

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016184796-A1
Application number	US-201514980427-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 28, 2015
Priority date	Dec 30, 2014
Publication date	Jun 30, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Separation of a product of digestion of cellulosic biomass solids may be challenging due to the various components contained therein. Methods and systems for processing cellulosic biomass, particularly a reaction product of a hydrothermal reaction containing lignin-derived products, such as phenolics, comprise providing the reaction product to a separation zone comprising a liquid-liquid extraction or phase separation unit. The liquid-liquid extraction or phase separation unit can provide an aqueous portion and a non-aqueous portion, where these portions can be separated into various fractions individually. For example, desirable compounds in the aqueous portion and non-aqueous portion can be recovered from the portions individually and optionally combined to be further processed into a fuels product. Heavier components in the aqueous portion and non-aqueous portion can be recovered from the portions individually and used in the process, such as phenolics that can be used as a digestion solvent.

First claim

1 . A method comprising:
heating cellulosic biomass solids, molecular hydrogen, a catalyst capable of activating molecular hydrogen, and a digestion solvent in a reactor in a first reaction zone to form a first reaction product; subjecting the first reaction product to a base catalyzed depolymerization reaction to produce a depolymerized reaction product; providing at least a portion of the depolymerized reaction product to a separation zone comprising a liquid-liquid phase separation or extraction unit to recover an aqueous stream and a non-aqueous stream, wherein the aqueous stream comprises a major portion of water in said portion of the depolymerized reaction product; providing at least a portion of the non-aqueous stream to a distillation unit to recover an overhead fraction, a middle fraction, and a bottom fraction.

2 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:
providing the aqueous phase to an aqueous phase separation zone to recover a light compounds overhead fraction from at least a portion of the aqueous phase, wherein the overhead fraction comprises at least 75% of compounds with a normal boiling point of less than 150 degrees C. in said portion of the aqueous fraction.

3 . The method of claim 2 wherein the aqueous phase separation zone comprises a flasher to provide for recover of an overhead fraction.

4 . The method of claim 2 wherein the aqueous phase separation zone comprises a first flasher and a second flasher, wherein the method further comprises:
providing the aqueous phase to the first flasher to recover the overhead fraction and a first bottom fraction;
providing the first bottom fraction to the second flasher to recover a heavy compounds overhead fraction and a second bottom fraction, wherein the heavy compounds overhead fraction comprises compounds with a normal boiling point of 150 degrees C. or higher.

5 . The method of claim 4 further comprising:
providing at least a portion of the heavy compounds overhead fraction to the reactor in the first reaction zone.

6 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:
providing at least a portion of the non-aqueous phase to a lignin depolymerization unit before providing it to the distillation unit.

7 . The method of claim 6 further comprising:
providing at least a portion of the middle fraction from the distillation unit to the lignin depolymerization unit.

8 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:
providing at least a portion of the middle fraction from the distillation unit to the reactor in the first reaction zone.

9 . The method of claim 4 further comprising:
providing the first reaction product to a gas separator unit to recover a vapor fraction comprising compounds with a normal boiling point of 100 degrees C. or lower.

10 . The method of claim 9 further comprising:
providing to a further processing zone at least a portion of at least one of (i) the overhead fraction from the distillation unit; (ii) the light compounds overhead fraction from the aqueous phase separation zone; and (iii) the vapor fraction from the gas separator unit, wherein the further processing zone generates a fuels product.

11 . The method of claim 1 wherein the separation zone comprises a liquid-liquid extraction unit, wherein the method further comprises:
providing an extraction solvent and at least a portion of the first reaction product to the liquid-liquid extraction unit; and
providing at least a portion of the middle fraction to the liquid-liquid extraction unit, wherein the extraction solvent comprises said portion of the middle fraction.

12 . The method of claim 1 wherein the base catalyzed depolymerization comprises use of at least one of a soluble base catalyst and an insoluble base catalyst.

13 . A method comprising:
heating cellulosic biomass solids, molecular hydrogen, a catalyst capable of activating molecular hydrogen, and a digestion solvent in a reactor in a first reaction zone to form a first reaction product; heating at least a portion of the first reaction product, molecular hydrogen, and a catalyst capable of activating molecular hydrogen in a reactor in a second reaction zone to form a second reaction product; subjecting at least one of the first reaction product and the second reaction product to a base catalyzed depolymerization reaction to produce a depolymerized reaction product; providing at least a portion of the depolymerized reaction product to a separation zone comprising a liquid-liquid phase separation or extraction unit to recover an aqueous stream and a non-aqueous stream, wherein the aqueous stream comprises a major portion of water in said portion of the second reaction product; providing at least a portion of the non-aqueous stream to a distillation unit to obtain an overhead fraction, a middle fraction, and a bottom fraction.

14 . The method of claim 13 further comprising:
providing the aqueous phase to an aqueous phase separation zone to recover a light compounds overhead fraction from at least a portion of the aqueous phase, wherein the overhead fraction comprises at least 75% of compounds with a normal boiling point of less than 150 degrees C. in said portion of the aqueous fraction.

15 . The method of claim 14 wherein the aqueous phase separation zone comprises a first flasher and a second flasher, wherein the method further comprises:
providing the aqueous phase to the first flasher to recover the overhead fraction and a first bottom fraction;
providing the first bottom fraction to the second flasher to recover a heavy compounds overhead fraction and a second bottom fraction, wherein the heavy compounds overhead fraction comprises compounds with a normal boiling point of 150 degrees C. or higher.

16 . The method of claim 13 further comprising:
providing at least a portion of the heavy compounds overhead fraction to the reactor in the first reaction zone and/or the reactor in the second reaction zone.

17 . The method of claim 13 further comprising:
providing at least a portion of the middle fraction from the distillation unit to at least one of the reactor in the first reaction zone and the reactor in the second reaction zone.

18 . The method of claim 13 wherein the separation zone comprises a liquid-liquid extraction unit, wherein the method further comprises:
providing an extraction solvent and at least a portion of the first reaction product to the liquid-liquid extraction unit; and
providing at least a portion of the middle fraction to the liquid-liquid extraction unit, wherein the extraction solvent comprises said portion of the middle fraction.

19 . The method of claim 13 further comprising:
providing at least a portion of the non-aqueous phase to a lignin depolymerization unit before providing it to the distillation unit.

20 . A system comprising:
a first reaction zone comprising a reactor configured heat cellulosic biomass solids, molecular hydrogen, a catalyst capable of activating molecular hydrogen, and a digestion solvent to form a first reaction product; a base catalyzed depolymerization unit in fluid communication with an outlet of the reactor in the first reaction zone to receive the first reaction product, wherein the base catalyzed depolymerization unit is configured to produce a depolymerized reaction product; and a separation zone comprising:
a liquid-liquid extraction or phase separation unit having an inlet in fluid communication with an outlet of the base catalyzed depolymerization unit to receive the depolymerized reacti

Assignees

• Shell Oil Co

Inventors

• Powell Joseph Broun
• Komplin Glenn Charles
• Chheda Juben Nemchand

Classifications

• C10G1/002 Primary

  in combination with oil conversion- or refining processes · CPC title

• B01J19/24 Primary

  Stationary reactors without moving elements inside (B01J19/08, B01J19/26 take precedence; with stationary particles B01J8/02) · CPC title

• B01D11/0488

  Flow sheets · CPC title

• B01J2219/24

  Stationary reactors without moving elements inside · CPC title

• B01D3/148

  in combination with at least one evaporator · CPC title