Processing biomass and petroleum containing materials

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016298141-A1
Application number	US-201615181271-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 13, 2016
Priority date	Apr 30, 2008
Publication date	Oct 13, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Biomass (e.g., plant biomass, animal biomass, and municipal waste biomass) is processed to produce useful products, such as fuels. For example, systems can use feedstock materials, such as cellulosic and/or lignocellulosic materials and/or starchy materials, to produce ethanol and/or butanol, e.g., by fermentation.

First claim

1 . A method comprising:
a. treating a biomass material to change the molecular and/or supramolecular structure of the biomass material to provide a treated biomass material; and b. converting the treated biomass material into a fuel.

2 . A method comprising:
converting a treated biomass material into a fuel, wherein the treated biomass has been treated to change the molecular and/or supramolecular structure of the biomass material.

3 . The method of claim 1 or 2 , wherein the fuel comprises at least one fuel selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, hydrocarbon and alcohol.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the fuel comprises a hydrocarbon selected from the group consisting of methane, ethane, propane, pentane, n-hexane, and combinations thereof.

5 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the fuel comprises an alcohol selected from the group consisting of ethanol, n-propanol, isopropanol, n-butanol, and mixtures thereof.

6 . The method of claim 1 or 2 wherein the fuel is an aviation fuel.

7 . The method of claim 1 or 2 , wherein the fuel is a motor fuel.

8 . The method of claim 1 or 2 , wherein the fuel is suitable for use in powering cars, trucks, tractors, ships, or trains.

9 . The method of claim 1 or 2 , wherein the fuel is suitable for use in an internal combustion engine.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein treating comprises irradiating the biomass material.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein irradiating the biomass material comprises applying a beam of electrons to the biomass material.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the biomass material is irradiated at a total dosage of between about 10 MRad and about 100 MRad.

13 . The method of claim 10 , wherein treating further comprises an additional step selected from sonication, oxidation, pyrolyzing, or steam-explosion.

14 . The method of claim 1 or 2 , wherein converting comprises saccharifying the treated biomass material to produce a composition comprising sugars and converting the sugars into fuel.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein converting the sugars into fuel comprises fermentation.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein fermentation comprises contacting the sugars with a fermenting microorganism.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the fermenting microorganism comprises a yeast.

18 . The method of claim 1 or 2 , wherein the biomass is comprises cellulosic and/or lignocellulosic materials.

Assignees

• Xyleco Inc

Inventors

• Medoff Marshall

Classifications

• C12P5/02

  acyclic {(C12P5/007 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• C12P7/04

  acyclic · CPC title

• C10L2200/0469

  Renewables or materials of biological origin · CPC title

• C10G15/10

  by particle radiation · CPC title

• C12P7/10 Primary

  substrate containing cellulosic material · CPC title