Method to produce water-soluble sugars from biomass using solvents containing lactones

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017298458-A1
Application number	US-201715635354-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 28, 2017
Priority date	Jan 8, 2013
Publication date	Oct 19, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A process to produce an aqueous solution of carbohydrates that contains C6-sugar-containing oligomers, C6 sugar monomers, C5-sugar-containing oligomers, C5 sugar monomers, or any combination thereof is presented. The process includes the steps of reacting biomass or a biomass-derived reactant with a solvent system including a lactone and water, and an acid catalyst. The reaction yields a product mixture containing water-soluble C6-sugar-containing oligomers, C6-sugar monomers, C5-sugar-containing oligomers, C5-sugar monomers, or any combination thereof.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A process to produce an aqueous solution of carbohydrates comprising C6-sugar-containing oligomers, C6-sugar monomers, C5-sugar-containing oligomers, C5-sugar monomers, or any combination thereof, the process comprising:
reacting biomass or a biomass-derived reactant with a solvent system comprising (i) an organic solvent selected from the group consisting of beta-, gamma-, and delta-lactones, and combinations thereof, and (ii) at least about 1 wt % water; in the presence of an acid catalyst for a time and under conditions to yield a product mixture wherein at least a portion of water-insoluble C6-sugar-containing polymers or oligomers, or water-insoluble C5-sugar-containing polymers or oligomers, if present in the biomass or biomass-derived reactant, are converted to water-soluble C6-sugar-containing oligomers, C6-sugar monomers, C5-sugar-containing oligomers, C5-sugar monomers, or any combination thereof.

2 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the organic solvent is miscible with water.

3 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the organic solvent can dissolve from 2 wt % to 40 wt % water.

4 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the organic solvent is gamma-valerolactone (GVL).

5 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the organic solvent is present in a mass ratio with water, organic solvent:water, selected from the group consisting of about 60:40, about 65:35, about 70:30, about 75:25, about 80:20, about 85:15, about 90:10, about 95:5, about 97:3, about 98:2, and about 99:1.

6 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the acid catalyst is homogeneous or heterogeneous, and if the acid catalyst is homogeneous it is present in a concentration not greater than 100 mM based on volume of the solvent system, and if the acid catalyst is heterogeneous it is present in a concentration not greater than 1.0 wt % based on weight of the solvent system.

7 . The process of claim 6 , wherein the acid catalyst is a mineral acid or an organic acid.

8 . The process of claim 6 , wherein the acid catalyst is a solid acid catalyst selected from the group consisting of solid Brønsted acid catalysts, solid Lewis acid catalysts, and combinations thereof.

9 . The process of claim 8 , wherein the solid acid catalyst is a heteropolyacid.

10 . The process of claim 8 , wherein the solid acid catalyst is an amorphous or mesoporous silica, which may be unfunctionalized or functionalized with acidic modifier.

11 . The process of claim 8 , wherein the solid acid catalyst is a zeolite.

12 . The process of claim 1 , conducted at a temperature range selected from the group consisting of from about 100° C. to about 300° C., about 140° C. to about 240° C., and about 150° C. to about 200° C.

13 . The process of claim 1 , conducted at a dynamic temperature range.

14 . The process of claim 13 , wherein the dynamic temperature range ramps from a first temperature to a second temperature that is higher than the first temperature.

15 . The process of claim 13 , wherein the dynamic temperature range changes from a first temperature to a second temperature in a non-linear fashion.

16 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the biomass or a biomass-derived reactant comprises water-insoluble glucose-containing polymers or oligomers, or water-insoluble xylose-containing polymers or oligomers, or any combination thereof, and these, if present, are converted to water-soluble glucose-containing oligomers, glucose monomers, water-soluble xylose-containing oligomers, xylose monomers, or any combination thereof.

17 . The process of claim 1 , wherein residence time of the reaction is selected from the group consisting of 1 min to 24 hours, 1 min to 20 hours, 1 min to 12 hours, 1 min to 6 hours, 1 min to 3 hours, 1 min to 2 hours, 1 min to 1 hour, and 1 min to 30 min.

Assignees

• Wisconsin Alumni Res Found

Inventors

• Dumesic James A
• Luterbacher Jeremy S

Classifications

• C13K13/002

  Xylose · CPC title

• C07H3/06

  Oligosaccharides, i.e. having three to five saccharide radicals attached to each other by glycosidic linkages · CPC title

• C13K1/02 Primary

  obtained by saccharification of cellulosic materials (manufacture of fodder A23K10/32) · CPC title

• C07D307/50

  Preparation from natural products · CPC title

• C13K1/06

  obtained by saccharification of starch or raw materials containing starch · CPC title