Processes and systems for recapturing carbon from biomass pyrolysis liquids

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023043609-A1
Application number	US-202217879033-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 2, 2022
Priority date	Aug 2, 2021
Publication date	Feb 9, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

This disclosure provides a method of making a high-fixed-carbon material comprising pyrolyzing biomass to generate intermediate solids and a pyrolysis vapor; condensing the pyrolysis vapor to generate pyrolysis liquid; blending the pyrolysis liquid with the intermediate solids, to generate a mixture; and further pyrolyzing the mixture to generate a high-fixed-carbon material. A process can comprise: pyrolyzing a biomass-comprising feedstock in a first pyrolysis reactor to generate a first biogenic reagent and a first pyrolysis vapor; introducing the first pyrolysis vapor to a condensing system to generate a condenser liquid; contacting the first biogenic reagent with the condenser liquid, thereby generating an intermediate material; further pyrolyzing the intermediate material in a second pyrolysis reactor to generate a second biogenic reagent and a second pyrolysis vapor; and recovering the second biogenic reagent as a high-yield biocarbon composition. The process can further comprise pelletizing the intermediate material. Many process and system configurations are disclosed.

First claim

I/We claim:

1 . A process for producing a biocarbon composition, the process comprising:
pyrolyzing a first feedstock in a first pyrolysis reactor, thereby generating a biogenic reagent and a pyrolysis vapor; introducing the pyrolysis vapor to a condensing system, thereby generating a condenser liquid and a condenser vapor; contacting a second feedstock with the condenser liquid, wherein the second feedstock comprises biomass, thereby generating the first feedstock, wherein the first feedstock comprises the second feedstock and the condenser liquid; and recovering the biogenic reagent as a biocarbon composition.

2 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the biomass is selected from softwood chips, hardwood chips, timber harvesting residues, tree branches, tree stumps, leaves, bark, sawdust, corn, corn stover, wheat, wheat straw, rice, rice straw, sugarcane, sugarcane bagasse, sugarcane straw, energy cane, sugar beets, sugar beet pulp, sunflowers, sorghum, canola, algae, miscanthus, alfalfa, switchgrass, fruits, fruit shells, fruit stalks, fruit peels, fruit pits, vegetables, vegetable shells, vegetable stalks, vegetable peels, vegetable pits, grape pumice, almond shells, pecan shells, coconut shells, coffee grounds, food waste, commercial waste, grass pellets, hay pellets, wood pellets, cardboard, paper, paper pulp, paper packaging, paper trimmings, food packaging, construction and/or demolition waste, railroad ties, lignin, animal manure, municipal solid waste, municipal sewage, or a combination thereof.

3 . The process of claim 1 , further comprising pelletizing the biogenic reagent.

4 . The process of claim 3 , wherein the pelletizing the biogenic reagent comprises introducing a binder to the biogenic reagent.

5 . The process of claim 4 , wherein the binder is selected from starch, thermoplastic starch, crosslinked starch, starch polymers, cellulose, cellulose ethers, hemicellulose, methylcellulose, chitosan, lignin, lactose, sucrose, dextrose, maltodextrin, banana flour, wheat flour, wheat starch, soy flour, corn flour, wood flour, coal tars, coal fines, met coke, asphalt, coal-tar pitch, petroleum pitch, bitumen, pyrolysis tars, gilsonite, bentonite clay, borax, limestone, lime, waxes, vegetable waxes, baking soda, baking powder, sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, iron ore concentrate, silica fume, gypsum, Portland cement, guar gum, xanthan gum, polyvidones, polyacrylamides, polylactides, phenol-formaldehyde resins, vegetable resins, recycled shingles, recycled tires, derivatives thereof, or a combination of the foregoing.

6 . The process of claim 3 , wherein the pelletizing the biogenic reagent does not comprise introducing an external binder to the biogenic reagent.

7 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the condensing system comprises multiple condenser stages.

8 . The process of claim 7 , wherein the condenser liquid is a condensed product of a first stage of the multiple condenser stages.

9 . The process of claim 8 , wherein the condenser liquid is a condensed product of a plurality of stages of the multiple condenser stages, and wherein optionally the plurality of stages does not include the final stage of the multiple condenser stages.

10 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the contacting comprises spraying the condenser liquid onto the biomass.

11 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the first feedstock comprises the condenser liquid adsorbed onto a surface of the biomass.

12 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the first feedstock comprises the condenser liquid absorbed into a bulk phase of the biomass.

13 . The process of claim 1 , further comprising thermally treating the biogenic reagent in a thermal-treatment unit, wherein if the biogenic reagent is subjected to pelletizing, the thermally treating is before, during, or after the pelletizing.

14 . The process of claim 13 , wherein the thermal-treatment unit is a second pyrolysis reactor operated at a second pyrolysis temperature of at least about 250° C., and wherein the second pyrolysis reactor is configured for pyrolyzing the biogenic reagent.

15 . The process of claim 13 , wherein the thermal-treatment unit is operated at a temperature selected from about 80° C. to about 250° C.

16 . The process of claim 13 , wherein the thermal-treatment unit contains an internal oxygen-free environment.

17 . The process claim 13 , wherein an inert gas is introduced to the thermal-treatment unit.

18 . The process claim 13 , wherein the thermal-treatment unit is operated under vacuum.

19 . The process of claim 13 , wherein the thermal-treatment unit is configured for drying the biogenic reagent.

20 . The process of claim 13 , further comprising drying of the biocarbon composition after the thermally treating.

21 . The process of claim 14 , wherein the first pyrolysis reactor is distinct from the second pyrolysis reactor.

22 . The process of claim 14 , wherein the first pyrolysis reactor and the second pyrolysis reactor are the same unit, and wherein the pyrolyzing and the thermally treating are conducted at different times.

23 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the condenser liquid comprises total carbon, and wherein the process further comprises converting at least 25 wt % of the total carbon comprised within the condenser liquid to fixed carbon comprised within the biogenic reagent.

24 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the condenser liquid comprises total carbon, and wherein the process further comprises converting at least 50 wt % of the total carbon comprised within the condenser liquid to fixed carbon comprised within the biogenic reagent.

25 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the condenser liquid comprises total carbon, and wherein the process further comprises converting at least 75 wt % of the total carbon comprised within the condenser liquid to fixed carbon comprised within the biogenic reagent.

26 . The process of claim 1 , wherein at least about 10 wt % to at most about 80 wt % of fixed carbon in the biogenic reagent is derived from the condenser liquid.

27 . The process of claim 1 , wherein at least about 20 wt % to at most about 60 wt % of fixed carbon in the biogenic reagent is derived from the condenser liquid.

28 . The process of claim 1 , wherein all of the condenser liquid is contacted with the second feedstock.

29 . The process of claim 1 , wherein less than all of the condenser liquid is contacted with the second feedstock.

30 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the condenser liquid is contacted with the second feedstock without any intermediate chemical processing.

31 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the condenser liquid is chemically processed prior to contacting with the second feedstock.

32 . The process of claim 31 , wherein the condenser liquid is subjected to a purification step prior to contacting with the second feedstock.

33 . The process of claim 31 , wherein the condenser liquid is subjected to a reaction step prior to contacting with the second feedstock.

34 . The process of claim 29 , further comprising introducing a portion of the condenser liquid to the biogenic reagent.

35 . The process of claim 14 , wherein the pyrolyzing the biogenic reagent generates an off-gas, and whe

Assignees

• Carbon Tech Holdings Llc

Inventors

• Mennell James A
• Daugaard Daren
• Slack Dustin

Classifications

• C01P2006/90

  Other properties not specified above · CPC title

• C01P2006/10

  Solid density · CPC title

• C10L5/44

  on vegetable substances · CPC title

• C10L5/14

  with organic binders · CPC title

• C01B32/324

  from waste materials, e.g. tyres or spent sulfite pulp liquor · CPC title