Method to make hydrogels and cellulose from pectin- and protein-containing cellulosic biomass

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024158584-A1
Application number	US-202318508979-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 14, 2023
Priority date	Nov 14, 2022
Publication date	May 16, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method of making a hydrogel by treating a cellulosic biomass containing pectin and protein with an aqueous acidic solution at a pH, at a temperature, and for a time sufficient to cause formation of at least a gel fraction containing the hydrogel.

First claim

1 . A method of making a hydrogel, the method comprising:
(a) treating a cellulosic biomass comprising pectin and protein with an aqueous acidic solution at a pH, at a temperature, and for a time sufficient to cause formation of at least a gel fraction comprising the hydrogel.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising, after step (a):
(b) blending the treated cellulosic biomass of step (a), to yield a mixture; and then (c) centrifuging the mixture of step (b) to concentrate the gel fraction.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising, after step (b) and before step (c):
(b)(i) cooling the mixture of step (b) to about 10° C. to about 0° C. to yield a cooled mixture.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein in step (a) the aqueous acidic solution has a pH ranging from about 1 to about 6.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein in step (a) the aqueous acidic solution has a pH ranging from about 1.8 to about 5.8.

6 . The method of claim 4 , wherein in step (a) the aqueous acidic solution has a pH ranging from about 1.8 to about 3.8.

7 . The method of claim 4 , wherein in step (a) the aqueous acidic solution has a pH ranging from about 3.8 to about 5.8.

8 . The method of claim 4 , wherein in step (a) the temperature is from about 30° C. to about 150° C.

9 . The method of claim 4 , wherein in step (a) the time is from about 1 minute to about 180 minutes.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the cellulosic biomass comprises soybean hull.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the hydrogel has a pectin-to-protein ratio of from about 0.1 to about 3.0.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the cellulosic biomass is treated with the aqueous acidic solution at a liquid-to-solid ratio by mass of from about 1-to-1 to about 50-to-1.

13 . A method of making a hydrogel, the method comprising:
(a) treating a cellulosic biomass comprising pectin and protein with an aqueous acidic solution at a pH, at a temperature, and for a time sufficient to cause formation of at least a gel fraction comprising the hydrogel; (b) blending the treated cellulosic biomass of step (a), to yield a mixture; (c) cooling the mixture of step (b) to about 10° C. to about 0° C. to yield a cooled mixture; and (d) centrifuging the cooled mixture of step (c) to concentrate the gel fraction.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein in step (a) the aqueous acidic solution has a pH ranging from about 1 to about 6.

15 . The method of claim 13 , wherein in step (a) the aqueous acidic solution has a pH ranging from about 1.8 to about 5.8.

16 . The method of claim 13 , wherein in step (a) the aqueous acidic solution has a pH ranging from about 1.8 to about 3.8.

17 . The method of claim 13 , wherein in step (a) the aqueous acidic solution has a pH ranging from about 3.8 to about 5.8.

18 . The method of claim 13 , wherein in step (a) the temperature is from about 30° C. to about 150° C.

19 . The method of claim 13 , wherein in step (a) the time is from about 1 minute to about 180 minutes.

20 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the cellulosic biomass comprises soybean hull.

21 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the hydrogel has a pectin-to-protein ratio of from about 0.1 to about 3.0.

22 . The method of claim 13 , wherein in step (a) the cellulosic biomass is treated with the aqueous acidic solution at a liquid-to-solid ratio by mass of from about 1-to-1 to about 50-to-1.

23 . A hydrogel made by a process comprising treating a cellulosic biomass comprising pectin and protein with an aqueous acidic solution at a pH from about 1 to about 6, at a temperature from about 30° C. to about 150° C., and for a time about 1 minute to about 180 minutes, wherein a gel fraction forms, the gel fraction comprising the hydrogel.

24 . A hydrogel made by a process comprising:
(a) treating a cellulosic biomass comprising pectin and protein with an aqueous acidic solution at a pH, at a temperature, and for a time sufficient to cause formation of at least a gel fraction comprising the hydrogel, (b) blending the treated cellulosic biomass of step (a), to yield a mixture; (c) cooling the mixture of step (b) to a temperature from about 30° C. to about 150° C. to yield a cooled mixture; and (d) centrifuging the cooled mixture of step (c) to concentrate the gel fraction.

Assignees

• Univ Auburn

Inventors

• Aksoy Burak
• Jiang Zhihua
• Alamdari Navid E

Classifications

• C08J3/075 Primary

  Macromolecular gels · CPC title

• C08J2305/06

  Pectin; Derivatives thereof · CPC title

• C08J2389/00

  Characterised by the use of proteins; Derivatives thereof · CPC title