Treating biomass

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9659748-B2
Application number	US-201314434682-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 10, 2013
Priority date	Oct 10, 2012
Publication date	May 23, 2017
Grant date	May 23, 2017

Abstract

Methods and systems are described for processing cellulosic and lignocellulosic materials and useful intermediates and products, such as energy and fuels. For example, irradiating methods and systems are described to aid in the processing of the cellulosic and lignocellulosic materials. The electron beam accelerator has multiple windows foils and these foils are cooled with cooling gas. In one configuration a secondary foil is integral to the electron beam accelerator and in another configuration the secondary foil is part of the enclosure for the biomass conveying system.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of producing a treated biomass material, the method comprising:
irradiating a biomass material by passing an electron beam through multiple windows into the biomass material, wherein the multiple windows comprise at least
a primary single-type window foil communicating with a high vacuum side of a scanning horn of an electron beam accelerator and
a secondary single-type window foil positioned on an atmospheric side of the scanning horn, wherein the distance of the secondary window to the biomass material is more than 0.1 cm and the biomass material is selected from the group consisting of cellulosic material, lignocellulosic material, and starchy material;

exposing the secondary window to atmospheric pressure; and
providing the biomass material in an open environment adjacent the secondary window.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the windows is in the form of a metallic foil.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein irradiating the biomass material reduces the recalcitrance of the biomass material.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the multiple window foils comprise a system of gas cooled window foils.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the system of gas cooled window foils define a gap between the primary and secondary window and
a first flow path providing cooling to the primary window foil; and
a second flow path providing cooling to the secondary window foil.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the system of gas cooled window foils further comprises where both the primary window foil and the secondary window foil are part of the scanning horn of the electron beam accelerator, where
at least one inlet, which allows a cooling gas to enter the gap defined between the primary and the secondary window and
at least one outlet, to extract the cooling gas from the gap defined between the primary and secondary window.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the system of gas cooled window foils further comprises a cooling chamber, wherein the cooling chamber comprises four walls and the interior volume is approximately rectangular prism in shape.

8. The method of claim 4 , wherein the system further comprises a treatment enclosure with a cover surface, where the enclosure is positioned on a side of the secondary single-type window foil opposite the electron beam accelerator.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the secondary single-type window foil is mounted on the cover surface and is integral to the treatment enclosure.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the cover surface is perpendicular to the electron beam accelerator.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the treatment enclosure has a first opening.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
conveying the biomass material through the first opening;
positioning the biomass material under the secondary single-type window foil; and
irradiating the biomass material.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the treatment enclosure comprises a second opening.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising: conveying the treated biomass material out of the treatment enclosure through the second opening.

15. The method of claim 12 , further comprising purging the treatment enclosure with an inert gas.

16. The method of claim 12 , further comprising purging the treatment enclosure with a reactive gas.

17. The method of claim 4 , wherein the primary single-type window foil is made from an element selected from the group consisting of: titanium, scandium, vanadium, chromium, nickel, zirconium, niobium, molybdenum, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, hafnium, tantalum, tungsten, rhenium, platinum, iridium, and alloys or mixtures of any of these.

18. The method of claim 4 , wherein the secondary single-type window foil is made from an element selected from the group consisting of: titanium, scandium, vanadium, chromium, nickel, zirconium, niobium, molybdenum, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, hafnium, tantalum, tungsten, rhenium, platinum, iridium, beryllium, aluminum, silicon, and alloys or mixtures of any of these.

19. The method of claim 4 , wherein the primary single-type window foil and the secondary single-type window foil are made of the same element, alloy, or mixture.

20. The method of claim 4 , wherein the primary single-type window foil and the secondary single-type window foil are made of different elements, alloys, or mixtures.

21. The method of claim 4 , wherein the primary single-type window foil or the secondary single-type window foil or both are made from a low Z element.

22. The method of claim 4 , wherein the primary single-type window foil is made from a high Z element and the secondary single-type window foil is made from a low Z element.

23. The method of claim 4 , wherein the primary single-type window foil is from 10 to 50 microns thick.

24. The method of claim 23 , wherein the primary single-type window foil is from 15 to 40 microns thick.

25. The method of claim 23 , wherein the primary single-type window foil is from 20 to 30 microns thick.

26. The method of claim 23 , wherein the secondary single-type window foil is from 5 to 30 microns thick.

27. The method of claim 23 , wherein the secondary single-type window foil is from 8 to 25 microns thick.

28. The method of claim 23 , wherein the secondary single-type window foil is from 10 to 20 microns thick.

29. The method of claim 23 , wherein the primary single-type window foils are the same thickness.

30. The method of claim 23 , wherein the single-type window foils are different thicknesses.

31. The method of claim 1 , wherein the biomass is selected from the group consisting of paper, paper products, paper waste, wood, particle board, sawdust, agricultural waste, sewage, silage, grasses, wheat straw, rice hulls, bagasse, cotton, jute, hemp, flax, bamboo, sisal, abaca, straw, corn cobs, corn stover, alfalfa, hay, coconut hair, seaweed, algae, and mixtures thereof.

32. The method of claim 1 , wherein the biomass is treated with between 10 and 200 Mrad of radiation.

33. The method of claim 32 , wherein the biomass is treated with between 10 and 75 Mrad of radiation.

34. The method of claim 32 , wherein the biomass is treated with between 15 and 50 Mrad of radiation.

35. The method of claim 32 , wherein the biomass is treated with between 20 and 35 Mrad of radiation.

36. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electron beam comprises electrons having an energy of about 0.5-10 MeV.

37. The method of claim 36 , wherein the electron beam comprises electrons having an energy of about 0.8-5 MeV.

38. The method of claim 36 , wherein the electron beam comprises electrons having an energy of about 0.8-3 MeV.

39. The method of claim 36 , wherein the electron beam comprises electrons having an energy of about 1-3 MeV.

40. The method of claim 36 , wherein the electron beam comprises electrons having an energy of about 1 MeV.

41. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electron beam has a beam current of at least about 50 mA.

42. The method of claim 41 , wherein the electron beam has a beam current of at least about 60 mA.

Assignees

• Xyleco Inc

Inventors

• Medoff Marshall
• Peters Anthony
• Masterman Thomas Craig
• Paradis Robert
• Ip Kenny Kin-Chui

Classifications

• B01J2219/0871

  Heating or cooling of the reactor · CPC title

• H01J2237/3165

  Changing chemical properties · CPC title

• C12P19/14

  produced by the action of a carbohydrase {(EC 3.2.x)}, e.g. by alpha-amylase {, e.g. by cellulase, hemicellulase} · CPC title

• H01J37/317 Primary

  for changing properties of the objects or for applying thin layers thereon, e.g. for ion implantation (H01J37/36 takes precedence) · CPC title

• C10L1/02

  essentially based on components consisting of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen only · CPC title