US 10,000,891 B2 · Biomass process optimisation

Abstract

There is described a method of processing biomass which comprises the steps of: (i) processing biomass material in an aqueous system in the presence of an oxalic acid catalyst to produce a slurry; (ii) subjecting the slurry to an acidified organosolv liquor and optionally de-aerating the resulting mixture before exposing the mixture to ultrasound in a pretreatment step; and (iii) completing the fractionation process using thermal digestion, followed by separation of the constituents into lignin, hemi-cellulose (monosaccharides) and cellulose with the addition of water.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A method of fractionating biomass which comprises a pre-treatment stage and a digestion stage, wherein:

(a) said pre-treatment stage comprises:
(i) processing biomass material in an aqueous system by blending the biomass material with a dilute oxalic acid catalyst to produce an acidified slurry;
(ii) mixing the acidified slurry with an acidified organosolv liquor to make a mixture of acidified slurry and acidified organosolv liquor;
and
(iii) de-aerating the mixture of acidified slurry and acidified organosolv liquor;
and
(b) said digestion stage comprises:
(iv) sonicating the mixture of acidified slurry and acidified organosolv liquor using ultrasound in the presence of thermal energy to form a digestate;
and
(v) separating the digestate into lignin, hemi-cellulose and cellulose constituents by the addition of water.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Biomass process optimisation

Life of this patent

Biomass process optimisation

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims18