# US 10,500,561 B2 · Processing biomass

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- Number: US 10,500,561 B2
- Document ID: US10500561B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/177,669
- Filed: 2018-11-01
- Published: 2019-05-09
- Granted: 2019-12-10
- Earliest claimed: 2012-10-10
- Assignees: Xyleco, Inc.
- Applicants: Xyleco, Inc.
- Inventors: Marshall Medoff; Thomas Craig Masterman; Robert Paradis
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10500561B2

## CPC

- B01J 19/085: {Electron beams only}
- A61L 2/087: Particle radiation, e.g. electron-beam, alpha or beta radiation
- B01J 19/082: {Gamma-radiation only}
- B01J 19/12: employing electromagnetic waves
- B01J 19/123: {Ultraviolet light}
- B01J 19/125: {X-rays}
- B01J 19/22: in the form of endless belts
- B65G 27/04: Load carriers other than helical or spiral channels or conduits
- C08H 8/00: Macromolecular compounds derived from lignocellulosic materials {(pretreatment thereof B27N)}
- C10B 19/00: Heating of coke ovens by electrical means
- C10B 53/02: of cellulose-containing material (production of pyroligneous acid C10C5/00)
- C10G 1/02: by distillation
- C10G 32/04: by particle radiation
- C10L 5/403: {on paper and paper waste}
- C10L 5/442: {Wood or forestry waste}
- C10L 5/445: {Agricultural waste, e.g. corn crops, grass clippings, nut shells or oil pressing residues}
- C10L 5/46: on sewage, house, or town refuse {(C10L5/403, C10L5/406 take precedence)}
- C12P 7/10: substrate containing cellulosic material
- C13K 1/02: obtained by saccharification of cellulosic materials (manufacture of fodder A23K10/32)
- C13K 13/002: {Xylose}
- D21B 1/02: Pretreatment of the raw materials by chemical or physical means (removal of bark B27L)
- G21F 3/00: Shielding characterised by its physical form, e.g. granules, or shape of the material
- G21K 5/04: with beam-forming means
- G21K 5/10: with provision for relative movement of beam source and object to be irradiated
- H01J 5/18: Windows permeable to X-rays, gamma-rays, or particles
- H01J 33/04: Windows
- H01J 37/20: Means for supporting or positioning the object or the material; Means for adjusting diaphragms or lenses associated with the support
- H01J 37/317: for changing properties of the objects or for applying thin layers thereon, e.g. for ion implantation (H01J37/36 takes precedence)
- B01J 2219/0869: Feeding or evacuating the reactor
- B01J 2219/0871: Heating or cooling of the reactor
- B01J 2219/0879: Solid
- B01J 2219/12: Processes employing electromagnetic waves
- B01J 2219/1203: Incoherent waves
- C10L 2200/0469: Renewables or materials of biological origin
- C10L 2290/24: Mixing, stirring of fuel components
- C10L 2290/28: Cutting, disintegrating, shredding or grinding
- C10L 2290/36: Applying radiation such as microwave, IR, UV
- C10L 2290/52: Hoppers
- C12P 2201/00: Pretreatment of cellulosic or lignocellulosic material for subsequent enzymatic treatment or hydrolysis
- H01J 2237/2002: Controlling environment of sample
- H01J 2237/202: Movement
- Y02E 50/10: Biofuels, e.g. bio-diesel
- Y02E 50/30: Fuel from waste, e.g. synthetic alcohol or diesel
- Y02P 20/145: the feedstock being materials of biological origin
- Y02P 60/87: Re-use of by-products of food processing for fodder production
- B01J: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS
- A61L: METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR STERILISING MATERIALS OR OBJECTS IN GENERAL; DISINFECTION, STERILISATION OR DEODORISATION OF AIR; CHEMICAL ASPECTS OF BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES; MATERIALS FOR BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES (preservation of bodies or disinfecting characterised by the agents employed A01N; preserving, e.g. sterilising, food or foodstuffs A23; preparations for medical, dental or toiletry purposes A61K)
- B65G: TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS (packaging B65B; handling thin or filamentary materials, e.g. paper sheets or thread, B65H; cranes B66C; portable mobile or lifting or hauling appliances, e.g. hoists, B66D; devices for lifting or lowering goods for loading or unloading purposes, e.g. fork-lift trucks, B66F9/00; emptying bottles, jars, casks, barrels or similar containers, not otherwise provided for, B67C9/00; delivering or transferring liquids B67D; filling or discharging vessels for liquefied, solidified or compressed gases F17C; pipe-line systems for fluids F17D)
- C08H: DERIVATIVES OF NATURAL MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS (polysaccharides C08B; natural rubber C08C; natural resins or their derivatives C09F; bituminous materials C10)
- C10B: DESTRUCTIVE DISTILLATION OF CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS FOR PRODUCTION OF GAS, COKE, TAR, OR SIMILAR MATERIALS (cracking oils C10G; underground gasification of minerals E21B43/295)
- C10G: CRACKING HYDROCARBON OILS; PRODUCTION OF LIQUID HYDROCARBON MIXTURES, e.g. BY DESTRUCTIVE HYDROGENATION, OLIGOMERISATION, POLYMERISATION (cracking to hydrogen or synthesis gas C01B; cracking or pyrolysis of hydrocarbon gases to individual hydrocarbons or mixtures thereof of definite or specified constitution C07C; cracking to cokes C10B); RECOVERY OF HYDROCARBON OILS FROM OIL-SHALE, OIL-SAND, OR GASES; REFINING MIXTURES MAINLY CONSISTING OF HYDROCARBONS; REFORMING OF NAPHTHA; MINERAL WAXES
- C10L: FUELS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NATURAL GAS; SYNTHETIC NATURAL GAS OBTAINED BY PROCESSES NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C10G OR C10K; LIQUIFIED PETROLEUM GAS; USE OF ADDITIVES TO FUELS OR FIRES; FIRE-LIGHTERS
- C12P: FERMENTATION OR ENZYME-USING PROCESSES TO SYNTHESISE A DESIRED CHEMICAL COMPOUND OR COMPOSITION OR TO SEPARATE OPTICAL ISOMERS FROM A RACEMIC MIXTURE {(brewing of beer C12C; producing vinegar C12J; producing specific peptides or proteins C07K; producing enzymes C12N9/00; DNA or RNA concerning genetic engineering, vectors, e.g. plasmids, or their isolation, preparation or purification C12N15/00; measuring or testing processes involving enzymes or microorganisms C12Q; measuring or testing processes involving nucleic acid amplification reactions C12Q1/6844; fermentation processes to form a food composition, A21 or A23; compounds in general, see the relevant compound class, e.g. C01, C07)}
- C13K: SACCHARIDES OBTAINED FROM NATURAL SOURCES OR BY HYDROLYSIS OF NATURALLY OCCURRING DISACCHARIDES, OLIGOSACCHARIDES OR POLYSACCHARIDES (chemically synthesised sugars or sugar derivatives C07H; polysaccharides, e.g. starch, derivatives thereof C08B; malt C12C; fermentation or enzyme-using processes for preparing compounds containing saccharide radicals C12P19/00; production of sucrose C13B)
- D21B: FIBROUS RAW MATERIALS OR THEIR MECHANICAL TREATMENT
- G21F: PROTECTION AGAINST X-RADIATION, GAMMA RADIATION, CORPUSCULAR RADIATION OR PARTICLE BOMBARDMENT; TREATING RADIOACTIVELY CONTAMINATED MATERIAL; DECONTAMINATION ARRANGEMENTS THEREFOR (radiation protection by pharmaceutical means A61K8/00, A61Q17/04; in cosmonautic vehicles B64G1/54; combined with a reactor G21C11/00; combined with X-ray tubes H01J35/16; combined with X-ray apparatus H05G1/02)
- G21K: HANDLING OF PARTICLES OR IONISING RADIATION NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; IRRADIATION DEVICES; GAMMA RAY OR X-RAY MICROSCOPES
- H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H)
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS

## Abstract

Methods and systems are described for processing cellulosic and lignocellulosic materials into useful intermediates and products, such as energy and fuels. For example, conveying systems and methods, such as highly efficient vibratory conveyors, are described for the processing of the cellulosic and lignocellulosic materials.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method comprising:
depositing a controlled stream of a biomass material, in particulate form, on a trough of a vibratory conveyor having a cover, using a spreader, the biomass material covering only a portion of a width of the trough;
vibrating the vibratory conveyor, while conveying the biomass material a distance such that the biomass material spreads out to cover the entire width of the trough; and then
exposing the biomass material on the vibratory conveyor to ionizing radiation in the form of at least one scanning electron beam through at least one corresponding opening in the conveyor cover.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising comminuting the biomass prior to exposing the biomass to the ionizing radiation.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein comminuting is selected from the group consisting of shearing, chopping, grinding, hammermilling and combinations thereof.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein comminuting produces a biomass material with particles, and more than 80% of the particles have at least one dimension that is less than about 0.25 inches.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein comminuting produces a biomass material with particles, and no more than 5% of the particles are less than 0.03 inches in their greatest dimension.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the biomass is irradiated with 10 to 200 Mrad of radiation.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the biomass is exposed to more than one dose of radiation utilizing multiple accelerating heads to expose the biomass to a plurality of scanning electron beams while the biomass is being conveyed on the vibratory conveyor, each scanning electron beam being delivered through a corresponding opening in the cover.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the biomass material comprises cellulosic or lignocellulosic material.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the cellulosic or lignocellulosic material comprises a lignocellulosic material selected from the group consisting of wood, paper, paper products, cotton, grasses, grain residues, bagasse, jute, hemp, flax, bamboo, sisal, abaca, corn cobs, corn stover, coconut hair, algae, seaweed, straw, wheat straw and mixtures thereof.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the opening in the cover includes a window foil that allows passage of the ionizing radiation through the window foil and onto the biomass material.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the biomass material is conveyed at a rate of at least about 1000 lb/hr.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the spreader comprises a drop spreader.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the energy of the electron beam is from about 0.3 to 2 MeV.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the vibratory conveyor conveys the biomass material at an average speed of from about 3 to 100 ft/min.