# US 10,766,826 B2 · Process for producing a fuel from lignocellulosic feedstock

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- Number: US 10,766,826 B2
- Document ID: US10766826B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/229,475
- Filed: 2018-12-21
- Published: 2019-04-18
- Granted: 2020-09-08
- Earliest claimed: 2012-03-05
- Assignees: Iogen Energy Corporation
- Applicants: Iogen Energy Corporation
- Inventors: Patrick J. Foody; Robert Glenns
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10766826B2

## CPC

- C05C 11/00: Other nitrogenous fertilisers
- C05C 3/00: Fertilisers containing other salts of ammonia or ammonia itself, e.g. gas liquor
- C05D 9/00: Other inorganic fertilisers
- C05F 5/008: {Waste from biochemical processing of material, e.g. fermentation, breweries}
- C05G 1/00: Mixtures of fertilisers belonging individually to different subclasses of C05
- C05G 3/80: Soil conditioners
- C09K 17/40: containing mixtures of inorganic and organic compounds
- C12F 3/10: from distillery slops
- C13K 1/02: obtained by saccharification of cellulosic materials (manufacture of fodder A23K10/32)
- C13K 13/002: {Xylose}
- Y02A 40/20: Fertilizers of biological origin, e.g. guano or fertilizers made from animal corpses
- Y02E 50/10: Biofuels, e.g. bio-diesel
- Y02P 20/145: the feedstock being materials of biological origin
- C05C: NITROGENOUS FERTILISERS
- C05D: INORGANIC FERTILISERS NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C05B, C05C; FERTILISERS PRODUCING CARBON DIOXIDE
- C05F: ORGANIC FERTILISERS NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C05B, C05C, e.g. FERTILISERS FROM WASTE OR REFUSE
- C05G: MIXTURES OF FERTILISERS COVERED INDIVIDUALLY BY DIFFERENT SUBCLASSES OF CLASS C05; MIXTURES OF ONE OR MORE FERTILISERS WITH MATERIALS NOT HAVING A SPECIFIC FERTILISING ACTIVITY, e.g. PESTICIDES, SOIL-CONDITIONERS, WETTING AGENTS (organic fertilisers containing added bacterial cultures, mycelia, or the like C05F11/08; organic fertilisers containing plant vitamins or hormones C05F11/10); FERTILISERS CHARACTERISED BY THEIR FORM
- C09K: MATERIALS FOR MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS, NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE
- C12F: RECOVERY OF BY-PRODUCTS OF FERMENTED SOLUTIONS (removal of yeast from wine or sparkling wine C12G1/08); DENATURED ALCOHOL; PREPARATION THEREOF
- 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)
- Y02A: TECHNOLOGIES FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE
- 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

The present invention relates to a method for producing a composition for use in land application. The method comprises: (a) obtaining a fermentation product by a production process comprising the steps of: (i) treating lignocellulosic feedstock to produce sugar; (ii) fermenting the sugar to produce a fermented mixture comprising the fermentation product; and (iii) recovering the fermentation product from the fermented mixture in one or more stages to produce a concentrated fermentation product and still bottoms; and (b) recovering the still bottoms, the still bottoms comprising organic and inorganic components; and (c) providing the still bottoms for use in a land application. Also provided is a soil conditioning composition for use in land application. The soil conditioning composition contains still bottoms and optionally other components.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A process for producing ethanol from lignocellulosic feedstock comprising:
(i) treating the lignocellulosic feedstock to produce sugar, said treating comprising:
(a) pretreating the lignocellulosic feedstock with acid to provide an acid pretreated feedstock, said acid pretreated feedstock comprising cellulose; and
(b) hydrolyzing the cellulose to glucose, said hydrolyzing comprising adding enzyme to at least a portion of the acid pretreated feedstock;
(ii) fermenting at least the glucose to produce a fermented mixture comprising ethanol; and
(iii) recovering ethanol from the fermented mixture in one or more stages to produce concentrated ethanol and still bottoms, said still bottoms comprising sulfur-containing salt derived from sulfur-containing process chemicals;
wherein a soil conditioning composition produced by recovering still bottoms in step (iii) comprises an organic component and an inorganic component, wherein said inorganic component comprises the sulfur-containing salt derived from the sulfur-containing process chemicals; and
wherein said soil conditioner composition is applied to land.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein recovering the still bottoms comprises concentrating still bottoms produced in (iii).

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The process of claim 2, wherein concentrating the still bottoms comprises feeding still bottoms produced in (iii) to an evaporator.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The process of claim 3, wherein concentrating the still bottoms comprises removing between 10% and 90% (w/w) of liquid from the still bottoms produced in (iii).

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein producing the soil conditioning composition comprises blending the recovered still bottoms with manure.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein producing the soil conditioning composition comprises blending the recovered still bottoms with insoluble lignin obtained from the process.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The process of claim 6, wherein the insoluble lignin is obtained by filtering a hydrolyzate produced in (b).

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the soil conditioning composition comprises 40-80 wt % organic components on a dry basis and 20-60 wt % inorganic components on a dry basis.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the soil conditioning composition comprises still bottoms containing between 10 wt % and 88 wt % moisture.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the soil conditioning composition comprises still bottoms containing between 25 wt % and 45 wt % moisture.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the acid comprises sulfuric acid, and wherein the sulfur-containing salt is derived from the sulfuric acid.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the land is a field, and wherein the process comprises transporting the recovered still bottoms to the field.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The process of claim 12, wherein the recovered still bottoms transported to the field contains between 10 wt % and 88 wt % moisture.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The process of claim 12, wherein the recovered still bottoms transported to the field contains between 25 wt % and 45 wt % moisture.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the soil conditioning composition comprises ammonium sulfate.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the lignocellulosic feedstock comprises wheat straw.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the lignocellulosic feedstock comprises sugar cane bagasse.