Back to results
US 10,767,204 B2Granted
Advanced auger and filtration system for the saccharification of biomass
AssigneeEdeniq, Inc.
InventorsJames Kacmar, Rich Kleinke, Bernard Cooker, Chris Kalinowski, Jon Van Volkinburg
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present disclosure provides methods and systems for generating sugars from biomass. The methods and systems provide increased yields of carbohydrates and fermentable sugars by combining enzyme recycling with removal of saccharification enzyme inhibitors and increased solids loading.
Claims16
A method for generating glucose from biomass, comprising:
- (a) pretreating the biomass at a temperature of about 150° C. to about 210° C. and a pH of 4.0 to 6.0;
- (b) contacting the biomass with cellulase and hemicellulase under conditions suitable to hydrolyze components of the biomass to sugars, thereby producing a mixture of solids, liquids, and sugars;
- (c) once formed, separating the mixture into a liquid phase containing sugars and a solids phase;
- (d) prior to further hydrolysis steps, washing the solids phase to remove at least a portion of the sugars, thereby forming a washed solids phase, wherein the sugars inhibit saccharification enzyme activity;
- followed by
- (e) incubating the washed solids phase with cellulase and hemicellulase to hydrolyze components of the solid phase to glucose, thereby producing additional glucose;
- then
- (f) separating the liquid phase into a permeate comprising dissolved solids and sugars and a retentate comprising undissolved solids, enzymes, and sugars;
- and
- (g) combining the retentate with the biomass or solids phase under conditions wherein the biomass is converted to glucose.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.