# US 11,299,758 B2 · Method for treating lignocellulosic biomass by impregnation

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- Number: US 11,299,758 B2
- Document ID: US11299758B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/956,404
- Filed: 2018-12-04
- Published: 2021-03-25
- Granted: 2022-04-12
- Earliest claimed: 2017-12-20
- Assignees: Ifp Energies Nouvelles; Agro Industries Recherche Et Developpement; Institute National De Recherche Pour L'agriculture L'alimentation Et L'environnement
- Applicants: IFP Energies nouvelles; Agro Industries Recherche Et Developpement; Institut National De Recherche Pour L'agriculture, L'alimentation Et L'environnement
- Inventors: Caroline Aymard; Pierre-Antoine Bouillon; Romain Rousset; Olivier Carnnot
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11299758B2

## CPC

- C12P 7/10: substrate containing cellulosic material
- C08H 8/00: Macromolecular compounds derived from lignocellulosic materials {(pretreatment thereof B27N)}
- C12P 19/00: Preparation of compounds containing saccharide radicals (ketoaldonic acids C12P7/58)
- C12P 19/02: Monosaccharides (2-ketogulonic acid C12P7/60)
- C12P 2201/00: Pretreatment of cellulosic or lignocellulosic material for subsequent enzymatic treatment or hydrolysis
- 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)}
- C08H: DERIVATIVES OF NATURAL MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS (polysaccharides C08B; natural rubber C08C; natural resins or their derivatives C09F; bituminous materials C10)

## Abstract

The invention relates to a process for treating lignocellulosic biomass by means of an acidic liquor in order to produce “second-generation” (2G) sugary liquors. These sugary liquors may be used to produce other products via a biochemical pathway (e.g. alcohols such as ethanol, butanol or other molecules, for example solvents such as acetone, etc.). This process comprises analysis of the liquid streams withdrawn during the process and adjustment of the composition of the impregnation liquor so as to keep the acidic power of said streams constant.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A process for the continuous treatment of a lignocellulosic biomass for the production of sugary liquors, said process comprising:
a) impregnating the biomass using an impregnation liquor with a pH of between 0.1 and 7, by placing said biomass in contact with said impregnation liquor,
b) separating the impregnated biomass obtained in a) so as to produce a wet biomass with a solids content of at least 15% by weight, and a separated liquor,
c) pretreating the wet biomass obtained in b) to produce a pretreated biomass, in the course of which one or more liquid streams are withdrawn,
d) analyzing (i) the composition of the separated liquor obtained from b), (ii) the composition of one or more of the liquid streams withdrawn during c) the pretreating of the wet biomass, or (iii) the composition of the separated liquor obtained from b) and one or more of the liquid streams withdrawn during the pretreating of the wet biomass in c), and
e) adjusting the composition of the impregnation liquor used in a) so as to keep constant the acidic power, corresponding to the amount of H+ ions present, of (i) said separated liquor obtained from b), (ii) said one or more liquid streams withdrawn during the pretreating of the wet biomass in c), or (iii) both, throughout the process,
wherein the impregnation liquor comprises at least one acid, and optionally water, and
wherein adjusting of the composition of the impregnation liquor is performed by adding water, acid, or both to said impregnation liquor used in a), so as to keep constant, throughout the process, the acidic power of the separated liquor obtained from b) or the acidic power of the one or more liquid streams withdrawn during pretreating of the wet biomass in c), or both.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The process as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a step of preparing the impregnation liquor prior to a).

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein a) is performed at a temperature ranging from 10 to 95° C., and the residence time of the biomass in said impregnation step is between 20 seconds and 12 hours.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the impregnation liquor has a pH of between 0.1 and 6.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the impregnation liquor is an aqueous solution of sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, or nitric acid, having an acid content of between 0.5% and 8% by weight of acid relative to the total weight of the liquor.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein b) is performed by draining, decantation, centrifugation, or pressing of the impregnated biomass.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the solids content of the wet biomass obtained in step b) is between 25% and 70% by weight.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein pretreating the wet biomass in c) is performed by cooking.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein d) comprises measurement of the acidic power of said separated liquor obtained from b), one or more of said liquid streams withdrawn during pretreating of the wet biomass in c), or both, throughout the process.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The process as claimed in claim 9, wherein measurement of the acidic power is performed by measuring the pH or by measuring the conductivity, the measurements being performed either continuously or at a given frequency.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein said liquid streams withdrawn during pretreating of the wet biomass in c) are liquid streams withdrawn downstream of a) and upstream of subsequent biomass treatment steps.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The process as claimed in claim 1, further comprising recycling (i) the separated liquor obtained from b), (ii) the one or more liquid streams withdrawn during pretreating of the wet biomass in c), (iii) liquid streams withdrawn during subsequent biomass treatment steps, or (i), (ii), and (iii) into a).

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The process as claimed in claim 1, further comprising, after the pretreating in c), treating at least a part of the pretreated biomass, by enzymatic hydrolysis, to produce said sugary liquors.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one portion of the sugary liquors is subjected to an alcoholic fermentation.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the impregnation liquor has a pH of between 0.1 and 2.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the solids content of the wet biomass obtained in step b) is between 40% and 65% by weight.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein pretreating the wet biomass in c) is performed by steam explosion.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein adjusting of the composition of the impregnation liquor is performed by adding water or acid to said impregnation liquor used in a), so as to keep constant, throughout the process, the acidic power of the separated liquor obtained from b) or the acidic power of the one or more liquid streams withdrawn during pretreating of the wet biomass in c) to within ±10%.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

The process as claimed in claim 1, further comprising recycling (i) the separated liquor obtained from b) into a).