Process and apparatus for removing impurities from solid biomass feeds
AssigneeAnellotech, Inc.
InventorsGregory Coil, Charles M. Sorensen, William McDonald, William Igoe, Zhihua Wu, Robert McIntire, Steven Striziver
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Abstract
Processes and apparatus are described for removing impurities from solid biomass while preserving hydrogen and carbon content. Examples are provided of processes using acidified aqueous solutions in a countercurrent extraction process that includes the pneumatic transport of slurries between process units, or a mechanical dewatering step, or both, to produce a washed biomass suitable for various upgrading and conversion processes. Compositions related to the processes are also described.
Claims18
A counter-current washing process for washing solid biomass, comprising:
- conducting two or more wash steps in a series of wash tanks fitted with agitation devices and containing wash solutions;
- wherein the solid biomass is contacted with the wash solutions to form slurries;
- wherein the solids are transported as a slurry from at least one wash tank to a second wash tank or other device via a pneumatic lift pump;
- wherein the pneumatic lift pump operates by injecting gas near the bottom (at a point or points within 1/5 or 1/10 by volume from the tank bottom) into a tube or tubes such that biomass is forced up and out of the tank through the tube or tubes;
- wherein the wash solution for at least one wash step comprises used wash solution from a later wash step;
- and
- wherein a mass percent of organic matter in the solid biomass lost in the counter-current washing process is less than 10% of the mass of the organic matter in the solid biomass before washing.
A counter-current washing process for washing solid biomass, comprising:
- conducting two or more wash steps in a series of wash tanks fitted with agitation devices and containing wash solutions;
- wherein the solid biomass is contacted with the wash solutions to form slurries;
- wherein the slurries are transported from at least one wash tank to a second wash tank or other device via a pneumatic lift pump;
- wherein the pneumatic lift pump operates by injecting gas near the bottom (at a point or points within 1/5 or 1/10 by volume from the tank bottom) into a tube or tubes such that biomass is forced up and out of the tank through the tube or tubes;
- wherein the solids are separated from the slurry out of at least one of the wash tanks in a mechanical separation step;
- and
- wherein the wash solution for at least one wash step comprises used wash solution from a later wash step;
- and
- wherein a mass percent of organic matter in the solid biomass lost in the counter-current washing process is less than 10% of the mass of the organic matter in the solid biomass before washing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.