Use of ionic polymers in biomass processing for preparation of animal feed additive

An animal feed additive-comprising in wt %:

• Total oligosaccharides:
• 25% to 75%;
• Proteins and/or protein hydrolysates:
• 5% to 55%;
• Lipids:
• 0% to 5%;
• Phenolic compounds:
• 0% to 55%;
• Minerals:
• <10%;
• Moisture:
• <10%;
• wherein the oligosaccharides comprise:
• Glucans:
• 3% to 40%, by weight of total oligosaccharides;
• Xylans:
• 10% to 50%, by weight of total oligosaccharides;
• Arabinans:
• 3% to 50%, by weight of total oligosaccharides;
• Mannans:
• 0% to 30%, by weight of total oligosaccharides;
• and wherein distribution of degree of polymerisation (DP) of said oligosaccharides is
• DP1:
• 1% to 30%;
• DP2 to DP30:
• 70% to 100%;
• and wherein the animal feed is obtained by:
• contacting a biomass with a catalyst to form a reaction mixture, wherein the catalyst comprises one or more ionic polymers, an ionic polymer network, a solid-supported ionic polymer, or a polymer membrane incorporating the one or more ionic polymers;
• degrading the biomass in the reaction mixture to produce a liquid phase and a solid phase, wherein the liquid phase includes the animal feed additive, and the solid phase includes residual biomass;
• separating at least a portion of the liquid phase from the solid phase to produce an isolated liquid phase;
• and
• recovering the animal feed additive from the isolated liquid phase;
• wherein the ionic polymer consists of a first monomer corresponding in structure to Formula I:
• a second monomer corresponding in structure to Formula VI:
• wherein
• n is selected from the group consisting of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6;
• z and w are independently selected from the group consisting of zero, 1, 2, and 3;
• Z1 and Z2 are cations each independently selected from the group consisting of:
• wherein R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, and R6 are each independently selected from the group consisting of a bond, H, C1-C6 alkyl, C1-C6 allyl, CH3-(CH2)p-O—(CH2)q-CH3, C1-C6 alkoxy, C1-C6 alkoxyalkyl, benzyl, —SO3H, and —(CH2)q-SO3H, provided that two of R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, and R6 are each a bond;
• p and q are independently selected from 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6;
• X− is selected from the group consisting of F−, Cl−, Br−, I−, ClO4−, BF4−, PF6−, AsF6−, SbF6−, NO2−, NO3−, HSO4−, SO42−, PO43−, HPO42−, CF3CO2−, CF3CO3−, CO32−, CF3SO3−, C1-C6 carboxylate, CN−, SCN−, OCN−, CNO−, N3−, tosylate, mesylate, trifluoromethanesulfonate, trifluoroethane sulfonate, di-trifluoromethanesulfonyl amino, docusate, and xylenesulfonate;
• Rb and Rc are each independently selected from the group consisting of H and CH3, or Rb and Rc are each independently absent;
• Rd is C1-C24 alkylene or C1-C24 alkyl, optionally substituted by C1-C24 alkyl;
• Re and Rf are each independently C1-C24 alkyl;
• Y is N or O, provided that when Y is O, Rc is absent;
• R is selected from the group consisting of C1-C24 alkyl and C5-C10 aryl, or R is absent;
• wherein the ionic polymer network comprises the one or more ionic polymers cross-linked;
• wherein the solid support has at least one surface comprising the one or more ionic polymers or the ionic polymer network;
• wherein the polymer membrane incorporates the one or more ionic polymers or the ionic polymer network.