Process for the conversion of lipid-containing biomass

Abstract

A process is disclosed for converting lipid-containing biomass to a liquid fuel and/or platform chemicals. The process comprises the steps of dissolving the lipid-containing biomass in an ionic liquid, whereby a lipid phase and a hydrophilic phase are formed. The lipid phase contains primarily triglycerides, which can be converted to biodiesel by transesterification to, e.g., methyl esters. The hydrophilic phase comprises dissolved biopolymers, such as cellulose, hemicellulose, and protein. The biopolymers are converted in situ to compounds that are insoluble in the ionic liquid. The ionic liquid is regenerated by removing insolubles, such as lignin, ash from the biomass, and water.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.