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US 2014/0178946 A1Published application
Materials and methods for converting biomass to biofuel
AssigneeEdeniq, Inc.
InventorsAdriano Galvez, III, Glenn Richards
Life of this patent
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Abstract
This disclosure provides for materials and methods for converting biomass to biofuels. The materials include a colloid mill with or without cellulase enzymes, and the methods include the use of a colloid mill and optionally cellulose enzymes to pretreat biomass for use in a biomass to biofuel production process.
Claims20
A method of treating a biomass/water mixture comprising cellulose and starch, comprising:
- a) contacting the biomass/water mixture to at least one amylase to hydrolyze starch contained in the biomass;
- b) milling the biomass/water mixture with a high shear milling/mixing device comprising a rotor and a stator to produce milled biomass, thereby reducing the size of biomass particles in the biomass/water mixture compared to pretreatment of the biomass with a hammer mill alone,
- c) following the contacting and milling, adjusting the temperature of the amylase-treated milled biomass to a temperature suitable for fermentation;
- and
- d) fermenting the amylase-treated milled biomass in the presence of at least one cellulase that hydrolyzes the cellulose contained in the biomass to sugar.
2 more elements
A method of treating corn comprising both cellulose and starch, the method comprising:
- a) hammer milling whole kernel corn and mixing with water thereby generating a biomass/water mixture having a particles size mostly ranging from 100 to 1600 microns,
- b) contacting the biomass/water mixture to at least one amylase to hydrolyze starch contained in the biomass,
- c) milling the biomass/water mixture with a high shear milling/mixing device comprising a rotor and a stator to produce milled biomass, thereby reducing the size of biomass particles so that the biomass has a particle size mostly ranging from 100 to 800 microns,
- d) adjusting the temperature of the amylase-treated milled biomass to a temperature suitable for fermentation;
- and
- e) fermenting the amylase-treated milled biomass in the presence of at least one cellulase that hydrolyzes the cellulose contained in the biomass to sugar.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.