Separation process of oil and sugars from biomass
AssigneeThe Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois
InventorsStephen P. Long, Vijay Singh, Haibo Huang
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Process for recovery and separation of sugars and oil from plants where the stems and leaves of such plants have substantial levels of both sugars and oils.
Claims19
A method of recovering oil and sugars from a plant comprising stems and leaves, wherein the stems and leaves each contain oil and sugars,
- the method comprising:
- mechanically treating the plant to release liquid comprising the oil and sugars from the stems and leaves, thereby forming a mechanically treated mixture comprising the liquid and solid components, the mechanical treatment being selected from at least one of shredding, crushing and pressing;
- separating the oil from the liquid, thereby forming an oil-rich stream, the oil separation step being selected from centrifugation, membrane filtration, or solvent extraction;
- and
- separating the sugars from the liquid, thereby forming a sugar-rich solution, the sugar separation step being selected from centrifugation or membrane filtration.
A method of recovering oil and sugars from a plant comprising stems and leaves, wherein the stems and leaves each contain oil and sugars,
- the method comprising:
- mechanically treating the plant to release liquid comprising oil and sugars from the stems and leaves, thereby forming a mechanically treated mixture comprising the liquid and solid components, the mechanical treatment being selected from at least one of shredding and crushing;
- separating the liquid from the solid component in a liquid-solid separation step selected from centrifugation or filtration, thereby forming a separated liquid stream and a separated solid component stream;
- separating the oils from the sugars in the separated liquid stream in a solvent extraction step, thereby forming a raw sugar solution stream and a miscella stream comprising oil and solvent;
- removing solvent from the miscella stream in an evaporation step, thereby forming an oil-rich stream and a solvent recycle stream;
- and
- returning the solvent stream to the solvent extraction step.
A method of recovering oil and sugars from a plant comprising stems and leaves, wherein the stems and leaves each contain oil and sugars,
- the method comprising:
- mechanically treating the plant to release liquid comprising oil and sugars from the stems and leaves, thereby forming a mechanically treated mixture comprising the liquid and solid components, the mechanical treatment being selected from at least one of shredding and crushing;
- separating the liquid from the solid component in a liquid-solid separation step selected from centrifugation or filtration, thereby forming a separated liquid stream and a separated solid component stream;
- separating the oil from the sugars in the separated liquid stream in a membrane filtration step, thereby forming a raw sugar solution stream and an oil-rich stream comprising oil;
- and
- concentrating the oil in the oil-rich stream in an evaporation step, thereby forming a concentrated oil stream.
A method of recovering oil and sugars from a plant comprising stems and leaves, wherein the stems and leaves each contain oil and sugars,
- the method comprising:
- mechanically treating the plant to release liquid comprising oil and sugars from the stems and leaves, thereby forming a mechanically treated mixture comprising the liquid and solid components, the mechanical treatment being selected from at least one of shredding and crushing;
- extracting the mechanically treated mixture in a solvent extraction step, thereby forming a de-oiled material stream comprising sugars and a solid component, and a miscella stream comprising oil and solvent;
- removing solvent from the miscella stream in an evaporation step, thereby forming an oil-rich stream and a solvent recycle stream;
- and
- separating the sugars from the solid component in the de-oiled material stream in a membrane filtration step, thereby forming a raw sugar solution and a solid component stream.
A method of recovering oil and sugars from a plant comprising stems and leaves, wherein the stems and leaves each contain oil and sugars,
- the method comprising:
- mechanically treating the plant to release liquid from the stems and leaves, thereby forming a mechanically treated mixture comprising a juice stream comprising the oil and sugars, the mechanical treatment being selected from at least one of shredding and crushing;
- fermenting the juice stream in a fermentation step to convert the sugars to ethanol, thereby forming a fermented mixture;
- evaporating the ethanol from the fermented mixture in an evaporation step, thereby forming a raw oil stream;
- and
- extracting the raw oil stream in a solvent extraction step to separate oil from the raw oil stream, thereby forming an oil enriched stream.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.