Solvolysis of biomass using solvent from a bioreforming process
AssigneeVirent, Inc.
InventorsMing Qiao, Randy D. Cortright, Dick A. Nagaki
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Abstract
The present invention provides processes for deconstructing biomass using a solvent produced in a bioreforming reaction.
Claims15
A method of making a biomass hydrolysate, the method comprising:
- A. catalytically reacting water and a water-soluble C2+O1+ oxygenated hydrocarbon in a liquid or vapor phase with H2 in the presence of a deoxygenation catalyst at a deoxygenation temperature and a deoxygenation pressure to produce a biomass processing solvent comprising a C2+O1-3 hydrocarbon in a reaction stream, wherein the biomass processing solvent comprises a member selected from the group consisting of an alcohol, ketone, aldehyde, cyclic ether, ester, diol, triol, hydroxy carboxylic acid, carboxylic acid, and a mixture thereof;
- and
- B. reacting the biomass processing solvent with a solid biomass component at a deconstruction temperature and a deconstruction pressure to produce a biomass hydrolysate comprising at least one member selected from the group consisting of a water-soluble lignocellulose derivative, a water-soluble cellulose derivative, a water-soluble hemicellulose derivative, a carbohydrate, a starch, a monosaccharide, a disaccharide, a polysaccharide, a sugar, a sugar alcohol, an alditol and a polyol.
A method of deconstructing biomass, the method comprising reacting a biomass slurry with a biomass processing solvent comprising a C2+O1-3 hydrocarbon, wherein the biomass processing solvent comprises a member selected from the group consisting of an alcohol, ketone, aldehyde, diol, triol, cyclic ether, ester, hydroxy carboxylic acid, carboxylic acid, and a mixture thereof, at a deconstruction temperature between about 80° C. and 350° C. and a deconstruction pressure between about 100 psi and 2000 psi to produce a biomass hydrolysate comprising at least one member selected from the group consisting of a water-soluble lignocellulose derivative, water-soluble cellulose derivative, water-soluble hemicellulose derivative, carbohydrate, starch, monosaccharide, disaccharide, polysaccharide, sugar, sugar alcohol, alditol, and polyol, wherein the biomass processing solvent is produced by catalytically reacting in the liquid or vapor phase an aqueous feedstock solution comprising water and a water-soluble oxygenated hydrocarbons comprising a C2+O1+ hydrocarbon with H2 in the presence of a deoxygenation catalyst at a deoxygenation temperature and deoxygenation pressure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.