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US 4,304,649 AGranted
Solubilization of lignocellulosic materials
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of Agriculture
InventorsYoun W. Han, Eivind B. Lillehoj, Alex Ciegler
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Abstract
The solubilization of lignocellulosic fibrous material is accomplished by impregnating the selected lignocellulosic material with one of a group of certain swelling agents, allowing a sufficient amount of time until the desired degree of swelling is achieved, then subjecting the swollen fibers to irradiation from a gamma radiation source.
Claims6
A process for converting fibrous lignocellulosic materials to soluble and solubilizable substances useful in the preparation of carbohydrates and complex organic feedstocks comprising:
- (a) wetting the selected lignocellulosic fibrous material with a solution containing a swelling agent for the lignocellulosic fibrous material,
- (b) allowing the resulting wet material of (a) sufficient time to swell, and
- (c) exposing the swollen fibrous material to gamma irradiation to obtain a soluble or solubilizable material, the exposure time to the irradiation being a function of the starting material, the swelling agent and the selected irradiation dosage.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.