Method of treating biomass material
OwnerDavid L. Brinkinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Two stage hydrolysis of lignocellulosic material, conditions during the first stage being such as to hydrolyze or depolymerize the hemicellulosic component without substantial degradation of resulting monosaccharides, conditions during the second stage being such as to hydrolyze the cellulose to glucose without substantial degradation of the glucose. The solids left after first stage hydrolysis are disintegrated mechanically thereby greatly facilitating second stage hydrolysis. Hydrolysis in both stages is preferably accomplished by the use of nitric acid. The pH, retention time and temperature in both stages are selected to maximize production of the desired monosaccharide or monosaccharides.
Claims8
A method of treating lignocellulosic material having a hemicellulosic content and a cellulosic content which is more difficult to depolymerize than the hemicellulosic content, said method comprising:
- (a) subjecting the lignocellulosic material in particulate form to acid hydrolysis in an aqueous medium at a pH, at a temperature and for a period of time to depolymerize the hemicellulosic content without substantial depolymerization of the more difficultly depolymerizable cellulosic content, thereby producing an aqueous slurry containing monosaccharides resulting from depolymerization of the hemicellulosic content dissolved in the aqueous medium and containing as a particulate solid phase the major portion of the more difficultly depolymerizable cellulosic content in association with the lignin content, such particulate solid phase being dispersed in the aqueous phase, and
- (b) then subjecting the particulate solid phase to mechanical action to reduce it to a finely divided form.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.