Prehydrolysis of lignocellulose
AssigneeMidwest Research Institute
InventorsRobert W. Torget, Kiran L. Kadam, Teh-An Hsu, George P. Philippidis, Charles E. Wyman
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Abstract
The invention relates to the prehydrolysis of lignocellulose by passing an acidic or alkaline solution through solid lignocellulosic particles with removal of soluble components as they are formed. The technique permits a less severe combination of pH, temperature and time than conventional prehydrolysis. Furthermore, greater extraction of both hemicellulose and lignin occurs simultaneously in the same reactor and under the same conditions.
Claims9
A process for prehydrolyzing lignocellulosic material so as to separate a greater percentage of hemicellulose and at least 20% lignin to obtain a more purified cellulose comprising:
- placing lignocellulosic material in a prehydrolysis flow-through reactor;
- prehydrolyzing said lignocellulosic material at a temperature of between about 120.degree. to about 240.degree. C., by passing a dilute acidic liquid that produces pH conditions of about 1.0 to about 5.5 into the reactor and through said lignocellulosic material and withdrawing liquid out of said prehydrolysis flow-through reactor to form a prehydrolyzate liquor;
- recovering said prehydrolyzate liquor;
- and
- removing solid material inclusive of at least 20% of the lignin present in said lignocellulosic material from said flow-through prehydrolysis reactor at temperatures used during prehydrolyzing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.