# US 5,705,216 A · Production of hydrophobic fibers > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 5,705,216 A - Document ID: US5705216A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 08/514,263 - Filed: 1995-08-11 - Granted: 1998-01-06 - Earliest claimed: 1995-08-11 - Inventors: George J. Tyson - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5705216A ## CPC - C08H 8/00: Macromolecular compounds derived from lignocellulosic materials {(pretreatment thereof B27N)} - C12P 7/08: produced as by-product or from waste or cellulosic material substrate - C12P 19/14: produced by the action of a carbohydrase {(EC 3.2.x)}, e.g. by alpha-amylase {, e.g. by cellulase, hemicellulase} - D21C 5/00: Other processes for obtaining cellulose, e.g. cooking cotton linters (obtaining fibres for spinning D01C); {Processes characterised by the choice of cellulose-containing starting materials} - Y02E 50/10: Biofuels, e.g. bio-diesel - Y10S 426/807: Poultry or ruminant feed - C08H: DERIVATIVES OF NATURAL MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS (polysaccharides C08B; natural rubber C08C; natural resins or their derivatives C09F; bituminous materials C10) - C12P: FERMENTATION OR ENZYME-USING PROCESSES TO SYNTHESISE A DESIRED CHEMICAL COMPOUND OR COMPOSITION OR TO SEPARATE OPTICAL ISOMERS FROM A RACEMIC MIXTURE {(brewing of beer C12C; producing vinegar C12J; producing specific peptides or proteins C07K; producing enzymes C12N9/00; DNA or RNA concerning genetic engineering, vectors, e.g. plasmids, or their isolation, preparation or purification C12N15/00; measuring or testing processes involving enzymes or microorganisms C12Q; measuring or testing processes involving nucleic acid amplification reactions C12Q1/6844; fermentation processes to form a food composition, A21 or A23; compounds in general, see the relevant compound class, e.g. C01, C07)} - D21C: PRODUCTION OF CELLULOSE BY REMOVING NON-CELLULOSE SUBSTANCES FROM CELLULOSE-CONTAINING MATERIALS; REGENERATION OF PULPING LIQUORS; APPARATUS THEREFOR - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION - Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS ## Abstract A woody or non-woody biomass is delignified through continuous extrusion technology, utilizing high-pressure steam to break down complex biomass materials. The process is useful to form a hydrophobic fiber material for use as an extrusion filler, a plastics modifier, and in the papermaking arts. Alternatively, the process is useful for preparing dietary feeds for ruminant animals, as well as to produce a broad range of alcohols or polymers from lignocellulosic substrates. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A process for continuously treating lignocellulosic biomass consisting essentially of: a. reacting the lignocellulosic biomass in a reaction medium including an aqueous solution of about pH 10.5 to 12.5 to yield an alkaline mix; b. continuously feeding the mix of step a) into an extruder reactor at a temperature between about 150.degree. F. and 350.degree. F.; c. injecting steam into the extruder reactor at a pressure of from about 50 pounds per square inch to 250 pounds per square inch; d. extruding the mix of step a) in the absence of hydrogen peroxide to form an extrudate; and e. disaggregating and drying the extrudate to yield a modified lignocellulosic material. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the lignocellulosic biomass is selected from the group consisting of oat hulls, wheat bran, soy hulls, sunflower hulls, rice hulls, barley, corn hulls, beet pulp, switch grass, wheat straw, kenaf, yard waste, peanut hulls, bark, corn cobs, rice straw, pineapple tops, sugar cane, bagasse, newsprint, cardboard, corn husks, agricultural residues, and combinations thereof. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the lignocellulosic biomass is reduced in size to particles not more than 1/2 inch in length prior to reacting in the reaction medium. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein in step a) the pH of about 10.5 to about 12.5 is attained by adding an alkaline compound selected from the group consisting sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide to the reaction medium. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein in step d) the mix is extruded at a temperature of from about 260.degree. to 325.degree. F. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein in step c) the steam is injected into the extruder reactor at a pressure of from 150 to 250 pounds per square inch. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein in step c) the steam is injected into the extruder reactor at a pressure of about 150 to 200 pounds per square inch. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein in step d) the mix is extruded at a pH between about 11.2 and about 11.8. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein step a) further consists essentially of adding a chelating agent to the reaction medium in an amount sufficient to chelate metals present within the reaction medium. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The process of claim 9, wherein in step a) a chelating agent selected from the group consisting of sodium silicate and ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid, and mixtures thereof is added to the reaction medium. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The process according to claim 1, wherein step a) further consists essentially of adding buffering agents to the reaction medium. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The process according to claim 1, wherein the lignocellulosic biomass is selected from the group consisting of woody cellulosic substrates and non-woody cellulosic substrates.