Processing biomass
AssigneeXyleco, Inc.
InventorMarshall Medoff
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Biomass (e.g., plant biomass, animal biomass, and municipal waste biomass) is processed to produce useful products, such as fuels. For example, systems are described that can use feedstock materials, such as cellulosic and/or lignocellulosic materials, to produce ethanol and/or butanol, e.g., by fermentation.
Claims26
A method comprising converting a treated biomass feedstock to a product selected from the group consisting of alcohols, organic acids, sugars, hydrocarbons, and mixtures thereof, utilizing an enzyme and/or a microorganism, wherein the treated biomass feedstock has been prepared by irradiating a biomass feedstock with an electron beam at a dose rate of at least 1.0 Mrad/s for a time sufficient to deliver from about 10 Mrad to about 150 Mrad of radiation to the biomass feedstock so as to render the irradiated biomass feedstock more susceptible to chemical, enzymatic and/or biological attack than the biomass feedstock prior to electron beam treatment, the biomass feedstock having been physically treated prior to electron beam irradiation by grinding, milling or shearing.
A method comprising irradiating a biomass feedstock with an electron beam at a dose rate of at least 1.0 Mrad/s for a time sufficient to deliver from about 10 Mrad to about 150 Mrad of radiation to the biomass feedstock so as to render the irradiated biomass feedstock more susceptible to chemical, enzymatic and/or biological attack than the biomass feedstock prior to electron beam treatment, the biomass feedstock having been physically treated prior to electron beam irradiation by grinding, milling or shearing;
- and
- Converting the irradiated biomass feedstock to a product selected from the group consisting of alcohols, organic acids, sugars, hydrocarbons, and mixtures thereof, utilizing an enzyme and/or a microorganism.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.