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US 8,603,787 B2Granted
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.
Claims15
A method comprising:
- comminuting a lignocellulosic material selected from the group consisting of grasses, rice hulls, bagasse, jute, hemp, flax, bamboo, sisal, abaca, straw, corn cobs, corn stover, alfalfa, hay, coconut hair, seaweed, algae, and mixtures thereof;
- delivering to the lignocellulosic material a total dose of radiation of greater than about 20 MRads and less than about 50 MRads, at a dose rate of at least 1 Mrad/sec, prior to exposing the lignocellulosic material to an enzyme or microorganism for hydrolysis,
- wherein delivering comprises irradiating the lignocellulosic material with a series of doses of electron beam radiation by passing the material through and between successive showers of electrons with the lignocellulosic material being exposed to each shower for a predetermined exposure time and being allowed to at least partially cool between exposures;
- and
- after delivering the total dose of radiation to the lignocellulosic material, hydrolyzing the irradiated material with an enzyme or microorganism to produce sugars.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.