Highly disordered cellulose
AssigneeCellulose Sciences International, Inc.
InventorRajai H. Atalla
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed are methods and systems for treating cellulose to make it more accessible for enzymatic or chemical modification. The invention includes treating cellulose with an alkali in an alcohol/water co-solvent system. The treatment decrystallizes or deaggregates the cellulosic material. The methods and systems increase the efficiency of enzymatic or chemical modifications of cellulose for use as biofuels or cellulose derivatives.
Claims17
A method of pretreating cellulose or a cellulosic material, comprising contacting the cellulose or cellulosic material with a treatment solution of an alkali in an alcohol/water co-solvent system to yield a deaggregated or decrystallized cellulose, the alkali having a concentration of >1.0 M.
A method of producing sugars, comprising treating a cellulosic material with a treatment solution of an alkali in an alcohol/water co-solvent system to yield a deaggregated or decrystallized cellulosic material, the alkali having a concentration of >1.0 M;
- washing the cellulosic material with the co-solvent to remove the alkali, and hydrolyzing the cellulosic material to yield sugars.
A method of producing cellulosic ethanol, comprising treating a cellulosic material with a treatment solution of an alkali in an alcohol/water co-solvent system to yield a deaggregated or decrystallized cellulosic material, the alkali having a concentration of >1.0 M;
- washing the cellulosic material with the co-solvent to remove the alkali;
- hydrolyzing the cellulosic material to yield sugars;
- fermenting the sugars to produce ethanol;
- and separating the ethanol from the fermentation mix.
A method of producing cellulosic biofuels, the method comprising:
- treating a cellulosic material with a treatment solution of an alkali in an alcohol/water co-solvent system to yield a deaggregated or decrystallized cellulose, the alkali having a concentration of >1.0 M;
- washing the deaggregated or decrystallized cellulose with the co-solvent to remove the alkali;
- and catalytically reforming the deaggregated or decrystallized cellulose into hydrocarbons or biofuels.
A method of producing cellulosic biofuels, the method comprising:
- treating a cellulosic material with a treatment solution of an alkali in an alcohol/water co-solvent system to yield a deaggregated or decrystallized cellulose, the alkali having a concentration of >1.0 M;
- washing the deaggregated or decrystallized cellulose to remove the alkali;
- hydrolyzing the deaggregated or decrystallized cellulose to glucose and cello-oligodextrins;
- and catalytically reforming the glucose and cello-oligodextrins into hydrocarbons.
A method of producing biofuels, comprising:
- a) hydrolyzing a cellulosic material to form glucose and a residual cellulose;
- b) treating the residual cellulose with a treatment solution of an alkali in an alcohol/water co-solvent system to yield a deaggregated or decrystallized cellulose, the alkali having a concentration of >1.0 M;
- c) washing the deaggregated or decrystallized cellulose to remove the alkali;
- and d) hydrolyzing the deaggregated or decrystallized cellulose to glucose and cello-oligodextrins.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.