# US 8,771,425 B2 · Process for the treatment of lignocellulosic biomass

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- Number: US 8,771,425 B2
- Document ID: US8771425B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/591,092
- Filed: 2012-08-21
- Published: 2012-12-27
- Granted: 2014-07-08
- Earliest claimed: 2006-05-01
- Assignees: Board of Trustees of Michigan State University
- Applicants: Bruce E. Dale
- Inventors: Bruce E. Dale
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8771425B2

## CPC

- C12P 19/02: Monosaccharides (2-ketogulonic acid C12P7/60)
- C12P 7/10: substrate containing cellulosic material
- C13K 1/02: obtained by saccharification of cellulosic materials (manufacture of fodder A23K10/32)
- C13K 13/002: {Xylose}
- C12P 2201/00: Pretreatment of cellulosic or lignocellulosic material for subsequent enzymatic treatment or hydrolysis
- Y02E 50/10: Biofuels, e.g. bio-diesel
- 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)}
- C13K: SACCHARIDES OBTAINED FROM NATURAL SOURCES OR BY HYDROLYSIS OF NATURALLY OCCURRING DISACCHARIDES, OLIGOSACCHARIDES OR POLYSACCHARIDES (chemically synthesised sugars or sugar derivatives C07H; polysaccharides, e.g. starch, derivatives thereof C08B; malt C12C; fermentation or enzyme-using processes for preparing compounds containing saccharide radicals C12P19/00; production of sucrose C13B)
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

A process for the treatment of biomass to render structural carbohydrates more accessible and/or digestible using concentrated ammonium hydroxide with or without anhydrous ammonia addition, is described. The process preferably uses steam to strip ammonia from the biomass for recycling. The process yields of monosaccharides from the structural carbohydrates are good, particularly as measured by the enzymatic hydrolysis of the structural carbohydrates. The monosaccharides are used as animal feeds and energy sources for ethanol production.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A process for treating lignocellulosic biomass containing structural carbohydrates comprising:
adding ammonia vapors and water vapors at an elevated temperature to a closed vessel containing dry lignocellulosic biomass such that structural carbohydrates in the dry lignocellulosic biomass are rendered more susceptible to hydrolysis, wherein the ammonia vapors and the water vapors are added at an elevated pressure.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 wherein a final mixture temperature in the closed vessel is 50° C. or above.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The process of claim 2 wherein the final mixing temperature is about 90° C.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 wherein a ratio of ammonia in the ammonia vapors to the dry lignocellulosic biomass is from about 0.2:1 to about 1:1.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The process of claim 4 wherein a weight ratio of water in the water vapors to the dry lignocellulosic biomass is from about 0.4:1 and to about 1:1.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 wherein the elevated pressure is released.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 wherein a weight ratio of water in the water vapors to the dry lignocellulosic biomass is between about 0.4:1 and about 1:1.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 wherein the elevated temperature is a temperature of a mixture of ammonia, biomass and water.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The process of claim 8 wherein the elevated temperature is between about 50° C. and 120° C.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The process of claim 9 wherein the elevated pressure is between about 4 and about 50 atm.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The process of claim 10 wherein the elevated pressure is between about 6.9 and 20.7 atm.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 wherein the dry lignocellulosic biomass is ground dry lignocellulosic biomass.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 further comprising obtaining monosaccharides from the treated dry lignocellulosic biomass.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The process of claim 13 wherein the monosaccharides are obtained by enzymatic hydrolysis, microbial conversion and/or animal digestion.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The process of claim 13 wherein the monosaccharides are recovered as a mixture of glucose, xylose, arabinose and other sugars.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The process of claim 14 wherein the enzymatic hydrolysis is performed with a cellulase enzyme.

### Claim 17 (depends on 14)

The process of claim 14 wherein the microbial conversion produces organic acids, alcohols, and other byproducts.

### Claim 18 (depends on 14)

The process of claim 14 wherein the animal digestion occurs in either ruminant or non-ruminant animal diets.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 wherein the pressure is released rapidly.

### Claim 20

A process comprising:
adding ammonia vapors and water vapors at an elevated temperature to a closed vessel containing dry plant biomass to produce pretreated dry plant biomass, wherein structural carbohydrates present in the dry plant biomass are rendered more susceptible to hydrolysis, and a weight ratio of water in the water vapors to the dry plant biomass is between about 0.4:1 and about 1:1.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The process of claim 20 wherein the method further comprises adding the ammonia vapors and the water vapors at an elevated pressure.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The process of claim 21 wherein the elevated pressure is between about 4 and about 50 atm.

### Claim 23 (depends on 21)

The process of claim 21 wherein the elevated pressure is released.

### Claim 24 (depends on 20)

The process of claim 20 wherein a ratio of ammonia in the ammonia vapors to the dry plant biomass is from about 0.2:1 to about 1:1.

### Claim 25 (depends on 20)

The process of claim 20 wherein the dry plant biomass is corn stover or switchgrass.