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US 8,785,155 B2Granted
Process for obtaining biochemicals in a zero-liquid discharge plant
AssigneeAPI Intellectual Property Holdings, LLC
InventorsTheodora Retsina, Vesa Pylkkanen, Kimberly Nelson
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Abstract
A method is presented for the production of cellulosic ethanol, acetic acid and derivatives from the extract containing fibers and hemicelluloses after steam cooking of biomass in a host plant. The process is integrated with the host plant process to minimize the effect of loss of heat value from the extracted hemicelluloses and eliminate the need for the waste water treatment plant.
Claims20
A process for producing fermentable sugars and acetic acid from a biomass-derived extract, said process comprising:
- (a) providing a liquid extract produced during steam or hot-water cooking of biomass, wherein said liquid extract comprises hemicelluloses, acetic acid, dissolved lignin, and suspended solids;
- (b) clarifying said liquid extract by sedimentation or centrifugation for removing said suspended solids, to produce a clarified extract comprising said hemicelluloses and said acetic acid;
- (c) introducing said clarified extract to an ultrafiltration unit for removing said dissolved lignin with a molecular-weight cutoff range of 3,000 g/mol to 10,000 g/mol, to produce an ultrafiltration concentrate comprising said dissolved lignin and an ultrafiltration permeate comprising said hemicelluloses and said acetic acid;
- (d) introducing said ultrafiltration permeate to a nanofiltration unit for removing said hemicelluloses, to produce a nanofiltration concentrate comprising said hemicelluloses and a nanofiltration permeate comprising said acetic acid;
- (e) introducing said nanofiltration permeate to a reverse-osmosis membrane, to produce a reverse-osmosis permeate comprising water and a reverse-osmosis concentrate comprising said acetic acid;
- and
- (f) introducing said nanofiltration concentrate to a hydrolysis reactor, to produce a hydrolyzate comprising fermentable sugars.
4 more elements
A process for producing an alcohol and acetic acid from a biomass-derived extract, said process comprising:
- (a) providing a liquid extract produced during steam or hot-water cooking of biomass, wherein said liquid extract comprises hemicelluloses, acetic acid, dissolved lignin, and suspended solids;
- (b) clarifying said liquid extract by sedimentation or centrifugation for removing said suspended solids, to produce a clarified extract comprising said hemicelluloses and said acetic acid;
- (c) introducing said clarified extract to an ultrafiltration unit for removing said dissolved lignin with a molecular-weight cutoff range of 3,000 g/mol to 10,000 g/mol, to produce an ultrafiltration concentrate comprising said dissolved lignin and an ultrafiltration permeate comprising said hemicelluloses and said acetic acid;
- (d) introducing said ultrafiltration permeate to a nanofiltration unit for removing said hemicelluloses, to produce a nanofiltration concentrate comprising said hemicelluloses and a nanofiltration permeate comprising said acetic acid;
- (e) introducing said nanofiltration permeate to a reverse-osmosis membrane, to produce a reverse-osmosis permeate comprising water and a reverse-osmosis concentrate comprising said acetic acid;
- (f) introducing said nanofiltration concentrate to a hydrolysis reactor, to produce a hydrolyzate comprising fermentable sugars;
- and
- (g) fermenting said fermentable sugars to an alcohol.
5 more elements
A process for producing acetic acid from a biomass-derived extract, said process comprising:
- (a) providing a liquid extract produced during steam or hot-water cooking of biomass, wherein said liquid extract comprises hemicelluloses, acetic acid, dissolved lignin, and suspended solids;
- (b) clarifying said liquid extract by sedimentation or centrifugation for removing said suspended solids, to produce a clarified extract comprising said hemicelluloses and said acetic acid;
- (c) introducing said clarified extract to an ultrafiltration unit for removing said dissolved lignin with a molecular-weight cutoff range of 3,000 g/mol to 10,000 g/mol, to produce an ultrafiltration concentrate comprising said dissolved lignin and an ultrafiltration permeate comprising said hemicelluloses and said acetic acid;
- (d) introducing said ultrafiltration permeate to a nanofiltration unit for removing said hemicelluloses, to produce a nanofiltration concentrate comprising said hemicelluloses and a nanofiltration permeate comprising said acetic acid;
- (e) introducing said nanofiltration permeate to a reverse-osmosis membrane, to produce a reverse-osmosis permeate comprising water and a reverse-osmosis concentrate comprising said acetic acid;
- and
- (f) recovering said acetic acid.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.