# US 8,785,155 B2 · Process for obtaining biochemicals in a zero-liquid discharge plant > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,785,155 B2 - Document ID: US8785155B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/471,662 - Filed: 2012-05-15 - Published: 2013-05-23 - Granted: 2014-07-22 - Earliest claimed: 2009-05-28 - Assignees: API Intellectual Property Holdings, LLC - Applicants: Theodora Retsina; Vesa Pylkkanen; Kimberly Nelson - Inventors: Theodora Retsina; Vesa Pylkkanen; Kimberly Nelson - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8785155B2 ## CPC - C07C 51/47: by solid-liquid treatment; by chemisorption - C12P 7/10: substrate containing cellulosic material - C12P 7/16: Butanols - C12P 19/02: Monosaccharides (2-ketogulonic acid C12P7/60) - Y02E 50/10: Biofuels, e.g. bio-diesel - C07C: ACYCLIC OR CARBOCYCLIC COMPOUNDS - 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)} - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION ## 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. ## Claims ### Claim 1 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. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein said clarified extract is acidified prior to step (c). ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein said suspended solids are recovered as a combustion fuel. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein said dissolved lignin is recovered as a combustion fuel. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein said ultrafiltration concentrate is combined with said suspended solids to form a combustion fuel mixture. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein said nanofiltration unit comprises a membrane with a molecular-weight cutoff of 100 g/mol. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein said reverse-osmosis permeate consists essentially of water. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein said reverse-osmosis permeate is used as boiler feedwater. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein said reverse-osmosis permeate is recycled for use in said steam or hot-water cooking of biomass. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein said hydrolysis reactor is operated in the presence of sulfuric acid at a pH selected from 0.1 to 4, a hydrolysis temperature selected from 80° C. to 180° C., and a hydrolysis time selected from 30 minutes to 2 hours. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein said hydrolysis reactor is operated in the presence of a mixture of cellulase and xylanase enzymes. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, said process further comprising fermentation of said fermentable sugars to produce a fermentation product. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The process of claim 12, wherein said fermentation product is ethanol. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The process of claim 12, wherein said fermentation product is butanol. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The process of claim 12, said process further comprising distillation of said fermentation product, wherein distillation bottoms are recycled or evaporated rather than discharged as liquid. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The process of claim 15, said process further comprising recycling said reverse-osmosis permeate and recycling cooling water used for cooling said hydrolyzate, to achieve a zero-liquid-discharge process. ### Claim 17 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. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The process of claim 17, wherein said alcohol is ethanol. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The process of claim 17, wherein said alcohol is butanol. ### Claim 20 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.