# US 9,752,169 B2 · Process for the rapid hydrolysis of high solids biomass

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- Number: US 9,752,169 B2
- Document ID: US9752169B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/361,732
- Filed: 2016-11-28
- Published: 2017-03-16
- Granted: 2017-09-05
- Earliest claimed: 2009-03-31
- Assignees: Beta Renewables S.p.A.
- Applicants: Beta Renewables S.p.A.
- Inventors: Marco Cotti Comettini; Paolo Torre; Francesco Cherchi; Alberto Riva; Simone Ferrero; Piero Ottonello; Mirko Garbero
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9752169B2

## CPC

- C12P 19/14: produced by the action of a carbohydrase {(EC 3.2.x)}, e.g. by alpha-amylase {, e.g. by cellulase, hemicellulase}
- C08H 8/00: Macromolecular compounds derived from lignocellulosic materials {(pretreatment thereof B27N)}
- C12P 19/02: Monosaccharides (2-ketogulonic acid C12P7/60)
- 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
- 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)}
- C08H: DERIVATIVES OF NATURAL MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS (polysaccharides C08B; natural rubber C08C; natural resins or their derivatives C09F; bituminous materials C10)
- 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)

## Abstract

The process for the hydrolysis of ligno-cellulosic biomass comprises the steps of A) Contacting a ligno-cellulosic feedstock, the feedstock comprised of biomass having a dry content and water with at least a portion of a solvent, the solvent comprised of water soluble hydrolyzed species; wherein at least some of the water soluble hydrolyzed species are the same as the water soluble hydrolyzed species obtainable from the hydrolysis of the biomass in the feedstock; B) maintaining the contact between the feedstock of the feedstock stream and the solvent at a temperature in the range of 20° C. to 200° C. for a time in the range of 5 minutes to 72 hours to create a hydrolyzed product from the biomass in the feedstock.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A process for the hydrolysis of ligno-cellulosic biomass comprising the steps of
A) contacting a ligno-cellulosic feedstock of a feedstock stream, the ligno-cellulosic feedstock comprised of a ligno-cellulosic biomass having a dry content and water with at least a portion of a solvent, wherein the dry content comprises cellulose, hemicellulose, and the weight percent of the cellulose in the dry content is greater than 5 weight percent of the dry content, the solvent comprises water soluble hydrolyzed species; wherein at least some of the water soluble hydrolyzed species are the same as the water soluble hydrolyzed species obtainable from the hydrolysis of the cellulose in the feedstock;
B) maintaining the contact between the feedstock of the feedstock stream and the solvent in the presence of a catalyst composition for the hydrolysis of the cellulose comprising at least one cellulase enzyme, at a temperature in the range of 20° C. to 100° C. to create a hydrolyzed product from the biomass in the feedstock.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the ratio of the weight of the solvent contacted with the feedstock to the weight of the feedstock is in the range of 40:60 to 90:10.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The process of claim 2, wherein the ratio of the weight of the solvent contacted with the feedstock to the weight of the feedstock is greater than 0.8:1.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the ratio of the weight of the cellulose plus hydrolysis products of cellulose in the solvent to the weight of the cellulose in the ligno-cellulosic feedstock is greater than the ratio of 1:1.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The process of claim 2, wherein at least a portion of the catalyst composition is contacted with the feedstock before contacting the feedstock with at least a portion of the solvent.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The process of claim 4, wherein at least a portion of the catalyst composition is contacted with the feedstock before contacting the feedstock with at least a portion of the solvent.

### Claim 7 (depends on 2)

The process of claim 2, wherein at least a portion of the catalyst composition is contacted with the feedstock after contacting the feedstock with at least a portion of the solvent.

### Claim 8 (depends on 4)

The process of claim 4, wherein at least a portion of the catalyst composition is contacted with the feedstock after contacting the feedstock with at least a portion of the solvent.

### Claim 9 (depends on 2)

The process of claim 2, wherein at least a portion of the catalyst composition is contacted with the feedstock simultaneously with contacting the feedstock with at least a portion of the solvent.

### Claim 10 (depends on 4)

The process of claim 4, wherein at least a portion of the catalyst composition is contacted with the feedstock simultaneously with contacting the feedstock with at least a portion of the solvent.

### Claim 11 (depends on 2)

The process of claim 2, wherein the ratio of the biomass to water of the feedstock is greater than the ratio of 1:0.9.