Apparatus and process for preparing reactive lignin with high yield from plant biomass for production of fuels and chemicals

摘要

Provided are methods for aqueous isolation of depolymerized lignin in high yield from a lignin-containing biomass composition, comprising positioning a lignin-containing biomass composition into a flowthrough thermal reactor chamber to provide for passage of an aqueous fluid therethrough, contacting the lignin biomass composition with the aqueous fluid under elevated temperature conditions sufficient to provide for lignin release and depolymerization, flowing the aqueous fluid through the reactor chamber under the elevated temperature conditions, to provide an output aqueous fluid comprising released depolymerized lignin, and collecting the depolymerized lignin. Particular aspects further comprise hydrogenation and/or hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of the released depolymerized lignin with a catalyst or catalyst system for deconstruction of the released depolymerized lignin into lower molecular weight reactive lignin moieties and oligomers amenable for subsequent removal of oxygen to produce hydrocarbon fuels and/or chemicals and/or compounds. Systems for practicing the methods are also provided, along with highly purified depolymerized lignin.

主权项

1. A method for aqueous isolation of depolymerized lignin in high yield from a lignin-containing biomass composition, comprising:
positioning a lignin-containing biomass composition into a flowthrough thermal reactor chamber comprising an input opening and an output opening configured to provide for passage of an aqueous fluid through the reactor chamber, the input opening in communication with a source of aqueous fluid; contacting the lignin biomass composition in the thermal reactor with the aqueous fluid, under elevated temperature conditions sufficient to provide for lignin release and depolymerization, by flowing the aqueous fluid through the reactor chamber under the elevated temperature conditions, to provide an output aqueous fluid comprising released depolymerized lignin; collecting, from the output opening, the output aqueous fluid comprising the released depolymerized lignin; and contacting the released depolymerized lignin with a catalyst or catalyst system in a hydrogenation and/or hydrodeoxygenation reactor chamber to provide for hydrogenation and/or hydrodeoxygenation for deconstruction of the released polymerized lignin into lower molecular weight reactive lignin moieties and oligomers amenable for subsequent removal of oxygen to produce hydrocarbon fuels and/or chemicals and/or compounds, wherein the catalyst or catalyst system comprises a combination of one or more noble metal catalysts, with one or more solid supports, in the presence of one or a series of solid acids, and wherein the one or more noble metal catalysts comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of Pt, Pd, Ru, and Rh, wherein the one or more solid supports comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of Al2O3, C, ZrO2, and TiO2, and wherein the one or more solid acids are solid acidic zeolites.