Universal biomass refinery

摘要

The invention is directed to a process for refining prepared biomass to produce hemicellulose hydrolyzates, cellulose or sugars involving the perforate at least a portion of the cells of the prepared biomass prior to hydrolyzing the biomass, reclaiming the catalysts used in hydrolysis for further hydrolysis, and drying the hydrolysis using reclaimed heat from previous steps in the process.

主权项

1. A process for refining biomass, the process comprising the steps of:
a. performing a first hemicellulose hydrolysis by:
(i) forming a first slurry from the biomass having a first solids portion comprising hemicellulose and cellulose, and having a first liquid portion;(ii) adding an alkaline catalyst and applying heat and either mechanical shear or cavitation to the first slurry;(iii) mechanically separating the first solids portion from the first liquid portion; and(iv) combining the first liquid portion with additional biomass and repeating steps (a)(ii) and (a)(iii) until a threshold concentration of extractable products in the first liquid extraction is achieved; b. performing a second hemicellulose hydrolysis by:
(i) combining the first solids portion and a catalyst in a second slurry having a second solids portion comprising cellulose, and a second liquids portion comprising hemicellulose hydrolyzates in solution, and applying mechanical shear or cavitation to the second slurry;(ii) mechanically separating the second solids portion from the second liquid portion;(iii) recovering the catalyst from the second liquid portion;(iv) repeating steps (b)(i) and (b)(ii), using, in step (b)(i) the second solids portion recovered in step (b)(ii) as the first solids portion and the catalyst recovered in step (b)(iii), adding additional catalyst or fresh biomass to maintain a minimum specified concentration of catalyst.