Production plant and method for converting biomass

摘要

In accordance with the teachings of the present invention, a production plant and method for converting biomass into useful chemicals are provided. In a particular embodiment, the method includes fermenting biomass in one or more fermentors to produce a fermentation broth comprising ammonium carboxylate salts, the fermentors containing an ammonium carbonate or ammonium bicarbonate buffer. The method further includes reacting the ammonium carboxylate salts from the fermentors with a high-molecular-weight amine to produce amine carboxylate salt, and thermally cracking the amine carboxylate salt to produce carboxylic acid. In yet another embodiment, the ammonium carboxylate salts from the fermentors may be reacted with a high-molecular-weight alcohol to produce a high-molecular-weight ester, which may be hydrogenated to produce alcohol .