U.S. patent application number 14/016471 was filed with the patent office on 2014-01-02 for processing biomass.
This patent application is currently assigned to XYLECO, INC.. The applicant listed for this patent is Xyleco, Inc.. Invention is credited to Michael W. FINN, Thomas Craig MASTERMAN, Marshall MEDOFF.
Application Number | 20140004570 14/016471 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 47664408 |
Filed Date | 2014-01-02 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140004570 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
MEDOFF; Marshall ; et
al. |
January 2, 2014 |
PROCESSING BIOMASS
Abstract
Provided herein are methods of increasing the efficiency of
biomass saccharification. In particular, the methods include ways
of avoiding feedback inhibition during the production of useful
products.
Inventors: |
MEDOFF; Marshall;
(Brookline, MA) ; MASTERMAN; Thomas Craig;
(Brookline, MA) ; FINN; Michael W.; (Somerville,
MA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Xyleco, Inc. |
Woburn |
MA |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
XYLECO, INC.
Woburn
MA
|
Family ID: |
47664408 |
Appl. No.: |
14/016471 |
Filed: |
September 3, 2013 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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PCT/US2012/071093 |
Dec 20, 2012 |
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14016471 |
|
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61579552 |
Dec 22, 2011 |
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61579559 |
Dec 22, 2011 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
435/94 ; 435/139;
435/140; 435/141; 435/150; 435/160; 435/162; 435/99 |
Current CPC
Class: |
C12P 7/16 20130101; Y02E
50/17 20130101; C12P 2201/00 20130101; Y02E 50/10 20130101; C12P
19/14 20130101; C12P 19/24 20130101; C12P 19/02 20130101; C12P 7/10
20130101; Y02E 50/16 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
435/94 ; 435/99;
435/162; 435/160; 435/141; 435/140; 435/150; 435/139 |
International
Class: |
C12P 19/24 20060101
C12P019/24; C12P 19/14 20060101 C12P019/14 |
Claims
1. A method of making a product, the method comprising:
saccharifying a recalcitrance-reduced lignocellulosic biomass, and
adding an isomerization agent to the saccharified biomass.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the saccharified biomass
comprises a first sugar and a second sugar and the isomerization
agent is used to convert the second sugar to a third sugar.
3. The method of claim 2, further comprising contacting the
saccharified biomass with a microorganism to convert the first
sugar and third sugar to one or more product(s).
4. The method of claim 3, wherein the recalcitrance-reduced biomass
has been pre-treated with a treatment method selected from the
group consisting of: bombardment with electrons, sonication,
oxidation, pyrolysis, steam explosion, chemical treatment,
mechanical treatment, freeze grinding.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein the treatment method is
bombardment with electrons.
6. The method of claim 2, wherein the conversion of the second
sugar to the third sugar is done before maintaining the
microorganism-biomass combination under conditions that enable the
microorganism to convert the first sugar to the product.
7. The method of claim 2, wherein the conversion of the second
sugar to the third sugar is done immediately after saccharification
of the biomass.
8. The method of claim 2, wherein the conversion of the second
sugar to the third sugar is done during saccharification of the
biomass.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the lignocellulosic biomass is
selected from the group consisting of: wood, particle board,
forestry wastes, sawdust, aspen wood, wood chips, grasses,
switchgrass, miscanthus, cord grass, reed canary grass, grain
residues, rice hulls, oat hulls, wheat chaff, barley hulls,
agricultural waste, silage, canola straw, wheat straw, barley
straw, oat straw, rice straw, jute, hemp, flax, bamboo, sisal,
abaca, corn cobs, corn stover, soybean stover, corn fiber, alfalfa,
hay, coconut hair, sugar processing residues, bagasse, beet pulp,
agave bagasse, algae, seaweed, manure, sewage, offal, agricultural
or industrial waste, arracacha, buckwheat, banana, barley, cassava,
kudzu, oca, sago, sorghum, potato, sweet potato, taro, yams, beans,
favas, lentils, peas, and mixtures of any of these.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein the isomerization agent
comprises an acid.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein the acid is polystyrene
sulfonic acid.
12. The method of claim 1, wherein the isomerization agent
comprises an enzyme immobilized on a support.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein the enzyme is xylose
isomerase.
14. The method of claim 3, wherein the microorganism-saccharified
biomass combination is maintained at a pH of about 6.0 to about
7.5.
15. The method of claim 2, wherein the second sugar is glucose, and
the third sugar is fructose.
16. The method of claim 2, wherein the second sugar is xylose, and
the third sugar is xylulose.
17. The method of claim 3, wherein the microorganism is yeast.
18. The method of claim 3, wherein the microorganism is Clostridium
spp.
19. The method of claim 3, wherein the product is selected from the
group consisting of: ethanol, butanol, butyric acid, acetic acid,
and acetone.
20. The method of claim 3, wherein the microorganism is
Lactobacillus spp.
21. The method of claim 20, wherein the product is lactic acid.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of PCT/US2012/071093,
filed Dec. 20, 2012, which claimed priority from U.S. Provisional
Application Nos. 61/579,552 and 61/579,559 both filed on Dec. 22,
2011. The entire disclosures of the above applications are
incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The invention pertains to efficiencies useful in the
processing of biomass materials. For example, the invention relates
to processes that circumvent negative feedback of enzymatic
reactions.
BACKGROUND
[0003] As demand for petroleum increases, so too does interest in
renewable feedstocks for manufacturing biofuels and biochemicals.
The use of lignocellulosic biomass as a feedstock for such
manufacturing processes has been studied since the 1970s.
Lignocellulosic biomass is attractive because it is abundant,
renewable, domestically produced, and does not compete with food
industry uses.
[0004] Many potential lignocellulosic feedstocks are available
today, including agricultural residues, woody biomass, municipal
waste, oilseeds/cakes and sea weeds, to name a few. At present
these materials are either used as animal feed, biocompost
materials, are burned in a cogeneration facility or are
landfilled.
[0005] Lignocellulosic biomass is recalcitrant to degradation as
the plant cell walls have a structure that is rigid and compact.
The structure comprises crystalline cellulose fibrils embedded in a
hemicellulose matrix, surrounded by lignin. This compact matrix is
difficult to access by enzymes and other chemical, biochemical and
biological processes. Cellulosic biomass materials (e.g., biomass
material from which substantially all the lignin has been removed)
can be more accessible to enzymes and other conversion processes,
but even so, naturally-occurring cellulosic materials often have
low yields (relative to theoretical yields) when contacted with
hydrolyzing enzymes. Lignocellulosic biomass is even more
recalcitrant to enzyme attack. Furthermore, each type of
lignocellulosic biomass has its own specific composition of
cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin.
[0006] While a number of methods have been tried to extract
structural carbohydrates from lignocellulosic biomass, they are
either too expensive, produce too low a yield, leave undesirable
chemicals in the resulting product, or simply degrade the
sugars.
[0007] Monosaccharides from renewable biomass sources could become
the basis of chemical and fuels industries by replacing,
supplementing or substituting petroleum and other fossil
feedstocks. However, techniques need to be developed that will make
these monosaccharides available in large quantities and at
acceptable purities and prices.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] Provided herein are methods of increasing the efficiency of
saccharification of biomass. In particular, efficiencies can be
achieved by avoiding negative feedback inhibition of enzymatic
reactions.
[0009] Provided herein is a method of making a product, where the
method includes: saccharifying recalcitrance-reduced
lignocellulosic biomass, and adding an isomerization agent to the
saccharified biomass. In some implementations, the saccharified
biomass comprises a first sugar and a second sugar and the
isomerization agent is used to convert the second sugar to a third
sugar. The method may also include, in some cases, contacting the
saccharified biomass with a microorganism to convert the first
sugar and third sugar to one or more product(s).
[0010] Also provided herein is a method of making a product with a
microorganism from a first sugar and a second sugar, where the
microorganism can convert the first sugar to the product, but
cannot metabolize the second sugar, and where the method includes:
providing a cellulosic or lignocellulosic biomass; saccharifying
the biomass to make a saccharified biomass, wherein the
saccharified biomass comprises a first sugar and a second sugar;
providing a microorganism that is capable of converting the first
sugar into a product, but wherein the microorganism cannot
metabolize the second sugar; combining the microorganism and the
saccharified biomass, thereby producing a microorganism-biomass
combination; maintaining the microorganism-biomass combination
under conditions that enable the microorganism to convert the first
sugar to the product, producing a combination that comprises the
product and the second sugar; converting the second sugar to a
third sugar, wherein the microorganism is capable of converting the
third sugar to the product; and maintaining the microorganism under
conditions that enable the microorganism to convert the third sugar
to the product; thereby making a product with a microorganism from
the first sugar and the second sugar.
[0011] In another aspect, the invention features a method of
increasing the amount of a product made by a microorganism from a
saccharified biomass, the method comprising: providing a cellulosic
or lignocellulosic biomass; saccharifying the biomass to make a
saccharified biomass, wherein the saccharified biomass comprises a
first sugar and a second sugar; providing a microorganism that is
capable of converting the first sugar into a product, but wherein
the microorganism cannot metabolize the second sugar; combining the
microorganism and the saccharified biomass, thereby producing a
microorganism-biomass combination; maintaining the
microorganism-biomass combination under conditions that enable the
microorganism to convert the first sugar to the product, producing
a combination that comprises the product and the second sugar;
converting the second sugar to a third sugar, wherein the
microorganism is capable of converting the third sugar to the
product; and maintaining the microorganism under conditions that
enable the microorganism to convert the third sugar to the product;
thereby increasing the amount of the product made by the
microorganism from the saccharified biomass.
[0012] In any of the methods provided herein, the lignocellulosic
biomass can be treated to reduce its recalcitrance to
saccharification. The treatment method is selected from the group
consisting of: bombardment with electrons, sonication, oxidation,
pyrolysis, steam explosion, chemical treatment, mechanical
treatment, or freeze grinding. The treatment method can be
bombardment with electrons.
[0013] In any of the methods, the conversion of the second sugar to
the third sugar can be done before maintaining the
microorganism-biomass combination under conditions that enable the
microorganism to convert the first sugar to the product. The
conversion of the second sugar to the third sugar can be done
immediately after saccharification of the biomass, or it can be
done during saccharification of the biomass.
[0014] In the methods provided herein, the lignocellulosic biomass
can be selected from the group consisting of: wood, particle board,
forestry wastes, sawdust, aspen wood, wood chips, grasses,
switchgrass, miscanthus, cord grass, reed canary grass, grain
residues, rice hulls, oat hulls, wheat chaff, barley hulls,
agricultural waste, silage, canola straw, wheat straw, barley
straw, oat straw, rice straw, jute, hemp, flax, bamboo, sisal,
abaca, corn cobs, corn stover, soybean stover, corn fiber, alfalfa,
hay, coconut hair, sugar processing residues, bagasse, beet pulp,
agave bagasse, algae, seaweed, manure, sewage, offal, agricultural
or industrial waste, arracacha, buckwheat, banana, barley, cassava,
kudzu, oca, sago, sorghum, potato, sweet potato, taro, yams, beans,
favas, lentils, peas, or mixtures of any of these. The
lignocellulosic biomass can be mechanically treated to reduce its
bulk density and/or increase its surface area. For instance, it can
be comminuted, e.g., by dry milling, or by wet milling. The biomass
can be saccharified with one or more cellulases.
[0015] In the methods provided herein, the isomerization agent can
comprise an acid, e.g., polystyrene sulfonic acid.
[0016] In the methods provided herein, the microorganism-biomass
combination can be maintained at a pH of about 10 to about 14, or
at a pH of about 11 to about 13. It can be maintained at a
temperature of about 10.degree. C. to about 30.degree. C., or at a
temperature of about 20.degree. C. It can also be maintained at a
temperature of about 60.degree. C. to about 65.degree. C. It can be
maintained at a pH of about 6.0 to about 7.5, or a pH of about
7.
[0017] In the methods, the second sugar can be glucose, and the
third sugar can be fructose. The isomerization agent can comprise
an enzyme. Alternatively, the second sugar can be xylose, and the
third sugar can be xylulose. The enzyme can be xylose
isomerase.
[0018] The microorganism can be yeast. The product can be alcohol.
The microorganism can be Clostridium spp., and the product can be
ethanol, butanol, butyric acid, acetic acid, or acetone. The
microorganism can be Lactobacillus spp., and the product can be
lactic acid.
[0019] It should be understood that this invention is not limited
to the embodiments disclosed in this Summary, and it is intended to
cover modifications that are within the spirit and scope of the
invention, as defined by the claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0020] The foregoing will be apparent from the following more
particular description of example embodiments of the invention, as
illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which like reference
characters refer to the same parts throughout the different views.
The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being
placed upon illustrating embodiments of the present invention.
[0021] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the enzymatic hydrolysis of
cellulose to glucose. Cellulosic substrate (A) is converted by
endocellulase (i) to cellulose (B), which is converted by
exocellulase (ii) to cellobiose (C), which is converted to glucose
(D) by cellobiase (beta-glucosidase) (iii).
[0022] FIG. 2 is a flow diagram illustrating the action of
cellulase on cellulose and cellulose derivatives. Cellulose (200)
is broken down to cellobiose (210) by endoglucanases and
exo-glucanases/cellobiohydrolases (205) (A), which is then broken
down by beta-glucosidase (215) to glucose (220) (B). Endoglucanases
and exo-glucanases/cellobiohydrolases are directly inhibited by
cellobiose (210) (D) and glucose (E), and beta-glucosidase is
inhibited by glucose (C).
[0023] FIG. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating the conversion of
biomass (300) to a product (340). The feedstock (300) is combined
(A) with cellulase (305) and fluid to form a mixture (310), which
is then allowed to saccharify (B), producing sugars (320). As
disclosed herein, an additive (325) is combined (C) with the
mixture of sugars (320) to make a mixture of sugars and additive
(330). The resulting sugars are then used (D) in downstream
processing to produce one or more products (340), such as alcohol,
lactic acid, or one or more of the sugars themselves.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0024] Provided herein are methods of increasing the efficiency of
production of sugars (and/or products made from the sugars) from
saccharified biomass. The methods are especially useful in cases
where one or more sugars or products cause negative feedback,
limiting the amount of sugars or products that can be produced.
[0025] Typically, the methods begin with saccharifying a biomass.
Saccharification usually produces a mixture of sugars. The mixture
includes sugars that can be converted to a useful product. However,
the mixture of sugars can include sugars that cannot be metabolized
by the microorganism. As these non-utilizable sugars increase in
concentration, they represent a metabolic "dead-end." Furthermore,
some sugars may form the basis of feedback inhibition, and limit
the throughput of metabolic pathways that make desired sugars or
other desired products.
[0026] Disclosed herein are methods for preventing such feedback
inhibition, and increasing the amount of sugars and other useful
products from the saccharification of biomass.
[0027] The glucose produced during saccharification can inhibit
further production of glucose. In one embodiment, therefore, the
invention encompasses the effective removal of glucose by
converting it to fructose (which does not inhibit
saccharification), thereby allowing for the production of
additional glucose. Glucose can be converted to fructose by the
action of enzymes (such as xylose isomerase), strong acids or
chemicals (such as polystyrene sulfonic acid). Likewise, xylose,
which cannot be metabolized by many microorganisms, can be
converted by xylose isomerase into xylulose, which can be
metabolized by many microorganisms. In addition, xylulose often
does not inhibit its own production, unlike glucose.
[0028] For instance, biomass can be saccharified to produce a
mixture of sugars, including glucose and xylose. Most yeast strains
can metabolize glucose, e.g., to an alcohol, but not xylose.
Therefore, if the desired end product is alcohol, then increased
saccharification, and increased production of glucose, followed by
fermentation, will produce more alcohol, but it will also produce
more xylose. While the xylose is not harmful, it can represent a
metabolic "dead end." If the xylose is converted to xylulose, it
can be fermented to alcohol, and production efficiency can be
increased.
[0029] As shown in FIG. 1, for example, during saccharification a
cellulosic substrate (A) is initially hydrolyzed by endoglucanases
(i) at random locations producing oligomeric intermediates (e.g.,
cellulose) (B). These intermediates are then substrates for
exo-splitting glucanases (ii) such as cellobiohydrolase to produce
cellobiose from the ends of the cellulose polymer. Cellobiose is a
water-soluble 1,4-linked dimer of glucose. Finally, cellobiase
(iii) cleaves cellobiose (C) to yield glucose (D). Therefore, the
endoglucanases are particularly effective in attacking the
crystalline portions of cellulose and increasing the effectiveness
of exocellulases to produce cellobiose, which then requires the
specificity of the cellobiose to produce glucose. Therefore, it is
evident that depending on the nature and structure of the
cellulosic substrate, the amount and type of the three different
enzymes may need to be modified.
[0030] As shown in FIG. 2, hydrolysis of cellulose (200) to
cellobiose (210) is a multi-step process which includes initial
breakdown at the solid-liquid interface via the synergistic action
of endoglucanases (EG) and exo-glucanases/cellobiohydrolases (CBH)
(205) (A). This initial degradation is accompanied by further
liquid phase degradation, by hydrolysis of soluble intermediate
products such as oligosaccharides and cellobiose that are
catalytically cleaved by beta-glucosidase (BG; 215) (B) to glucose
(220). However, cellobiose (210) directly inhibits (D) both CBH and
EG (205), and glucose (220) directly inhibits (C, E) not only BG
(215), but also CBH and EG (205). The invention as described herein
reduces or avoids this inhibition.
[0031] FIG. 3 shows a process for manufacturing a product (340)
from a feedstock (300). The feedstock can be pre-processed, such as
by reduction of the size and recalcitrance of the feedstock. This
can include, for example, optionally mechanically treating the
feedstock and, before and/or after this treatment, optionally
treating the feedstock with another treatment, for example,
particle bombardment, to further reduce its recalcitrance. The
up-stream processed feedstock (300) is then combined (A) with
cellulase (305) and fluid to form a mixture (310), which is then
allowed to saccharify (B), producing sugars (320). As disclosed
herein, an additive (325) is combined (C) with the mixture of
sugars (320) to make a mixture of sugars and additive (330). The
additive (325) increases the effectiveness of the cellulase during
saccharification, e.g., by reducing inhibition of the cellulase by
cellobiose and/or glucose. This increased effectiveness of
saccharification results in increased levels of sugars, which are
then used (D) in downstream processing to produce one or more
products (340), such as alcohol, lactic acid, or one or more of the
sugars themselves.
[0032] During saccharification, the feedstock is treated with one
or more cellulolytic enzymes, generally by combining the feedstock
and the enzyme (305) in a fluid medium, e.g., an aqueous solution.
In some cases, the feedstock is boiled, steeped, or cooked in hot
water prior to saccharification, as described in U.S. Pat. App.
Pub. 2012/0100577 A1, filed Oct. 18, 2011 and published Apr. 26,
2012, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by
reference.
[0033] The additive can be added at the initiation of the
saccharification (B), for example, with the biomass and cellulase.
Alternatively, the additive can be added after some or all of the
saccharification (B) has occurred. It can also be added at the
start of producing a product.
[0034] The additive can be a chemical or an enzyme. Examples of
suitable additives include acids and bases. Bases can catalyze the
Lobry-de-Bruyn-Alberda-van-Ekenstein transformation, as described
in more detail below. Acids can catalyze the hydrolysis of
cellobiose. Boronic acids can be used to complex with the cis-diols
of glucose. Xylose isomerase (a.k.a. glucose isomerase) can be used
to isomerize glucose to fructose.
[0035] The additive can be physically supported. Useful supports
include but are not limited to cationic polymeric supports, anionic
polymeric supports, neutral polymeric supports, metal oxide
supports, metal carbonate supports, metal halide supports and/or
mixtures thereof. The support can be added to the mixed sugars or
can be stationary and the mixed sugars made to pass through or over
the supported additive.
[0036] The mixture containing the additive (330) can be returned to
the biomass and cellulase stage (310) to release more sugars before
being further processed. This can include returning the conditions
to a state that preferably causes the saccharification of cellulose
rather than conditions that favor the action of the additive. For
example, the pH can be optimized for saccharification in the acidic
region (less than or equal to pH 7, less than or equal to pH 6,
less than or equal to pH 5) and greater than or equal to pH 2
(greater than or equal to pH 3, greater than or equal to pH 4). The
temperature can be optimized for the action of cellulases, e.g., to
greater than or equal to 30.degree. C. (greater than or equal to
40.degree. C., greater than or equal to 50.degree. C., greater than
or equal to 60.degree. C.) and less than or equal to 90.degree. C.
(less than or equal to 80.degree. C., less than or equal to
70.degree. C., less than or equal to 60.degree. C.). Additional
biomass, cellulase and additive can optionally be added for
increased production of sugars.
[0037] The sugar solution or suspension produced by
saccharification can be subjected to downstream processing to
obtain a desired product. For example, one or more of the sugars
can be isolated, and/or the solution can be fermented. When
fermentation is utilized, the fermentation product can be
distilled. For example, sugars can be hydrogenated and sugar
alcohols isolated.
[0038] Without being bound by any particular theory, it is believed
that this conversion effectively removes glucose from the mix of
sugars. As shown in FIG. 2, this removal would remove the
inhibition steps C and E. This increases the overall
saccharification of cellulose in the biomass.
[0039] In many instances, the optimum temperature for using glucose
isomerase ranges from 60 to 80.degree. C. In the processes
described herein, temperatures lower than the optimum may be
preferred because of cost and because the optimum temperature for
other components of the process can be different. For example
cellulase activities are generally optimal between 30.degree. C.
and 65.degree. C. A temperature range of about 60.degree. C. to
about 65.degree. C. may therefore be preferred, particularly if the
glucose isomerase and cellulase are combined and used
simultaneously. If they are not used together, then optimal
temperatures for each enzyme can be selected.
[0040] The optimum pH range for glucose isomerase activity is
between pH 7 and 9. As with the selection of the temperature range,
in practicing this invention a lower pH can be preferred because in
some cases other components of the process may require a lower pH.
For example, cellulases are active over a range of pH of about 3 to
7. The preferred pH for the combined enzymes is therefore generally
at or below pH 7. If the glucose isomerase and cellulase are not
used together, then the optimal pH range for each enzyme can be
selected.
[0041] Glucose isomerase can be added in any amount. For example,
the concentration may be below about 500 U/g of cellulose (lower
than or equal to 100 U/g cellulose, lower than or equal to 50 U/g
cellulose, lower than or equal to 10 U/g cellulose, lower than or
equal to 5 U/g cellulose). The concentration can be at least about
0.1 U/g cellulose to about 500 U/g cellulose, at least about 0.5
U/g cellulose to about 250 U/g cellulose, at least about 1 U/g
cellulose to about 100 U/g cellulose, at least about 2 U/g
cellulose to about 50 U/g cellulose.
[0042] In some cases, the addition of a glucose isomerase increases
the amount of sugars produced by at least 5% (e.g., at least 10%,
at least 15%, at least 20%, at least 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90,
100%).
[0043] Another additive that can be used in the invention is, e.g.,
a chemical that increases the activity of the saccharifying agent.
The chemical can be, for example, a chemical that facilitates the
Lobry-de-Bruyn-van-Alberda-van-Ekenstein transformation (also
called the Lobry-de-Bruyn-van-Ekenstein transformation). This
reaction forms an enol from an aldose which can then form a ketose.
For example, in the pH range of 11 to 13 and at a temperature of
20.degree. C., alkali will catalyze the transformation of D-glucose
into D-fructose and D-mannose. Typically the reaction is base
catalyzed, but it can also be acid catalyzed, or take place under
neutral conditions. As with the use of glucose isomerase, this
reaction effectively removes glucose.
[0044] As another example, an acid can be used to catalyze
hydrolysis of cellobiose. By using chemical means to cleave
cellobiose to glucose, rather than enzymatic or microbial means,
inhibition of these reactions by glucose does not occur.
[0045] In another example, the chemical can be one that reacts with
glucose, such as a boronic acid which binds preferentially to
cis-diols.
[0046] The chemical can be on a support, for example, by
polystyrene sulfonates (such as an Amberlyst.TM.) or polystyrene
amines. The mixed sugars can be passed through the supported
chemical or flow over it. For example, the chemical can be a
polystyrene supported boronic acid. The glucose can be trapped as a
borate by the polystyrene support and then released at a later
stage, by addition of base for example.
Xylose Isomerase
[0047] Xylose isomerase (ES 5.3.1.5) is an enzyme the catalyzes the
chemical reaction back and forth between D-xylose and D-xylulose.
It is also known systematically as glucose isomerase and D-xylose
aldose-ketose isomerase, and belongs to a family of isomerases,
specifically those intramolecular oxidoreductases interconverting
aldoses and ketoses. Other names in common use include D-xylose
isomerase, D-xylose ketoisomerase, and D-xylose ketol-isomerase.
The enzyme participates in pentose and glucuronate interconversions
and fructose and mannose metabolism. It is used industrially to
convert glucose to fructose in the manufacture of high-fructose
corn syrup. It is sometimes referred to as "glucose isomerase."
"Xylose isomerase" and "glucose isomerase" are used interchangeably
herein. In vitro, glucose isomerase catalyzes the interconversion
of glucose and fructose. In vivo, it catalyzes the interconversion
of xylose and xylulose.
[0048] Several types of enzymes are considered xylose isomerases.
The first kind is produced from Pseudomonas hydrophila. This enzyme
has 160 times lower affinity to glucose than xylose but nonetheless
is useful for increasing the amount of fructose in the presence of
glucose. A second kind of enzyme is found in Escherichia
intermedia. This enzyme is a phophoglucose isomerase (EC 5.3.1.9)
and can isomerize unphosphorylated sugar only in the presence of
arsenate. A glucose isomerase (EC 5.3.16) can be isolated from
Bacillus megaterium AI and is NAD linked and is specific to
glucose. Another glucose isomerase having similar activity is
isolated from Paracolobacterium aerogenoides. Glucose isomerases
produced by heterolactic acid bacteria require xylose as an inducer
and are relatively unstable at high temperature. The xylose
isomerase (EC 5.3.1.5) is the most useful for commercial
applications as it does not require expensive cofactors such as
NAD+ or ATP and it is relatively heat stable.
[0049] The glucose isomerases are usually produced intercellularly
but reports of extracellular secretion of glucose isomerases are
known. The enzyme used can be isolated from many bacteria including
but not limited to: Actinomyces olivocinereus, Actinomyces
phaeochromogenes, Actinoplanes missouriensis, Aerobacter
aerogenes,Aerobacter cloacae, Aerobacter levanicum, Arthrobacter
spp., Bacillus stearothermophilus, Bacillus megabacterium, Bacillus
coagulans, Bifidobacterium spp., Brevibacterium incertum,
Brevibacterium pentosoaminoacidicum, Chainia spp., Corynebacterium
spp., Cortobacterium helvolum, Escherichia freundii, Escherichia
intermedia, Escherichia coli, Flavobacterium arborescens,
Flavobacterium devorans, Lactobacillus brevis, Lactobacillus
buchneri, Lactobacillus fermenti, Lactobacillus mannitopoeus,
Lactobacillus gayonii, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus
lycopersici, Lactobacillus pentosus, Leuconostoc mesenteroides,
Microbispora rosea, Microellobosporia flavea, Micromonospora
coerula, Mycobacterium spp., Nocardia asteroides, Nocardia
corallia, Nocardia dassonvillei, Paracolobacterium aerogenoides,
Pseudonocardia spp., Pseudomonas hydrophila, Sarcina spp.,
Staphylococcus bibila, Staphylococcus flavovirens, Staphylococcus
echinatus, Streptococcus achromogenes, Streptococcus
phaeochromogenes, Streptococcus fracliae, Streptococcus
roseochromogenes, Streptococcus olivaceus, Streptococcus
californicos, Streptococcus venuceus, Streptococcus virginial,
Streptomyces olivochromogenes, Streptococcus venezaelie,
Streptococcus wedmorensis, Streptococcus griseolus, Streptococcus
glaucescens, Streptococcus bikiniensis, Streptococcus rubiginosus,
Streptococcus achinatus, Streptococcus cinnamonensis, Streptococcus
fradiae, Streptococcus albus, Streptococcus griseus, Streptococcus
hivens, Streptococcus matensis, Streptococcus murinus,
Streptococcus nivens, Streptococcus platensis, Streptosporangium
album, Streptosporangium oulgare, Thermopolyspora spp., Thermus
spp., Xanthomonas spp. and Zymononas mobilis.
[0050] Glucose isomerase can be used free in solution or
immobilized on a support. Whole cells or cell free enzymes can be
immobilized. The support structure can be any insoluble material.
Support structures can be cationic, anionic or neutral materials,
for example diethylaminoethyl cellulose, metal oxides, metal
chlorides, metal carbonates and polystyrenes. Immobilization can be
accomplished by any suitable means. For example immobilization can
be accomplished by contacting the support and the whole cell or
enzyme in a solvent such as water and then removing the solvent.
The solvent can be removed by any suitable means, for example
filtration or evaporation or spray drying. As another example,
spray drying the whole cells or enzyme with a support can be
effective.
[0051] Glucose isomerase can also be present in a living cell that
produces the enzyme during the process. For example, a glucose
isomerase producing bacteria can be co-cultured in the process with
an ethanol fermenting bacteria. Alternatively, the
glucose-isomerase-producing bacteria can be first contacted with
the substrate, followed by inoculating with an ethanol-producing
substrate.
[0052] Glucose isomerase can also be present within or secreted
from a cell also capable of a further useful transformation of
sugars. For example, a glucose fermenting species can be
genetically modified to contain and express the gene for production
of glucose isomerase.
I. Treatment of Biomass Material
[0053] A. Particle Bombardment
[0054] One or more treatments with energetic particle bombardment
can be used to process raw feedstock from a wide variety of
different sources to extract useful substances from the feedstock,
and to provide partially degraded organic material which functions
as input to further processing steps and/or sequences. Particle
bombardment can reduce the molecular weight and/or crystallinity of
feedstock. In some embodiments, energy deposited in a material that
releases an electron from its atomic orbital can be used to treat
the materials. The bombardment may be provided by heavy charged
particles (such as alpha particles or protons), electrons
(produced, for example, in beta decay or electron beam
accelerators), or electromagnetic radiation (for example, gamma
rays, x rays, or ultraviolet rays). Alternatively, radiation
produced by radioactive substances can be used to treat the
feedstock. Any combination, in any order, or concurrently of these
treatments may be utilized. In another approach, electromagnetic
radiation (e.g., produced using electron beam emitters) can be used
to treat the feedstock.
[0055] Each form of energy ionizes the biomass via particular
interactions. Heavy charged particles primarily ionize matter via
Coulomb scattering; furthermore, these interactions produce
energetic electrons that may further ionize matter. Alpha particles
are identical to the nucleus of a helium atom and are produced by
the alpha decay of various radioactive nuclei, such as isotopes of
bismuth, polonium, astatine, radon, francium, radium, several
actinides, such as actinium, thorium, uranium, neptunium, curium,
californium, americium, and plutonium.
[0056] When particles are utilized, they can be neutral
(uncharged), positively charged or negatively charged. When
charged, the charged particles can bear a single positive or
negative charge, or multiple charges, e.g., one, two, three or even
four or more charges. In instances in which chain scission is
desired, positively charged particles may be desirable, in part,
due to their acidic nature. When particles are utilized, the
particles can have the mass of a resting electron, or greater,
e.g., 500, 1000, 1500, or 2000 or more times the mass of a resting
electron. For example, the particles can have a mass of from about
1 atomic unit to about 150 atomic units, e.g., from about 1 atomic
unit to about 50 atomic units, or from about 1 to about 25, e.g.,
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 12 or 15 atomic units. Accelerators used to
accelerate the particles can be electrostatic DC, electrodynamic
DC, RF linear, magnetic induction linear or continuous wave. For
example, cyclotron type accelerators are available from IBA (Ion
Beam Accelerators, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium), such as the
Rhodotron.TM. system, while DC type accelerators are available from
RDI, now IBA Industrial, such as the Dynamitron.TM.. Ions and ion
accelerators are discussed in Introductory Nuclear Physics, Kenneth
S. Krane, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (1988), Krsto Prelec, FIZIKA
B 6 (1997) 4, 177-206; Chu, William T., "Overview of Light-Ion Beam
Therapy", Columbus-Ohio, ICRU-IAEA Meeting, 18-20 Mar. 2006; Iwata,
Y. et al., "Alternating-Phase-Focused IH-DTL for Heavy-Ion Medical
Accelerators", Proceedings of EPAC 2006, Edinburgh, Scotland; and
Leitner, C. M. et al., "Status of the Superconducting ECR Ion
Source Venus", Proceedings of EPAC 2000, Vienna, Austria.
[0057] The doses applied depend on the desired effect and the
particular feedstock. For example, high doses can break chemical
bonds within feedstock components and low doses can increase
chemical bonding (e.g., cross-linking) within feedstock
components.
[0058] In some instances when chain scission is desirable and/or
polymer chain functionalization is desirable, particles heavier
than electrons, such as protons, helium nuclei, argon ions, silicon
ions, neon ions, carbon ions, phosphorus ions, oxygen ions or
nitrogen ions can be utilized. When ring-opening chain scission is
desired, positively charged particles can be utilized for their
Lewis acid properties for enhanced ring-opening chain scission. For
example, when oxygen-containing functional groups are desired,
treatment in the presence of oxygen or even treatment with oxygen
ions can be performed. For example, when nitrogen-containing
functional groups are desirable, treatment in the presence of
nitrogen or even treatment with nitrogen ions can be performed.
[0059] B. Other Forms of Energy
[0060] Electrons interact via Coulomb scattering and bremsstrahlung
radiation produced by changes in the velocity of electrons.
Electrons may be produced by radioactive nuclei that undergo beta
decay, such as isotopes of iodine, cesium, technetium, and iridium.
Alternatively, an electron gun can be used as an electron source
via thermionic emission.
[0061] Electromagnetic radiation interacts via three processes:
photoelectric absorption, Compton scattering, and pair production.
The dominating interaction is determined by the energy of the
incident radiation and the atomic number of the material. The
summation of interactions contributing to the absorbed radiation in
cellulosic material can be expressed by the mass absorption
coefficient.
[0062] Electromagnetic radiation is subclassified as gamma rays, x
rays, ultraviolet rays, infrared rays, microwaves, or radiowaves,
depending on the wavelength.
[0063] For example, gamma radiation can be employed to treat the
materials. Gamma radiation has the advantage of a significant
penetration depth into a variety of material in the sample. Sources
of gamma rays include radioactive nuclei, such as isotopes of
cobalt, calcium, technetium, chromium, gallium, indium, iodine,
iron, krypton, samarium, selenium, sodium, thalium, and xenon.
[0064] Sources of x rays include electron beam collision with metal
targets, such as tungsten or molybdenum or alloys, or compact light
sources, such as those produced commercially by Lyncean.
[0065] Sources for ultraviolet radiation include deuterium or
cadmium lamps.
[0066] Sources for infrared radiation include sapphire, zinc, or
selenide window ceramic lamps.
[0067] Sources for microwaves include klystrons, Slevin type RF
sources, or atom beam sources that employ hydrogen, oxygen, or
nitrogen gases.
[0068] Various other devices may be used in the methods disclosed
herein, including field ionization sources, electrostatic ion
separators, field ionization generators, thermionic emission
sources, microwave discharge ion sources, recirculating or static
accelerators, dynamic linear accelerators, van de Graaff
accelerators, and folded tandem accelerators. Such devices are
disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 7,931,784 B2, the complete
disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
[0069] C. Electron Bombardment
[0070] 1. Electron Beams
[0071] The feedstock may be treated with electron bombardment to
modify its structure and thereby reduce its recalcitrance. Such
treatment may, for example, reduce the average molecular weight of
the feedstock, change the crystalline structure of the feedstock,
and/or increase the surface area and/or porosity of the
feedstock.
[0072] Electron bombardment via an electron beam is generally
preferred, because it provides very high throughput and because the
use of a relatively low voltage/high power electron beam device
eliminates the need for expensive concrete vault shielding, as such
devices are "self-shielded" and provide a safe, efficient process.
While the "self-shielded" devices do include shielding (e.g., metal
plate shielding), they do not require the construction of a
concrete vault, greatly reducing capital expenditure and often
allowing an existing manufacturing facility to be used without
expensive modification. Electron beam accelerators are available,
for example, from IBA (Ion Beam Applications, Louvain-la-Neuve,
Belgium), Titan Corporation (San Diego, Calif., USA), and NHV
Corporation (Nippon High Voltage, Japan).
[0073] Electron bombardment may be performed using an electron beam
device that has a nominal energy of less than 10 MeV, e.g., less
than 7 MeV, less than 5 MeV, or less than 2 MeV, e.g., from about
0.5 to 1.5 MeV, from about 0.8 to 1.8 MeV, from about 0.7 to 1 MeV,
or from about 1 to 3 MeV. In some implementations the nominal
energy is about 500 to 800 keV.
[0074] The electron beam may have a relatively high total beam
power (the combined beam power of all accelerating heads, or, if
multiple accelerators are used, of all accelerators and all heads),
e.g., at least 25 kW, e.g., at least 30, 40, 50, 60, 65, 70, 80,
100, 125, or 150 kW. In some cases, the power is even as high as
500 kW, 750 kW, or even 1000 kW or more. In some cases the electron
beam has a beam power of 1200 kW or more.
[0075] This high total beam power is usually achieved by utilizing
multiple accelerating heads. For example, the electron beam device
may include two, four, or more accelerating heads. The use of
multiple heads, each of which has a relatively low beam power,
prevents excessive temperature rise in the material, thereby
preventing burning of the material, and also increases the
uniformity of the dose through the thickness of the layer of
material.
[0076] In some implementations, it is desirable to cool the
material during electron bombardment. For example, the material can
be cooled while it is being conveyed, for example by a screw
extruder or other conveying equipment.
[0077] To reduce the energy required by the recalcitrance-reducing
process, it is desirable to treat the material as quickly as
possible. In general, it is preferred that treatment be performed
at a dose rate of greater than about 0.25 Mrad per second, e.g.,
greater than about 0.5, 0.75, 1, 1.5, 2, 5, 7, 10, 12, 15, or even
greater than about 20 Mrad per second, e.g., about 0.25 to 2 Mrad
per second. Higher dose rates generally require higher line speeds,
to avoid thermal decomposition of the material. In one
implementation, the accelerator is set for 3 MeV, 50 mAmp beam
current, and the line speed is 24 feet/minute, for a sample
thickness of about 20 mm (e.g., comminuted corn cob material with a
bulk density of 0.5 g/cm.sup.3).
[0078] In some embodiments, electron bombardment is performed until
the material receives a total dose of at least 0.5 Mrad, e.g., at
least 5, 10, 20, 30 or at least 40 Mrad. In some embodiments, the
treatment is performed until the material receives a dose of from
about 0.5 Mrad to about 150 Mrad, about 1 Mrad to about 100 Mrad,
about 2 Mrad to about 75 Mrad, 10 Mrad to about 50 Mrad, e.g.,
about 5 Mrad to about 50 Mrad, from about 20 Mrad to about 40 Mrad,
about 10 Mrad to about 35 Mrad, or from about 25 Mrad to about 30
Mrad. In some implementations, a total dose of 25 to 35 Mrad is
preferred, applied ideally over a couple of seconds, e.g., at 5
Mrad/pass with each pass being applied for about one second.
Applying a dose of greater than 7 to 8 Mrad/pass can, in some
cases, cause thermal degradation of the feedstock material.
[0079] Using multiple heads as discussed above, the material can be
treated in multiple passes, for example, two passes at 10 to 20
Mrad/pass, e.g., 12 to 18 Mrad/pass, separated by a few seconds of
cool-down, or three passes of 7 to 12 Mrad/pass, e.g., 9 to 11
Mrad/pass. As discussed above, treating the material with several
relatively low doses, rather than one high dose, tends to prevent
overheating of the material and also increases dose uniformity
through the thickness of the material. In some implementations, the
material is stirred or otherwise mixed during or after each pass
and then smoothed into a uniform layer again before the next pass,
to further enhance treatment uniformity.
[0080] In some embodiments, electrons are accelerated to, for
example, a speed of greater than 75 percent of the speed of light,
e.g., greater than 85, 90, 95, or 99 percent of the speed of
light.
[0081] In some embodiments, any processing described herein occurs
on lignocellulosic material that remains dry as acquired or that
has been dried, e.g., using heat and/or reduced pressure. For
example, in some embodiments, the cellulosic and/or lignocellulosic
material has less than about five percent by weight retained water,
measured at 25.degree. C. and at fifty percent relative
humidity.
[0082] Electron bombardment can be applied while the cellulosic
and/or lignocellulosic material is exposed to air, oxygen-enriched
air, or even oxygen itself, or blanketed by an inert gas such as
nitrogen, argon, or helium. When maximum oxidation is desired, an
oxidizing environment is utilized, such as air or oxygen and the
distance from the beam source is optimized to maximize reactive gas
formation, e.g., ozone and/or oxides of nitrogen.
[0083] In some embodiments, two or more electron sources are used,
such as two or more ionizing sources. For example, samples can be
treated, in any order, with a beam of electrons, followed by gamma
radiation and UV light having wavelengths from about 100 nm to
about 280 nm. In some embodiments, samples are treated with three
ionizing radiation sources, such as a beam of electrons, gamma
radiation, and energetic UV light. The biomass is conveyed through
the treatment zone where it can be bombarded with electrons. It is
generally preferred that the bed of biomass material has a
relatively uniform thickness, as previously described, while being
treated.
[0084] It may be advantageous to repeat the treatment to more
thoroughly reduce the recalcitrance of the biomass and/or further
modify the biomass. In particular the process parameters can be
adjusted after a first (e.g., second, third, fourth or more) pass
depending on the recalcitrance of the material. In some
embodiments, a conveyor can be used which includes a circular
system where the biomass is conveyed multiple times through the
various processes described above. In some other embodiments
multiple treatment devices (e.g., electron beam generators) are
used to treat the biomass multiple (e.g., 2, 3, 4 or more) times.
In yet other embodiments, a single electron beam generator may be
the source of multiple beams (e.g., 2, 3, 4 or more beams) that can
be used for treatment of the biomass.
[0085] The effectiveness in changing the molecular/supermolecular
structure and/or reducing the recalcitrance of the biomass material
depends on the electron energy used and the dose applied, while
exposure time depends on the power and dose.
[0086] In some embodiments, the treatment (with any electron source
or a combination of sources) is performed until the material
receives a dose of at least about 0.05 Mrad, e.g., at least about
0.1, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1.0, 2.5, 5.0, 7.5, 10.0, 15, 20, 25, 30, 40,
50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 125, 150, 175, or 200 Mrad. In some
embodiments, the treatment is performed until the material receives
a dose of between 0.1-100 Mrad, 1-200, 5-200, 10-200, 5-150, 5-100,
5-50, 5-40, 10-50, 10-75, 15-50, 20-35 Mrad.
[0087] In some embodiments, the treatment is performed at a dose
rate of between 5.0 and 1500.0 kilorads/hour, e.g., between 10.0
and 750.0 kilorads/hour or between 50.0 and 350.0 kilorads/hours.
In other embodiments the treatment is performed at a dose rate of
between 10 and 10000 kilorads/hr, between 100 and 1000 kilorad/hr,
or between 500 and 1000 kilorads/hr.
[0088] 2. Electron Sources
[0089] Electrons interact via Coulomb scattering and bremsstrahlung
radiation produced by changes in the velocity of electrons.
Electrons may be produced by radioactive nuclei that undergo beta
decay, such as isotopes of iodine, cesium, technetium, and iridium.
Alternatively, an electron gun can be used as an electron source
via thermionic emission and accelerated through an accelerating
potential. An electron gun generates electrons, accelerates them
through a large potential (e.g., greater than about 500 thousand,
greater than about 1 million, greater than about 2 million, greater
than about 5 million, greater than about 6 million, greater than
about 7 million, greater than about 8 million, greater than about 9
million, or even greater than 10 million volts) and then scans them
magnetically in the x-y plane, where the electrons are initially
accelerated in the z direction down the tube and extracted through
a foil window. Scanning the electron beam is useful for increasing
the irradiation surface when irradiating materials, e.g., a
biomass, that is conveyed through the scanned beam. Scanning the
electron beam also distributes the thermal load homogenously on the
window and helps reduce the foil window rupture due to local
heating by the electron beam. Window foil rupture is a cause of
significant down-time due to subsequent necessary repairs and
re-starting the electron gun.
[0090] Various other irradiating devices may be used in the methods
disclosed herein, including field ionization sources, electrostatic
ion separators, field ionization generators, thermionic emission
sources, microwave discharge ion sources, recirculating or static
accelerators, dynamic linear accelerators, van de Graaff
accelerators, and folded tandem accelerators. Such devices are
disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 7,931,784 to Medoff, the
complete disclosure of which is incorporated herein by
reference.
[0091] A beam of electrons can be used as the radiation source. A
beam of electrons has the advantages of high dose rates (e.g., 1,
5, or even 10 Mrad per second), high throughput, less containment,
and less confinement equipment. Electron beams can also have high
electrical efficiency (e.g., 80%), allowing for lower energy usage
relative to other radiation methods, which can translate into a
lower cost of operation and lower greenhouse gas emissions
corresponding to the smaller amount of energy used. Electron beams
can be generated, e.g., by electrostatic generators, cascade
generators, transformer generators, low energy accelerators with a
scanning system, low energy accelerators with a linear cathode,
linear accelerators, and pulsed accelerators.
[0092] Electrons can also be more efficient at causing changes in
the molecular structure of biomass materials, for example, by the
mechanism of chain scission. In addition, electrons having energies
of 0.5-10 MeV can penetrate low density materials, such as the
biomass materials described herein, e.g., materials having a bulk
density of less than 0.5 g/cm.sup.3, and a depth of 0.3-10 cm.
Electrons as an ionizing radiation source can be useful, e.g., for
relatively thin piles, layers or beds of materials, e.g., less than
about 0.5 inch, e.g., less than about 0.4 inch, 0.3 inch, 0.25
inch, or less than about 0.1 inch. In some embodiments, the energy
of each electron of the electron beam is from about 0.3 MeV to
about 2.0 MeV (million electron volts), e.g., from about 0.5 MeV to
about 1.5 MeV, or from about 0.7 MeV to about 1.25 MeV. Methods of
irradiating materials are discussed in U.S. Pat. App. Pub.
2012/0100577 A1, filed Oct. 18, 2011, the entire disclosure of
which is herein incorporated by reference.
[0093] Electron beam irradiation devices may be procured
commercially from Ion Beam Applications (Louvain-la-Neuve,
Belgium), the Titan Corporation (San Diego, Calif., USA), and NHV
Corporation (Nippon High Voltage, Japan). Typical electron energies
can be 0.5 MeV, 1 MeV, 2 MeV, 4.5 MeV, 7.5 MeV, or 10 MeV. Typical
electron beam irradiation device power can be 1 KW, 5 KW, 10 KW, 20
KW, 50 KW, 60 KW, 70 KW, 80 KW, 90 KW, 100 KW, 125 KW, 150 KW, 175
KW, 200 KW, 250 KW, 300 KW, 350 KW, 400 KW, 450 KW, 500 KW, 600 KW,
700 KW, 800 KW, 900 KW or even 1000 KW.
[0094] Tradeoffs in considering electron beam irradiation device
power specifications include cost to operate, capital costs,
depreciation, and device footprint. Tradeoffs in considering
exposure dose levels of electron beam irradiation would be energy
costs and environment, safety, and health (ESH) concerns.
Typically, generators are housed in a vault, e.g., of lead or
concrete, especially for production from X-rays that are generated
in the process. Tradeoffs in considering electron energies include
energy costs.
[0095] The electron beam irradiation device can produce either a
fixed beam or a scanning beam. A scanning beam may be advantageous
with large scan sweep length and high scan speeds, as this would
effectively replace a large, fixed beam width. Further, available
sweep widths of 0.5 m, 1 m, 2 m or more are available. The scanning
beam is preferred in most embodiments describe herein because of
the larger scan width and reduced possibility of local heating and
failure of the windows.
[0096] 3. Electron Guns--Windows
[0097] When treated with an electron gun, the biomass is irradiated
as it passes under a window, which is generally a metallic foil
(e.g., titanium, titanium alloy, aluminum and/or silicon). The
window is impermeable to gases, yet electrons can pass with low
resistance while being impermeable to gasses. The foil windows are
preferably between about 10 and 100 microns thick (e.g., a window
can be 10 microns thick, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20,
21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37,
38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70,
75, 80, 85, 90, 95, or 100 microns thick). Thin windows dissipate
less energy as an electron beam passes through them (e.g., the
resistive heating is less since Power=I.sup.2R) which is
advantageous with respect to irradiating the target material (e.g.,
biomass) with as much energy as possible. Thin windows are also
less mechanically strong and more likely to fail which causes
increased expense and more downtime for the equipment.
[0098] The foil window can be cooled by passing air or an inert gas
over the window. When using an enclosure, it is generally preferred
to mount the window to the enclosure and to cool the window from
the side outside of the enclosed conveying system to avoid lofting
up any particulates of the material being irradiated.
[0099] The system can include more than one window, e.g., a primary
window and a secondary window. The two windows may form the
enclosure to contain the purging gases and/or the cooling gases.
The secondary window may serve a function as a "sacrificial"
window, to protect the primary window. The electron beam apparatus
includes a vacuum between the electron source and the primary
window, and breakage of the primary window is likely to cause
biomass material to be sucked up into the electron beam apparatus,
resulting in damage, repair costs, and equipment downtime.
[0100] The window can be polymer, ceramic, coated ceramic,
composite or coated composite. The secondary window can be, for
instance, a continuous sheet/roll of polymer or coated polymer,
which can be advanced continuously or at intervals to provide a
clean or new section to serve as the secondary window.
[0101] The primary window and the secondary window can be made from
the same material, or different materials. For instance, the
primary window foil can be made from titanium, scandium, vanadium,
chromium, nickel, zirconium, niobium, molybdenum, ruthenium,
rhodium, palladium, hafnium, tantalum, tungsten, rhenium, platinum,
iridium, or alloys or mixtures of any of these. The secondary
single-type window foil can be made from titanium, scandium,
vanadium, chromium, nickel, zirconium, niobium, molybdenum,
ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, hafnium, tantalum, tungsten,
rhenium, platinum, iridium, beryllium, aluminum, silicon, or alloys
or mixtures of any of these. The primary and secondary windows can
be of the same material, mixture of materials, or alloy, or
different materials, mixtures of material or alloys. One or both of
the windows can be laminates of the same of different materials,
mixtures of materials, or alloys.
[0102] One of more of the windows can have a support structure
across its face. The term "single-type window", as used herein,
means a window with no support structure across its face. The term
"double-type window", as used herein, means a window with a support
structure across its face, where the support structure effectively
divides the surface of the window into two parts. Such a
double-type window is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,877,582 to
Nishimura. Additional support structures can also be used.
[0103] The primary window foil and the secondary window foil can
both be made from low Z element. Alternatively, the primary window
foil can be made from a high Z element, and the secondary window
foil can be made from a low Z element.
[0104] The embodiments described herein do not preclude the
inclusion of additional windows, which may have a protective
function, or may be included to modify the radiation exposure.
[0105] The windows can be concave, flat or convex. It is generally
preferred that the window be slightly convex, in a direction away
from the direction of the cooling fluid. This curvature improves
the mechanical strength of the window and increases the permitted
temperature levels as well as allowing a better flow path for the
cooling fluid. On the side of the scanning horn the curvature tends
to be towards the vacuum (e.g., away from the cooling fluid) due to
the vacuum (e.g., about 10.sup.-5 to 10.sup.-10 torr, about
10.sup.-6 to 10.sup.-9 torr, about 10.sup.-7 to 10.sup.-8
torr).
[0106] The cooling of the window and/or concave shape of the window
become especially important for high beam currents, for example at
least about 100 mA electron gun currents (e.g., at least about 110
mA, at least about 120 mA, at least about 130 mA, at least about
140 mA, at least about 150 mA at least about 200 mA, at least about
500 mA, at least about 1000 mA) because resistive heating is
approximately related to the square of the current as discussed
above. The windows can be any shape but typically are approximately
rectangular with a high aspect ratio of the width to the length
(where the width direction is the same as the width of the
conveying system perpendicular to the conveying direction, and the
length is the same as the direction of conveying). The distance of
the window to the conveyed material can be less than about 10 cm
(e.g., less than about 5 cm) and more than about 0.1 cm (e.g., more
than about 1 cm, more than about 2 cm, more than about 3 cm, more
than about 4 cm). It is also possible to use multiple windows
(e.g., 3, 4, 5, 6 or more) with different and varied shapes and
configured in different ways. For example, a primary or secondary
foil window can include one, two or more windows in the same plane
or layered and can include one or more support structures. For
example support structures can be a bar or a grid in the same plane
and contacting the windows.
[0107] In some embodiments, the window that is mounted on the
enclosed conveying system is a secondary foil window of a two foil
window extraction system for a scanning electron beam. In other
embodiments, there is no enclosure for conveying the biomass
material, e.g., the biomass is conveyed in air under the
irradiation device.
[0108] A two-foil window extraction system for a scanning electron
beam has two windows, a primary and a secondary window. Generally
the primary window is closest to the electron source, and is
concave towards the top of the scanning horn due to the vacuum on
that side of the window. The secondary foil window tends to be
flatter but is also concave in the same direction. This curvature
helps provide structural support to the window and is mechanically
stronger than a flat window. Alternatively the windows can be flat
or curved in any direction. The window foils are typically at least
about 10 microns thick to about 30 microns thick (e.g., about 15-40
microns, about 20-30 microns, about 5-30 microns, about 8-25
microns, about 10-20 microns, about 20-25 microns thick). The
distance between the front surface of the primary window foil and
back surface of the secondary window foil is preferably less than
30 cm, more preferably less than 20 cm, and most preferably less
than 10 cm. Sidewalls, in combination with the primary and
secondary windows, can define an interior space. Electrons travel
through both windows to impinge on and penetrate the material
(e.g., biomass) disposed beneath. A first inlet can be included on
one sidewall can be arranged to allow a cooling fluid (e.g., a
liquid or a gas) to impinge on the primary window foil. The cooling
fluid can run along the window and then reverse direction on
meeting the far (opposite) wall and flow back generally through the
center of the interior space and then out through an exhaust port
and/or outlet. A second inlet can be included on the sidewall and
can be arranged to allow cooling fluid to impinge on the secondary
window foil in a similar fashion. Optionally more inlets (e.g., 2,
3, 4, 5, 6 or more) can bring cooling fluid to the primary and
secondary window surfaces and multiple outlets (e.g., 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
or more) can allow the cooling fluid to exit the interior space. In
some embodiments, one or more side walls can even be a mesh, screen
or grate with many openings through which cooling gas can flow
while providing structural support to the windows.
[0109] Such window systems are described in U.S. Provisional App.
No. 61/711,801, by Medoff et al., which was filed on Oct. 10, 2012,
the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
A variety of configurations for such a system will also be known to
those of ordinary skill in the art.
[0110] 4. Electron Guns--Window Spacing
[0111] Although a large spacing between the windows can be
advantageous, for example, for the reasons described above, the
large spacing poses some disadvantages. One disadvantage of a large
spacing between windows is that the electron beams will pass
through a larger volume of cooling gas which can cause energy
losses. For example a 1 MeV beam loses about 0.2 MeV/M of energy, a
5 MeV beam loses about 0.23 MeV/M and a 10 MeV beam loses about
0.26 MeV/M. Therefore with a 1 MeV beam of electrons passing
through 1 cm of air, the beam loses only 0.2% of its energy, at 10
cm of air, the beam loses 2% of its energy, at 20 cm this is 4% of
its energy, while at 50 cm the energy loss is 10%. Since the
electrons also have to travel from the secondary foil window to the
biomass through additional air, the gap between the windows must be
carefully controlled. Preferably, energy losses are less than about
20% (e.g., less than 10%, less than 5% or even less than 1%). It is
therefore advantageous to minimize the spacing between the windows
to decrease energy losses. Optimal spacing (e.g., average spacing)
between the windows (e.g., between the surface side of the electron
window foil and the facing surface of the secondary window foil)
for the benefit of cooling as described above and for the benefit
of reducing energy loss are between about 2 and 20 cm (e.g.,
between about 3 and 20 cm, between about 4 and 20 cm, between about
5 and 20 cm, between about 6 and 20 cm, between about 7 and 20 cm,
between about 8 and 20 cm, between about 3 and 15 cm, between about
4 and 15 cm, between about 5 and 15 cm, between about 6 and 15 cm,
between about 7 and 15 cm, between about 8 and 15 cm between about
3 and 10 cm, between about 4 and 10 cm, between about 5 and 10 cm,
between about 6 and 10 cm, between about 7 and 10 cm, between about
8 and 10 cm).
[0112] One of ordinary skill in the art will balance the advantages
and disadvantages of window spacing to suit their needs.
[0113] In some embodiments support structures for the windows can
be used across the windows, although these types of structures are
less preferred because of energy losses that can occur to the
electron beam as it strikes these kinds of structures.
[0114] A large spacing between the windows can be advantageous
because it defines a larger volume between the windows and allows
for rapid flowing of a large volume cooling of for very efficient
cooling. The inlets and outlets are between 1 mm and 120 mm in
diameter (e.g., about 2 mm, about 5 mm about 10 mm, about 20 mm,
about 50 mm or even about 100 mm). The cooling gas flow can be at
between about 500-2500 CFM (e.g., about 600 to 2500 CFM, about
700-2500 CFM, about 800 to 2500 CFM, about 1000 to 2500 CFM, about
600 to 2000 CFM, about 700-2000 CFM, about 800 to 2000 CFM, about
1000 to 2000 CFM, about 600 to 1500 CFM, about 700-1500 CFM, about
800 to 1500 CFM, about 1000 to 1500 CFM). In some embodiments,
about 50% of the gas is exchanged per about 60 seconds or less
(e.g., in about 50 sec or less, in about 30 sec or less, in about
10 sec or less, in about 1 sec or less).
[0115] 5. Electron Guns--Cooling and Purging Gases
[0116] The cooling gas in the two foil window extraction system can
be a purge gas or a mixture, for example air, or a pure gas. In one
embodiment, the gas is an inert gas such as nitrogen, argon, helium
and or carbon dioxide. It is preferred to use a gas rather than a
liquid since energy losses to the electron beam are minimized.
Mixtures of pure gas can also be used, either pre-mixed or mixed in
line prior to impinging on the windows or in the space between the
windows. The cooling gas can be cooled, for example, by using a
heat exchange system (e.g., a chiller) and/or by using boil off
from a condensed gas (e.g., liquid nitrogen, liquid helium).
[0117] When using an enclosure, the enclosed conveyor can also be
purged with an inert gas so as to maintain an atmosphere at a
reduced oxygen level. Keeping oxygen levels low avoids the
formation of ozone which in some instances is undesirable due to
its reactive and toxic nature. For example, the oxygen can be less
than about 20% (e.g., less than about 10%, less than about 1%, less
than about 0.1%, less than about 0.01%, or even less than about
0.001% oxygen). Purging can be done with an inert gas including,
but not limited to, nitrogen, argon, helium or carbon dioxide. This
can be supplied, for example, from a boil off of a liquid source
(e.g., liquid nitrogen or helium), generated or separated from air
in situ, or supplied from tanks. The inert gas can be recirculated
and any residual oxygen can be removed using a catalyst, such as a
copper catalyst bed. Alternatively, combinations of purging,
recirculating and oxygen removal can be done to keep the oxygen
levels low.
[0118] The enclosure can also be purged with a reactive gas that
can react with the biomass. This can be done before, during or
after the irradiation process. The reactive gas can be, but is not
limited to, nitrous oxide, ammonia, oxygen, ozone, hydrocarbons,
aromatic compounds, amides, peroxides, azides, halides, oxyhalides,
phosphides, phosphines, arsines, sulfides, thiols, boranes and/or
hydrides. The reactive gas can be activated in the enclosure, e.g.,
by irradiation (e.g., electron beam, UV irradiation, microwave
irradiation, heating, IR radiation), so that it reacts with the
biomass. The biomass itself can be activated, for example, by
irradiation. Preferably the biomass is activated by the electron
beam, to produce radicals which then react with the activated or
unactivated reactive gas, e.g., by radical coupling or
quenching.
[0119] Purging gases supplied to an enclosed conveyor can also be
cooled, for example below about 25.degree. C., below about
0.degree. C., below about -40.degree. C., below about -80.degree.
C., below about -120.degree. C. For example, the gas can be boiled
off from a compressed gas such as liquid nitrogen or sublimed from
solid carbon dioxide. As an alternative example, the gas can be
cooled by a chiller or part of or the entire conveyor can be
cooled.
[0120] 6. Electron Guns--Beam Stops
[0121] In some embodiments the systems and methods include a beam
stop (e.g., a shutter). For example, the beam stop can be used to
quickly stop or reduce the irradiation of material without powering
down the electron beam device. Alternatively the beam stop can be
used while powering up the electron beam, e.g., the beam stop can
stop the electron beam until a beam current of a desired level is
achieved. The beam stop can be placed between the primary foil
window and secondary foil window. For example, the beam stop can be
mounted so that it is movable, that is, so that it can be moved
into and out of the beam path. Even partial coverage of the beam
can be used, for example, to control the dose of irradiation. The
beam stop can be mounted to the floor, to a conveyor for the
biomass, to a wall, to the radiation device (e.g., at the scan
horn), or to any structural support. Preferably the beam stop is
fixed in relation to the scan horn so that the beam can be
effectively controlled by the beam stop. The beam stop can
incorporate a hinge, a rail, wheels, slots, or other means allowing
for its operation in moving into and out of the beam. The beam stop
can be made of any material that will stop at least 5% of the
electrons, e.g., at least 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, at
least 80%, 85%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99% or
even about 100% of the electrons.
[0122] The beam stop can be made of a metal including, but not
limited to, stainless steel, lead, iron, molybdenum, silver, gold,
titanium, aluminum, tin, or alloys of these, or laminates (layered
materials) made with such metals (e.g., metal-coated ceramic,
metal-coated polymer, metal-coated composite, multilayered metal
materials).
[0123] The beam stop can be cooled, for example, with a cooling
fluid such as an aqueous solution or a gas. The beam stop can be
partially or completely hollow, for example with cavities. Interior
spaces of the beam stop can be used for cooling fluids and gases.
The beam stop can be of any shape, including flat, curved, round,
oval, square, rectangular, beveled and wedged shapes.
[0124] The beam stop can have perforations so as to allow some
electrons through, thus controlling (e.g., reducing) the levels of
radiation across the whole area of the window, or in specific
regions of the window. The beam stop can be a mesh formed, for
example, from fibers or wires. Multiple beam stops can be used,
together or independently, to control the irradiation. The beam
stop can be remotely controlled, e.g., by radio signal or hard
wired to a motor for moving the beam into or out of position.
[0125] D. Treatment of Biomass Material--Sonication, Pyrolysis,
Oxidation, Steam Explosion
[0126] If desired, one or more sonication, pyrolysis, oxidative, or
steam explosion processes can be used in addition to or instead of
other treatments to further reduce the recalcitrance of the biomass
material. These processes can be applied before, during and or
after another treatment or treatments. These processes are
described in detail in U.S. Pat. No. 7,932,065 to Medoff, the full
disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
II. Biomass Materials
[0127] As used herein, the term "biomass materials" includes
lignocellulosic, cellulosic, starchy, and microbial materials.
[0128] Lignocellulosic materials include, but are not limited to,
wood, particle board, forestry wastes (e.g., sawdust, aspen wood,
wood chips), grasses, (e.g., switchgrass, miscanthus, cord grass,
reed canary grass), grain residues, (e.g., rice hulls, oat hulls,
wheat chaff, barley hulls), agricultural waste (e.g., silage,
canola straw, wheat straw, barley straw, oat straw, rice straw,
jute, hemp, flax, bamboo, sisal, abaca, corn cobs, corn stover,
soybean stover, corn fiber, alfalfa, hay, coconut hair), sugar
processing residues (e.g., bagasse, beet pulp, agave bagasse),
algae, seaweed, manure, sewage, and mixtures of any of these.
[0129] In some cases, the lignocellulosic material includes
corncobs. Ground or hammermilled corncobs can be spread in a layer
of relatively uniform thickness for irradiation, and after
irradiation are easy to disperse in the medium for further
processing. To facilitate harvest and collection, in some cases the
entire corn plant is used, including the corn stalk, corn kernels,
and in some cases even the root system of the plant.
[0130] Advantageously, for ethanol production, no additional
nutrients (other than a nitrogen source, e.g., urea or ammonia) are
required during fermentation of corncobs or cellulosic or
lignocellulosic materials containing significant amounts of
corncobs. Other products may require addition of trace metals,
vitamins, or buffering capacity, but these adjustment are well
within the knowledge of those of ordinary skill in the art.
[0131] Corncobs, before and after comminution, are also easier to
convey and disperse, and have a lesser tendency to form explosive
mixtures in air than other cellulosic or lignocellulosic materials
such as hay and grasses.
[0132] Cellulosic materials include, for example, paper, paper
products, paper waste, paper pulp, pigmented papers, loaded papers,
coated papers, filled papers, magazines, printed matter (e.g.,
books, catalogs, manuals, labels, calendars, greeting cards,
brochures, prospectuses, newsprint), printer paper, polycoated
paper, card stock, cardboard, paperboard, materials having a high
.alpha.-cellulose content such as cotton, and mixtures of any of
these. For example paper products as described in U.S. application
Ser. No. 13/396,365 ("Magazine Feedstocks" by Medoff et al., filed
Feb. 14, 2012), the full disclosure of which is incorporated herein
by reference.
[0133] Cellulosic materials can also include lignocellulosic
materials which have been de-lignified.
[0134] Starchy materials include starch itself, e.g., corn starch,
wheat starch, potato starch or rice starch, a derivative of starch,
or a material that includes starch, such as an edible food product
or a crop. For example, the starchy material can be arracacha,
buckwheat, banana, barley, cassava, kudzu, oca, sago, sorghum,
regular household potatoes, sweet potato, taro, yams, or one or
more beans, such as favas, lentils or peas. Blends of any two or
more starchy materials are also starchy materials. Mixtures of
starchy, cellulosic and or lignocellulosic materials can also be
used. For example, a biomass can be an entire plant, a part of a
plant or different parts of a plant, e.g., a wheat plant, cotton
plant, a corn plant, rice plant or a tree. The starchy materials
can be treated by any of the methods described herein.
[0135] Microbial materials include, but are not limited to, any
naturally occurring or genetically modified microorganism or
organism that contains or is capable of providing a source of
carbohydrates (e.g., cellulose), for example, protists, e.g.,
animal protists (e.g., protozoa such as flagellates, amoeboids,
ciliates, and sporozoa) and plant protists (e.g., algae such
alveolates, chlorarachniophytes, cryptomonads, euglenids,
glaucophytes, haptophytes, red algae, stramenopiles, and
viridaeplantae). Other examples include seaweed, plankton (e.g.,
macroplankton, mesoplankton, microplankton, nanoplankton,
picoplankton, and femptoplankton), phytoplankton, bacteria (e.g.,
gram positive bacteria, gram negative bacteria, and extremophiles),
yeast and/or mixtures of these. In some instances, microbial
biomass can be obtained from natural sources, e.g., the ocean,
lakes, bodies of water, e.g., salt water or fresh water, or on
land. Alternatively or in addition, microbial biomass can be
obtained from culture systems, e.g., large scale dry and wet
culture and fermentation systems.
[0136] The biomass material can also include offal, and similar
sources of material.
[0137] In other embodiments, the biomass materials, such as
cellulosic, starchy and lignocellulosic feedstock materials, can be
obtained from transgenic microorganisms and plants that have been
modified with respect to a wild type variety. Such modifications
may be, for example, through the iterative steps of selection and
breeding to obtain desired traits in a plant. Furthermore, the
plants can have had genetic material removed, modified, silenced
and/or added with respect to the wild type variety. For example,
genetically modified plants can be produced by recombinant DNA
methods, where genetic modifications include introducing or
modifying specific genes from parental varieties, or, for example,
by using transgenic breeding wherein a specific gene or genes are
introduced to a plant from a different species of plant and/or
bacteria. Another way to create genetic variation is through
mutation breeding wherein new alleles are artificially created from
endogenous genes. The artificial genes can be created by a variety
of ways including treating the plant or seeds with, for example,
chemical mutagens (e.g., using alkylating agents, epoxides,
alkaloids, peroxides, formaldehyde), irradiation (e.g., X-rays,
gamma rays, neutrons, beta particles, alpha particles, protons,
deuterons, UV radiation) and temperature shocking or other external
stressing and subsequent selection techniques. Other methods of
providing modified genes is through error prone PCR and DNA
shuffling followed by insertion of the desired modified DNA into
the desired plant or seed. Methods of introducing the desired
genetic variation in the seed or plant include, for example, the
use of a bacterial carrier, biolistics, calcium phosphate
precipitation, electroporation, gene splicing, gene silencing,
lipofection, microinjection and viral carriers. Additional
genetically modified materials have been described in U.S.
application Ser. No 13/396,369 filed Feb. 14, 2012 the full
disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
[0138] Any of the methods described herein can be practiced with
mixtures of any biomass materials described herein.
III. Biomass Material Preparation--Mechanical Treatments
[0139] The biomass can be in a dry form, for example with less than
about 35% moisture content (e.g., less than about 20%, less than
about 15%, less than about 10% less than about 5%, less than about
4%, less than about 3%, less than about 2% or even less than about
1%). The biomass can also be delivered in a wet state, for example
as a wet solid, a slurry or a suspension with at least about 10 wt
% solids (e.g., at least about 20 wt. %, at least about 30 wt. %,
at least about 40 wt. %, at least about 50 wt. %, at least about 60
wt. %, at least about 70 wt. %).
[0140] The processes disclosed herein can utilize low bulk density
materials, for example cellulosic or lignocellulosic feedstocks
that have been physically pretreated to have a bulk density of less
than about 0.75 g/cm.sup.3, e.g., less than about 0.7, 0.65, 0.60,
0.50, 0.35, 0.25, 0.20, 0.15, 0.10, 0.05 or less, e.g., less than
about 0.025 g/cm.sup.3. Bulk density is determined using ASTM
D1895B. Briefly, the method involves filling a measuring cylinder
of known volume with a sample and obtaining a weight of the sample.
The bulk density is calculated by dividing the weight of the sample
in grams by the known volume of the cylinder in cubic centimeters.
If desired, low bulk density materials can be densified, for
example, by methods described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,971,809 to Medoff,
the full disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by
reference.
[0141] In some cases, the pre-treatment processing includes
screening of the biomass material. Screening can be through a mesh
or perforated plate with a desired opening size, for example, less
than about 6.35 mm (1/4 inch, 0.25 inch), (e.g., less than about
3.18 mm (1/8 inch, 0.125 inch), less than about 1.59 mm ( 1/16
inch, 0.0625 inch), is less than about 0.79 mm ( 1/32 inch, 0.03125
inch), e.g., less than about 0.51 mm ( 1/50 inch, 0.02000 inch),
less than about 0.40 mm ( 1/64 inch, 0.015625 inch), less than
about 0.23 mm (0.009 inch), less than about 0.20 mm ( 1/128 inch,
0.0078125 inch), less than about 0.18 mm (0.007 inch), less than
about 0.13 mm (0.005 inch), or even less than about 0.10 mm ( 1/256
inch, 0.00390625 inch)). In one configuration the desired biomass
falls through the perforations or screen and thus biomass larger
than the perforations or screen are not irradiated. These larger
materials can be re-processed, for example by comminuting, or they
can simply be removed from processing. In another configuration
material that is larger than the perforations is irradiated and the
smaller material is removed by the screening process or recycled.
In this kind of a configuration, the conveyor itself (for example a
part of the conveyor) can be perforated or made with a mesh. For
example, in one particular embodiment the biomass material may be
wet and the perforations or mesh allow water to drain away from the
biomass before irradiation.
[0142] Screening of material can also be by a manual method, for
example by an operator or mechanoid (e.g., a robot equipped with a
color, reflectivity or other sensor) that removes unwanted
material. Screening can also be by magnetic screening wherein a
magnet is disposed near the conveyed material and the magnetic
material is removed magnetically.
[0143] Optional pre-treatment processing can include heating the
material. For example a portion of the conveyor can be sent through
a heated zone. The heated zone can be created, for example, by IR
radiation, microwaves, combustion (e.g., gas, coal, oil, biomass),
resistive heating and/or inductive coils. The heat can be applied
from at least one side or more than one side, can be continuous or
periodic and can be for only a portion of the material or all the
material. For example, a portion of the conveying trough can be
heated by use of a heating jacket. Heating can be, for example, for
the purpose of drying the material. In the case of drying the
material, this can also be facilitated, with or without heating, by
the movement of a gas (e.g., air, oxygen, nitrogen, He, CO.sub.2,
Argon) over and/or through the biomass as it is being conveyed.
[0144] Optionally, pre-treatment processing can include cooling the
material. Cooling material is described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,900,857
to Medoff, the disclosure of which in incorporated herein by
reference. For example, cooling can be by supplying a cooling
fluid, for example water (e.g., with glycerol), or nitrogen (e.g.,
liquid nitrogen) to the bottom of the conveying trough.
Alternatively, a cooling gas, for example, chilled nitrogen can be
blown over the biomass materials or under the conveying system.
[0145] Another optional pre-treatment processing method can include
adding a material to the biomass. The additional material can be
added by, for example, by showering, sprinkling and or pouring the
material onto the biomass as it is conveyed. Materials that can be
added include, for example, metals, ceramics and/or ions as
described in U.S. Pat. App. Pub. 2010/0105119 A1 (filed Oct. 26,
2009) and U.S. Pat. App. Pub. 2010/0159569 A1 (filed Dec. 16,
2009), the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by
reference. Optional materials that can be added include acids and
bases. Other materials that can be added are oxidants (e.g.,
peroxides, chlorates), polymers, polymerizable monomers (e.g.,
containing unsaturated bonds), water, catalysts, enzymes and/or
organisms. Materials can be added, for example, in pure form, as a
solution in a solvent (e.g., water or an organic solvent) and/or as
a solution. In some cases the solvent is volatile and can be made
to evaporate e.g., by heating and/or blowing gas as previously
described. The added material may form a uniform coating on the
biomass or be a homogeneous mixture of different components (e.g.,
biomass and additional material). The added material can modulate
the subsequent irradiation step by increasing the efficiency of the
irradiation, damping the irradiation or changing the effect of the
irradiation (e.g., from electron beams to X-rays or heat). The
method may have no impact on the irradiation but may be useful for
further downstream processing. The added material may help in
conveying the material, for example, by lowering dust levels.
[0146] Biomass can be delivered to the conveyor by a belt conveyor,
a pneumatic conveyor, a screw conveyor, a hopper, a pipe, manually
or by a combination of these. The biomass can, for example, be
dropped, poured and/or placed onto the conveyor by any of these
methods. In some embodiments the material is delivered to the
conveyor using an enclosed material distribution system to help
maintain a low oxygen atmosphere and/or control dust and fines.
Lofted or air suspended biomass fines and dust are undesirable
because these can form an explosion hazard or damage the window
foils of an electron gun (if such a device is used for treating the
material).
[0147] The material can be leveled to form a uniform thickness
between about 0.0312 and 5 inches (e.g., between about 0.0625 and
2.000 inches, between about 0.125 and 1 inches, between about 0.125
and 0.5 inches, between about 0.3 and 0.9 inches, between about 0.2
and 0.5 inches between about 0.25 and 1.0 inches, between about
0.25 and 0.5 inches, 0.100+/-0.025 inches, 0.150+/-0.025 inches,
0.200 +/-0.025 inches, 0.250+/-0.025 inches, 0.300+/-0.025 inches,
0.350+/-0.025 inches, 0.400+/-0.025 inches, 0.450+/-0.025 inches,
0.500+/-0.025 inches, 0.550+/-0.025 inches, 0.600+/-0.025 inches,
0.700+/-0.025 inches, 0.750+/-0.025 inches, 0.800+/-0.025 inches,
0.850+/-0.025 inches, 0.900+/-0.025 inches, 0.900+/-0.025
inches.
[0148] Generally, it is preferred to convey the material as quickly
as possible through the electron beam to maximize throughput. For
example the material can be conveyed at rates of at least 1 ft/min,
e.g., at least 2 ft/min, at least 3 ft/min, at least 4 ft/min, at
least 5 ft/min, at least 10 ft/min, at least 15 ft/min, 20, 25, 30,
35, 40, 45, 50 ft/min. The rate of conveying is related to the beam
current, for example, for a 1/4 inch thick biomass and 100 mA, the
conveyor can move at about 20 ft/min to provide a useful
irradiation dosage, at 50 mA the conveyor can move at about 10
ft/min to provide approximately the same irradiation dosage.
[0149] After the biomass material has been conveyed through the
radiation zone, optional post-treatment processing can be done. The
optional post-treatment processing can, for example, be a process
described with respect to the pre-irradiation processing. For
example, the biomass can be screened, heated, cooled, and/or
combined with additives. Uniquely to post-irradiation, quenching of
the radicals can occur, for example, quenching of radicals by the
addition of fluids or gases (e.g., oxygen, nitrous oxide, ammonia,
liquids), using pressure, heat, and/or the addition of radical
scavengers. For example, the biomass can be conveyed out of the
enclosed conveyor and exposed to a gas (e.g., oxygen) where it is
quenched, forming caboxylated groups. In one embodiment the biomass
is exposed during irradiation to the reactive gas or fluid.
Quenching of biomass that has been irradiated is described in U.S.
Pat. No. 8,083,906 to Medoff, the entire disclosure of which is
incorporate herein by reference.
[0150] If desired, one or more mechanical treatments can be used in
addition to irradiation to further reduce the recalcitrance of the
biomass material. These processes can be applied before, during and
or after irradiation.
[0151] In some cases, the mechanical treatment may include an
initial preparation of the feedstock as received, e.g., size
reduction of materials, such as by comminution, e.g., cutting,
grinding, shearing, pulverizing or chopping. For example, in some
cases, loose feedstock (e.g., recycled paper, starchy materials, or
switchgrass) is prepared by shearing or shredding. Mechanical
treatment may reduce the bulk density of the biomass material,
increase the surface area of the biomass material and/or decrease
one or more dimensions of the biomass material.
[0152] Alternatively, or in addition, the feedstock material can
first be physically treated by one or more of the other physical
treatment methods, e.g., chemical treatment, radiation, sonication,
oxidation, pyrolysis or steam explosion, and then mechanically
treated. This sequence can be advantageous since materials treated
by one or more of the other treatments, e.g., irradiation or
pyrolysis, tend to be more brittle and, therefore, it may be easier
to further change the structure of the material by mechanical
treatment. For example, a feedstock material can be conveyed
through ionizing radiation using a conveyor as described herein and
then mechanically treated. Chemical treatment can remove some or
all of the lignin (for example chemical pulping) and can partially
or completely hydrolyze the material. The methods also can be used
with pre-hydrolyzed material. The methods also can be used with
material that has not been pre hydrolyzed. The methods can be used
with mixtures of hydrolyzed and non-hydrolyzed materials, for
example with about 50% or more non-hydrolyzed material, with about
60% or more non-hydrolyzed material, with about 70% or more
non-hydrolyzed material, with about 80% or more non-hydrolyzed
material or even with 90% or more non-hydrolyzed material.
[0153] In addition to size reduction, which can be performed
initially and/or later in processing, mechanical treatment can also
be advantageous for "opening up," "stressing," breaking or
shattering the biomass materials, making the cellulose of the
materials more susceptible to chain scission and/or disruption of
crystalline structure during the physical treatment.
[0154] Methods of mechanically treating the biomass material
include, for example, milling or grinding. Milling may be performed
using, for example, a hammer mill, ball mill, colloid mill, conical
or cone mill, disk mill, edge mill, Wiley mill, grist mill or other
mill. Grinding may be performed using, for example, a
cutting/impact type grinder. Some exemplary grinders include stone
grinders, pin grinders, coffee grinders, and burr grinders.
Grinding or milling may be provided, for example, by a
reciprocating pin or other element, as is the case in a pin mill.
Other mechanical treatment methods include mechanical ripping or
tearing, other methods that apply pressure to the fibers, and air
attrition milling. Suitable mechanical treatments further include
any other technique that continues the disruption of the internal
structure of the material that was initiated by the previous
processing steps.
[0155] Mechanical feed preparation systems can be configured to
produce streams with specific characteristics such as, for example,
specific maximum sizes, specific length-to-width, or specific
surface areas ratios. Physical preparation can increase the rate of
reactions, improve the movement of material on a conveyor, improve
the irradiation profile of the material, improve the radiation
uniformity of the material, or reduce the processing time required
by opening up the materials and making them more accessible to
processes and/or reagents, such as reagents in a solution.
[0156] The bulk density of feedstocks can be controlled (e.g.,
increased). In some situations, it can be desirable to prepare a
low bulk density material, e.g., by densifying the material (e.g.,
densification can make it easier and less costly to transport to
another site) and then reverting the material to a lower bulk
density state (e.g., after transport). The material can be
densified, for example from less than about 0.2 g/cc to more than
about 0.9 g/cc (e.g., less than about 0.3 to more than about 0.5
g/cc, less than about 0.3 to more than about 0.9 g/cc, less than
about 0.5 to more than about 0.9 g/cc, less than about 0.3 to more
than about 0.8 g/cc, less than about 0.2 to more than about 0.5
g/cc). For example, the material can be densified by the methods
and equipment disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,932,065 to Medoff and
International Publication No. WO 2008/073186 (which was filed Oct.
26, 2007, was published in English, and which designated the United
States), the full disclosures of which are incorporated herein by
reference. Densified materials can be processed by any of the
methods described herein, or any material processed by any of the
methods described herein can be subsequently densified.
[0157] In some embodiments, the material to be processed is in the
form of a fibrous material that includes fibers provided by
shearing a fiber source. For example, the shearing can be performed
with a rotary knife cutter.
[0158] For example, a fiber source, e.g., that is recalcitrant or
that has had its recalcitrance level reduced, can be sheared, e.g.,
in a rotary knife cutter, to provide a first fibrous material. The
first fibrous material is passed through a first screen, e.g.,
having an average opening size of 1.59 mm or less ( 1/16 inch,
0.0625 inch), provide a second fibrous material. If desired, the
fiber source can be cut prior to the shearing, e.g., with a
shredder. For example, when a paper is used as the fiber source,
the paper can be first cut into strips that are, e.g., 1/4- to
1/2-inch wide, using a shredder, e.g., a counter-rotating screw
shredder, such as those manufactured by Munson (Utica, N.Y.). As an
alternative to shredding, the paper can be reduced in size by
cutting to a desired size using a guillotine cutter. For example,
the guillotine cutter can be used to cut the paper into sheets that
are, e.g., 10 inches wide by 12 inches long.
[0159] In some embodiments, the shearing of the fiber source and
the passing of the resulting first fibrous material through a first
screen are performed concurrently. The shearing and the passing can
also be performed in a batch-type process.
[0160] For example, a rotary knife cutter can be used to
concurrently shear the fiber source and screen the first fibrous
material. A rotary knife cutter includes a hopper that can be
loaded with a shredded fiber source prepared by shredding a fiber
source.
[0161] In some implementations, the feedstock is physically treated
prior to saccharification and/or fermentation. Physical treatment
processes can include one or more of any of those described herein,
such as mechanical treatment, chemical treatment, irradiation,
sonication, oxidation, pyrolysis or steam explosion. Treatment
methods can be used in combinations of two, three, four, or even
all of these technologies (in any order). When more than one
treatment method is used, the methods can be applied at the same
time or at different times. Other processes that change a molecular
structure of a biomass feedstock may also be used, alone or in
combination with the processes disclosed herein.
[0162] Mechanical treatments that may be used, and the
characteristics of the mechanically treated biomass materials, are
described in further detail in U.S. Pat. App. Pub. 2012/0100577 A1,
filed Oct. 18, 2011, the full disclosure of which is hereby
incorporated herein by reference.
IV. Use of Treated Biomass Material
[0163] Using the methods described herein, a starting biomass
material (e.g., plant biomass, animal biomass, paper, and municipal
waste biomass) can be used as feedstock to produce useful
intermediates and products such as organic acids, salts of organic
acids, anhydrides, esters of organic acids and fuels, e.g., fuels
for internal combustion engines or feedstocks for fuel cells.
Systems and processes are described herein that can use as
feedstock cellulosic and/or lignocellulosic materials that are
readily available, but often can be difficult to process, e.g.,
municipal waste streams and waste paper streams, such as streams
that include newspaper, kraft paper, corrugated paper or mixtures
of these.
[0164] In order to convert the feedstock to a form that can be
readily processed, the glucan- or xylan-containing cellulose in the
feedstock can be hydrolyzed to low molecular weight carbohydrates,
such as sugars, by a saccharifying agent, e.g., an enzyme or acid,
a process referred to as saccharification. The low molecular weight
carbohydrates can then be used, for example, in an existing
manufacturing plant, such as a single cell protein plant, an enzyme
manufacturing plant, or a fuel plant, e.g., an ethanol
manufacturing facility.
[0165] The feedstock can be hydrolyzed using an enzyme, e.g., by
combining the materials and the enzyme in a solvent, e.g., in an
aqueous solution.
[0166] Alternatively, the enzymes can be supplied by organisms that
break down biomass, such as the cellulose and/or the lignin
portions of the biomass, contain or manufacture various
cellulolytic enzymes (cellulases), ligninases or various small
molecule biomass-degrading metabolites. These enzymes may be a
complex of enzymes that act synergistically to degrade crystalline
cellulose or the lignin portions of biomass. Examples of
cellulolytic enzymes include: endoglucanases, cellobiohydrolases,
and cellobiases (beta-glucosidases).
[0167] During saccharification a cellulosic substrate can be
initially hydrolyzed by endoglucanases at random locations
producing oligomeric intermediates. These intermediates are then
substrates for exo-splitting glucanases such as cellobiohydrolase
to produce cellobiose from the ends of the cellulose polymer.
Cellobiose is a water-soluble 1,4-linked dimer of glucose. Finally,
cellobiase cleaves cellobiose to yield glucose. The efficiency
(e.g., time to hydrolyze and/or completeness of hydrolysis) of this
process depends on the recalcitrance of the cellulosic
material.
V. Intermediates and Products
[0168] Using the processes described herein, the biomass material
can be converted to one or more products, such as energy, fuels,
foods and materials. Specific examples of products include, but are
not limited to, hydrogen, sugars (e.g., glucose, xylose, arabinose,
mannose, galactose, fructose, disaccharides, oligosaccharides and
polysaccharides), alcohols (e.g., monohydric alcohols or dihydric
alcohols, such as ethanol, n-propanol, isobutanol, sec-butanol,
tert-butanol or n-butanol), hydrated or hydrous alcohols (e.g.,
containing greater than 10%, 20%, 30% or even greater than 40%
water), biodiesel, organic acids, hydrocarbons (e.g., methane,
ethane, propane, isobutene, pentane, n-hexane, biodiesel,
bio-gasoline and mixtures thereof), co-products (e.g., proteins,
such as cellulolytic proteins (enzymes) or single cell proteins),
and mixtures of any of these in any combination or relative
concentration, and optionally in combination with any additives
(e.g., fuel additives). Other examples include carboxylic acids,
salts of a carboxylic acid, a mixture of carboxylic acids and salts
of carboxylic acids and esters of carboxylic acids (e.g., methyl,
ethyl and n-propyl esters), ketones (e.g., acetone), aldehydes
(e.g., acetaldehyde), alpha and beta unsaturated acids (e.g.,
acrylic acid) and olefins (e.g., ethylene). Other alcohols and
alcohol derivatives include propanol, propylene glycol,
1,4-butanediol, 1,3-propanediol, sugar alcohols and polyols (e.g.,
glycol, glycerol, erythritol, threitol, arabitol, xylitol, ribitol,
mannitol, sorbitol, galactitol, iditol, inositol, volemitol,
isomalt, maltitol, lactitol, maltotriitol, maltotetraitol, and
polyglycitol and other polyols), and methyl or ethyl esters of any
of these alcohols. Other products include methyl acrylate,
methylmethacrylate, lactic acid, citric acid, formic acid, acetic
acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, succinic acid, valeric acid,
caproic acid, 3-hydroxypropionic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid,
oxalic acid, malonic acid, glutaric acid, oleic acid, linoleic
acid, glycolic acid, gamma-hydroxybutyric acid, and mixtures
thereof, salts of any of these acids, mixtures of any of the acids
and their respective salts.
[0169] Any combination of the above products with each other,
and/or of the above products with other products, which other
products may be made by the processes described herein or
otherwise, may be packaged together and sold as products. The
products may be combined, e.g., mixed, blended or co-dissolved, or
may simply be packaged or sold together.
[0170] Any of the products or combinations of products described
herein may be sanitized or sterilized prior to selling the
products, e.g., after purification or isolation or even after
packaging, to neutralize one or more potentially undesirable
contaminants that could be present in the product(s). Such
sanitation can be done with electron bombardment, for example, be
at a dosage of less than about 20 Mrad, e.g., from about 0.1 to 15
Mrad, from about 0.5 to 7 Mrad, or from about 1 to 3 Mrad.
[0171] The processes described herein can produce various
by-product streams useful for generating steam and electricity to
be used in other parts of the plant (co-generation) or sold on the
open market. For example, steam generated from burning by-product
streams can be used in a distillation process. As another example,
electricity generated from burning by-product streams can be used
to power electron beam generators used in pretreatment.
[0172] The by-products used to generate steam and electricity are
derived from a number of sources throughout the process. For
example, anaerobic digestion of wastewater can produce a biogas
high in methane and a small amount of waste biomass (sludge). As
another example, post-saccharification and/or post-distillate
solids (e.g., unconverted lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose
remaining from the pretreatment and primary processes) can be used,
e.g., burned, as a fuel.
[0173] Many of the products obtained, such as ethanol or n-butanol,
can be utilized as a fuel for powering cars, trucks, tractors,
ships or trains, e.g., as an internal combustion fuel or as a fuel
cell feedstock. Many of the products obtained can also be utilized
to power aircraft, such as planes, e.g., having jet engines or
helicopters. In addition, the products described herein can be
utilized for electrical power generation, e.g., in a conventional
steam generating plant or in a fuel cell plant.
[0174] Other intermediates and products, including food and
pharmaceutical products, are described in U.S. Pat. App. Pub.
2010/0124583 A1, published May 20, 2010, to Medoff, the full
disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein.
VI. Production of Enzymes by Microorganisms
[0175] Filamentous fungi, or bacteria that produce cellulase,
typically require a carbon source and an inducer for production of
cellulase.
[0176] Lignocellulosic materials comprise different combinations of
cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. Cellulose is a linear polymer
of glucose forming a fairly stiff linear structure without
significant coiling. Due to this structure and the disposition of
hydroxyl groups that can hydrogen bond, cellulose contains
crystalline and non-crystalline portions. The crystalline portions
can also be of different types, noted as I(alpha) and I(beta) for
example, depending on the location of hydrogen bonds between
strands. The polymer lengths themselves can vary lending more
variety to the form of the cellulose. Hemicellulose is any of
several heteropolymers, such as xylan, glucuronoxylan,
arabinoxylans, and xyloglucan. The primary sugar monomer present is
xylose, although other monomers such as mannose, galactose,
rhamnose, arabinose and glucose are present. Typically,
hemicellulose forms branched structures with lower molecular
weights than cellulose. Hemicellulose is therefore an amorphous
material that is generally susceptible to enzymatic hydrolysis.
Lignin is a complex high molecular weight heteropolymer generally.
Although all lignins show variation in their composition, they have
been described as an amorphous dendritic network polymer of phenyl
propene units. The amounts of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin
in a specific biomaterial depend on the source of the biomaterial.
For example, wood derived biomaterial can be about 38-49%
cellulose, 7-26% hemicellulose and 23-34% lignin depending on the
type. Grasses typically are 33-38% cellulose, 24-32% hemicellulose
and 17-22% lignin. Clearly lignocellulosic biomass constitutes a
large class of substrates.
[0177] The diversity of biomass materials may be further increased
by pretreatment, for example, by changing the crystallinity and
molecular weights of the polymers.
[0178] The cellulase producing organism when contacted with a
biomass will tend to produce enzymes that release molecules
advantageous to the organism's growth, such as glucose. This is
done through the phenomenon of enzyme induction as described above.
Since there are a variety of substrates in a particular
biomaterial, there are a variety of cellulases, for example, the
endoglucanase, exoglucanase and cellobiase discussed previously. By
selecting a particular lignocellulosic material as the inducer the
relative concentrations and/or activities of these enzymes can be
modulated so that the resulting enzyme complex will work
efficiently on the lignocellulosic material used as the inducer or
a similar material. For example, a biomaterial with a higher
portion of crystalline cellulose may induce a more effective or
higher amount of endoglucanase than a biomaterial with little
crystalline cellulose.
[0179] One of ordinary skill in the art can optimize the production
of enzymes by microorganisms by adding yeast extract, corn steep,
peptones, amino acids, ammonium salts, phosphate salts, potassium
salts, magnesium salts, calcium salts, iron salts, manganese salts,
zinc salts, cobalt salts, or other additives and/or nutrients
and/or carbon sources. Various components can be added and removed
during the processing to optimize the desired production of useful
products.
[0180] Temperature, pH and other conditions optimal for growth of
microorganisms and production of enzymes are generally known in the
art.
VII. Saccharification
[0181] The treated biomass materials can be saccharified, generally
by combining the material and a cellulase enzyme in a fluid medium,
e.g., an aqueous solution. In some cases, the material is boiled,
steeped, or cooked in hot water prior to saccharification, as
described in U.S. Pat. App. Pub. 2012/0100577 A1 by Medoff and
Masterman, published on Apr. 26, 2012, the entire contents of which
are incorporated herein.
[0182] The saccharification process can be partially or completely
performed in a tank (e.g., a tank having a volume of at least
4,000, 40,000, or 500,000 L) in a manufacturing plant, and/or can
be partially or completely performed in transit, e.g., in a rail
car, tanker truck, or in a supertanker or the hold of a ship. The
time required for complete saccharification will depend on the
process conditions and the biomass material and enzyme used. If
saccharification is performed in a manufacturing plant under
controlled conditions, the cellulose may be substantially entirely
converted to sugar, e.g., glucose in about 12-96 hours. If
saccharification is performed partially or completely in transit,
saccharification may take longer.
[0183] It is generally preferred that the tank contents be mixed
during saccharification, e.g., using jet mixing as described in
International App. No. PCT/US2010/035331, filed May 18, 2010, which
was published in English as WO 2010/135380 and designated the
United States, the full disclosure of which is incorporated by
reference herein.
[0184] The addition of surfactants can enhance the rate of
saccharification. Examples of surfactants include non-ionic
surfactants, such as a Tween.RTM. 20 or Tween.RTM. 80 polyethylene
glycol surfactants, ionic surfactants, or amphoteric
surfactants.
[0185] It is generally preferred that the concentration of the
sugar solution resulting from saccharification be relatively high,
e.g., greater than 40%, or greater than 50, 60, 70, 80, 90 or even
greater than 95% by weight. Water may be removed, e.g., by
evaporation, to increase the concentration of the sugar solution.
This reduces the volume to be shipped, and also inhibits microbial
growth in the solution.
[0186] Alternatively, sugar solutions of lower concentrations may
be used, in which case it may be desirable to add an antimicrobial
additive, e.g., a broad spectrum antibiotic, in a low
concentration, e.g., 50 to 150 ppm. Other suitable antibiotics
include amphotericin B, ampicillin, chloramphenicol, ciprofloxacin,
gentamicin, hygromycin B, kanamycin, neomycin, penicillin,
puromycin, streptomycin. Antibiotics will inhibit growth of
microorganisms during transport and storage, and can be used at
appropriate concentrations, e.g., between 15 and 1000 ppm by
weight, e.g., between 25 and 500 ppm, or between 50 and 150 ppm. If
desired, an antibiotic can be included even if the sugar
concentration is relatively high. Alternatively, other additives
with anti-microbial of preservative properties may be used.
Preferably the antimicrobial additive(s) are food-grade.
[0187] A relatively high concentration solution can be obtained by
limiting the amount of water added to the biomass material with the
enzyme. The concentration can be controlled, e.g., by controlling
how much saccharification takes place. For example, concentration
can be increased by adding more biomass material to the solution.
In order to keep the sugar that is being produced in solution, a
surfactant can be added, e.g., one of those discussed above.
Solubility can also be increased by increasing the temperature of
the solution. For example, the solution can be maintained at a
temperature of 40-50.degree. C., 60-80.degree. C., or even
higher.
VIII. Saccharifying Agents
[0188] Suitable cellulolytic enzymes include cellulases from
species in the genera Bacillus, Coprinus, Myceliophthora,
Cephalosporium, Scytalidium, Penicillium, Aspergillus, Pseudomonas,
Humicola, Fusarium, Thielavia, Acremonium, Chrysosporium and
Trichoderma, especially those produced by a strain selected from
the species Aspergillus (see, e.g., EP Pub. No. 0 458 162),
Humicola insolens (reclassified as Scytalidium thermophilum, see,
e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 4,435,307), Coprinus cinereus, Fusarium
oxysporum, Myceliophthora thermophila, Meripilus giganteus,
Thielavia terrestris, Acremonium sp. (including, but not limited
to, A. persicinum, A. acremonium, A. brachypenium, A.
dichromosporum, A. obclavatum, A. pinkertoniae, A. roseogriseum, A.
incoloratum, and A. furatum). Preferred strains include Humicola
insolens DSM 1800, Fusarium oxysporum DSM 2672, Myceliophthora
thermophila CBS 117.65, Cephalosporium sp. RYM-202, Acremonium sp.
CBS 478.94, Acremonium sp. CBS 265.95, Acremonium persicinum CBS
169.65, Acremonium acremonium AHU 9519, Cephalosporium sp. CBS
535.71, Acremonium brachypenium CBS 866.73, Acremonium
dichromosporum CBS 683.73, Acremonium obclavatum CBS 311.74,
Acremonium pinkertoniae CBS 157.70, Acremonium roseogriseum CBS
134.56, Acremonium incoloratum CBS 146.62, and Acremonium furatum
CBS 299.70H. Cellulolytic enzymes may also be obtained from
Chrysosporium, preferably a strain of Chrysosporium lucknowense.
Additional strains that can be used include, but are not limited
to, Trichoderma (particularly T. viride, T. reesei, and T.
koningii), alkalophilic Bacillus (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No.
3,844,890 and EP Pub. No. 0 458 162), and Streptomyces (see, e.g.,
EP Pub. No. 0 458 162).
[0189] Many microorganisms that can be used to saccharify biomass
material and produce sugars can also be used to ferment and convert
those sugars to useful products.
IX. Sugars
[0190] In the processes described herein, for example after
saccharification, sugars (e.g., glucose and xylose) can be
isolated. For example sugars can be isolated by precipitation,
crystallization, chromatography (e.g., simulated moving bed
chromatography, high pressure chromatography), centrifugation,
extraction, any other isolation method known in the art, and
combinations thereof.
X. Hydrogenation and Other Chemical Transformations
[0191] The processes described herein can include hydrogenation.
For example glucose and xylose can be hydrogenated to sorbitol and
xylitol respectively. Hydrogenation can be accomplished by use of a
catalyst (e.g., Pt/gamma-Al.sub.2O.sub.3, Ru/C, Raney Nickel, or
other catalysts known in the art) in combination with H.sub.2 under
high pressure (e.g., 10 to 12000 psi). Other types of chemical
transformation of the products from the processes described herein
can be used, for example production of organic sugar derived
products such (e.g., furfural and furfural-derived products).
Chemical transformations of sugar derived products are described in
U.S. application Ser. No. 13/934,704 filed Jul. 3, 2013, the
disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its
entirety.
XI. Fermentation
[0192] Yeast and Zymomonas bacteria, for example, can be used for
fermentation or conversion of sugar(s) to alcohol(s). Other
microorganisms are discussed below. The optimum pH for
fermentations is about pH 4 to 7. For example, the optimum pH for
yeast is from about pH 4 to 5, while the optimum pH for Zymomonas
is from about pH 5 to 6. Typical fermentation times are about 24 to
168 hours (e.g., 24 to 96 hrs) with temperatures in the range of
20.degree. C. to 40.degree. C. (e.g., 26.degree. C. to 40.degree.
C.), however thermophilic microorganisms prefer higher
temperatures.
[0193] In some embodiments, e.g., when anaerobic organisms are
used, at least a portion of the fermentation is conducted in the
absence of oxygen, e.g., under a blanket of an inert gas such as
N.sub.2, Ar, He, CO.sub.2 or mixtures thereof. Additionally, the
mixture may have a constant purge of an inert gas flowing through
the tank during part of or all of the fermentation. In some cases,
anaerobic condition, can be achieved or maintained by carbon
dioxide production during the fermentation and no additional inert
gas is needed.
[0194] In some embodiments, all or a portion of the fermentation
process can be interrupted before the low molecular weight sugar is
completely converted to a product (e.g., ethanol). The intermediate
fermentation products include sugar and carbohydrates in high
concentrations. The sugars and carbohydrates can be isolated via
any means known in the art. These intermediate fermentation
products can be used in preparation of food for human or animal
consumption. Additionally or alternatively, the intermediate
fermentation products can be ground to a fine particle size in a
stainless-steel laboratory mill to produce a flour-like
substance.
[0195] Jet mixing may be used during fermentation, and in some
cases saccharification and fermentation are performed in the same
tank.
[0196] Nutrients for the microorganisms may be added during
saccharification and/or fermentation, for example the food-based
nutrient packages described in U.S. Pat. App. Pub. 2012/0052536,
filed Jul. 15, 2011, the complete disclosure of which is
incorporated herein by reference.
[0197] "Fermentation" includes the methods and products that are
disclosed International App. No. PCT/US2012/071083 (which was filed
Dec. 20, 2012, was published in English as WO 2013/096693), the
contents of both of which are incorporated by reference herein in
their entirety.
[0198] Mobile fermenters can be utilized, as described in
International App. No. PCT/US2007/074028 (which was filed Jul. 20,
2007, was published in English as WO 2008/011598 and designated the
United States), the contents of which is incorporated herein in its
entirety. Similarly, the saccharification equipment can be mobile.
Further, saccharification and/or fermentation may be performed in
part or entirely during transit.
XII. Fermentation Agents
[0199] The microorganism(s) used in fermentation can be
naturally-occurring microorganisms and/or engineered
microorganisms. For example, the microorganism can be a bacterium
(including, but not limited to, e.g., a cellulolytic bacterium), a
fungus, (including, but not limited to, e.g., a yeast), a plant, a
protist, e.g., a protozoa or a fungus-like protest (including, but
not limited to, e.g., a slime mold), or an alga. When the organisms
are compatible, mixtures of organisms can be utilized.
[0200] Suitable fermenting microorganisms have the ability to
convert carbohydrates, such as glucose, fructose, xylose,
arabinose, mannose, galactose, oligosaccharides or polysaccharides
into fermentation products. Fermenting microorganisms include
strains of the genus Saccharomyces spp. (including, but not limited
to, S. cerevisiae (baker's yeast), S. distaticus, S. uvarum), the
genus Kluyveromyces, (including, but not limited to, K. marxianus,
K. fragilis), the genus Candida (including, but not limited to, C.
pseudotropicalis, and C. brassicae), Pichia stipitis (a relative of
Candida shehatae), the genus Clavispora (including, but not limited
to, C. lusitaniae and C. opuntiae), the genus Pachysolen
(including, but not limited to, P. tannophilus), the genus
Bretannomyces (including, but not limited to, e.g., B. clausenii
(Philippidis, G. P., 1996, Cellulose bioconversion technology, in
Handbook on Bioethanol: Production and Utilization, Wyman, C. E.,
ed., Taylor & Francis, Washington, D.C., 179-212)). Other
suitable microorganisms include, for example, Zymomonas mobilis,
Clostridium spp. (including, but not limited to, C. thermocellum
(Philippidis, 1996, supra), C.saccharobutylacetonicum, C.
saccharobutylicum, C. Puniceum, C. beijernckii, and C.
acetobutylicum), Moniliella pollinis, Moniliella megachiliensis,
Lactobacillus spp. Yarrowia lipolytica, Aureobasidium sp.,
Trichosporonoides sp., Trigonopsis variabilis, Trichosporon sp.,
Moniliellaacetoabutans sp., Typhula variabilis, Candida magnoliae,
Ustilaginomycetes sp.,Pseudozyma tsukubaensis,yeast species of
genera Zygosaccharomyces, Debaryomyces, Hansenula and Pichia,and
fungi of the dematioid genus Torula.
[0201] For instance, Clostridium spp. can be used to produce
ethanol, butanol, butyric acid, acetic acid, and acetone.
Lactobacillus spp., can be used to produce lactice acid.
[0202] Many such microbial strains are publicly available, either
commercially or through depositories such as the ATCC (American
Type Culture Collection, Manassas, Va., USA), the NRRL
(Agricultural Research Sevice Culture Collection, Peoria, Ill.,
USA), or the DSMZ (Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen and
Zellkulturen GmbH, Braunschweig, Germany), to name a few.
[0203] Commercially available yeasts include, for example, Red
Star.RTM./Lesaffre Ethanol Red (available from Red Star/Lesaffre,
USA), FALI.RTM. (available from Fleischmann's Yeast, a division of
Burns Philip Food Inc., USA), SUPERSTART.RTM. (available from
Alltech, now Lalemand), GERT STRAND.RTM. (available from Gert
Strand AB, Sweden) and FERMOL.RTM. (available from DSM
Specialties).
[0204] Many microorganisms that can be used to saccharify biomass
material and produce sugars can also be used to ferment and convert
those sugars to useful products.
XIII. Distillation
[0205] After fermentation, the resulting fluids can be distilled
using, for example, a "beer column" to separate ethanol and other
alcohols from the majority of water and residual solids. The vapor
exiting the beer column can be, e.g., 35% by weight ethanol and can
be fed to a rectification column. A mixture of nearly azeotropic
(92.5%) ethanol and water from the rectification column can be
purified to pure (99.5%) ethanol using vapor-phase molecular
sieves. The beer column bottoms can be sent to the first effect of
a three-effect evaporator. The rectification column reflux
condenser can provide heat for this first effect. After the first
effect, solids can be separated using a centrifuge and dried in a
rotary dryer. A portion (25%) of the centrifuge effluent can be
recycled to fermentation and the rest sent to the second and third
evaporator effects. Most of the evaporator condensate can be
returned to the process as fairly clean condensate with a small
portion split off to waste water treatment to prevent build-up of
low-boiling compounds.
EXAMPLES
Example 1
Effect of Exogenous Fructose on Saccharification
[0206] This example tests whether or not exogenous fructose
inhibits saccharification enzymes.
[0207] Three 225 mL Erlenmeyer flasks were prepared, each with 10 g
of treated corn cob biomass (mesh size between 15 and 40, and
irradiated to 35 Mrad with an electron beam) 100 mL of water and
2.5 mL of Duet Accelerase.TM. (Danisco). To the first, second, and
third flask were added, respectively: 0 g, 5 g and 10 g of
fructose. The flasks were covered with aluminum foil and set in an
incubator shaker at 50.degree. C. and 200 rpm for four days. The
amount of xylose and glucose was monitored by HPLC. The results of
the saccharification are shown in the table below.
TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Saccharification under varying levels of
exogenous fructose. Glucose Sample yield (g/L) Xylose yield (g/L) %
Glucose 0 g added fructose 17.9 13.8 100.0 5 g added fructose 16.7
12.3 93.5 10 g added fructose 18.1 12.6 101.3
[0208] Unlike glucose (a known inhibitor of cellobiase), 5% or 10%
added fructose does not inhibit the saccharification of
corncob.
Example 2
Effect of Xylose Isomerase on Saccharification
[0209] Glucose is a known inhibitor of cellobiase. This example
tests if the conversion of glucose to the isomer fructose by xylose
isomerase can increase saccharification.
[0210] Four 225 mL Erlenmeyer flasks were prepared, each with 10 g
of treated corn cob biomass and 100 mL of water. The biomass was
treated as described in Example 1. To the first, second, and third
flask was added 2.5 mL of Duet Accelerase.TM. (Danisco). To the
second, third, and fourth flasks were added, respectively: 1 g, 0.1
g and 0.1 g of glucose isomerase (Sweetzyme.TM., Aldrich). The
flasks were covered with aluminum foil and set in an incubator
shaker at 50.degree. C. and 200 rpm for four days. The amount of
xylose and glucose was monitored by HPLC. The results of the
saccharification are shown in the table below.
TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Effectiveness of cellulase with added xylose
isomerase. Glucose Xylose % Sample yield (g/L) yield (g/L) Glucose
% Xylose 2.5 mL Duet 22.6 16.9 100.1 100.0 2.5 mL Duet + 1 g GI
28.3 20.6 125.2 122.3 2.5 mL Duet + 0.1 g GI 24.6 18.5 109.0 109.4
0.1 g GI 1.6 Not detected 6.9 Not detected
[0211] The addition of glucose isomerase was observed to increase
the effectiveness of the cellulase enzyme, with flask 2 producing
about 25% more sugars than flask 1.
Example 3
Use of a Strong Acid to Cleave Cellobiose
[0212] This example tests the use of a strong acid to cleave
cellobiose to glucose, to increase saccharification yield. The
strong acid used was Amberlyst-15.TM., a polystyrene sulfonic acid.
This is a strongly acidic sulfonic acid macroreticular polymeric
resin that is based on crosslinked styrene divinylbenzene
copolymers. Published studies indicate that Amberlyst-15 can cleave
the dimer cellobiose to glucose.
[0213] Three 225 mL Erlenmeyer flasks were prepared, each with 10 g
of treated corn cob biomass, 100 mL of water and 2.5 mL Duet
Accelerase.TM.. The biomass was treated as described in Example 1.
In the second flask 1 g of glucose isomerase (Sweetzyme.TM.,
Aldrich) was added; and in the third 1 g of glucose isomerase and
0.1 g of polystyrene sulfonic acid (Amberlyst-15.TM., DOW) was
added.
[0214] The flasks were covered with aluminum foil and set in an
incubator shaker at 50.degree. C. and 200 rpm for four days. The
amount of xylose and glucose was monitored by HPLC. The results of
the saccharification are shown in the table below.
TABLE-US-00003 TABLE 3 Effect of an Acid on Saccharification.
Glucose % Amerlyst-15 yield Xylose yield % % improved Sample (g/L)
(g/L) Glucose Xylose with GI Duet alone 21.1 16.1 100 100 NA Duet +
GI 26.5 19.2 125 119 NA Duet + GI + 27.9 20.5 131 127 14
Amberlyst
[0215] The results show an improvement in the saccharification with
the addition of glucose isomerase. The experiment also shows an
improvement in the saccharification with the addition of
polystyrene sulfonic acid.
Example 4
Removal of Cellobiase
[0216] This example examines saccharification where cellobiase has
been removed, while the endo- and exo-cellulases have been
retained.
[0217] Chromatofocusing was used to separate the enzymes. Duet
Accelerase.TM. (Danisco) was injected onto a Mono P column using an
AKTA system. The endo-and exo-cellulases bound to the column, while
the cellobiase passed through and was removed. The exo- and
endo-cellulases were then eluted from the column by shifting the pH
to 4.0. The resulting fractions were combined and immediately
applied to a saccharification reaction.
TABLE-US-00004 TABLE 4 Accumulation of Cellobiose and Sugars in the
Absence of Cellobiase. Sample Cellobiose Glucose Xylose Xylitol
Lactose AKTA 1.057 4.361 5.826 0.556 purified Duet Duet 0.398
16.999 14.830 0.726 Corncob (no 0.673 0.550 enzymes) Spun/Filtered
17.695 15.053 0.770 1.052 Duet
[0218] The expected result was that without cellobiase, there would
be an accumulation of cellobiose. Although the yield was low, the
table below shows that a detectable amount of cellobiose was indeed
generated.
[0219] Other than in the examples herein, or unless otherwise
expressly specified, all of the numerical ranges, amounts, values
and percentages, such as those for amounts of materials, elemental
contents, times and temperatures of reaction, ratios of amounts,
and others, in the following portion of the specification and
attached claims may be read as if prefaced by the word "about" even
though the term "about" may not expressly appear with the value,
amount, or range. Accordingly, unless indicated to the contrary,
the numerical parameters set forth in the following specification
and attached claims are approximations that may vary depending upon
the desired properties sought to be obtained by the present
invention. At the very least, and not as an attempt to limit the
application of the doctrine of equivalents to the scope of the
claims, each numerical parameter should at least be construed in
light of the number of reported significant digits and by applying
ordinary rounding techniques.
[0220] Notwithstanding that the numerical ranges and parameters
setting forth the broad scope of the invention are approximations,
the numerical values set forth in the specific examples are
reported as precisely as possible. Any numerical value, however,
inherently contains error necessarily resulting from the standard
deviation found in its underlying respective testing measurements.
Furthermore, when numerical ranges are set forth herein, these
ranges are inclusive of the recited range end points (i.e., end
points may be used). When percentages by weight are used herein,
the numerical values reported are relative to the total weight.
[0221] Also, it should be understood that any numerical range
recited herein is intended to include all sub-ranges subsumed
therein. For example, a range of "1 to 10" is intended to include
all sub-ranges between (and including) the recited minimum value of
1 and the recited maximum value of 10, that is, having a minimum
value equal to or greater than 1 and a maximum value of equal to or
less than 10. The terms "one," "a," or "an" as used herein are
intended to include "at least one" or "one or more," unless
otherwise indicated.
[0222] Any patent, publication, or other disclosure material, in
whole or in part, that is said to be incorporated by reference
herein is incorporated herein only to the extent that the
incorporated material does not conflict with existing definitions,
statements, or other disclosure material set forth in this
disclosure. As such, and to the extent necessary, the disclosure as
explicitly set forth herein supersedes any conflicting material
incorporated herein by reference. Any material, or portion thereof,
that is said to be incorporated by reference herein, but which
conflicts with existing definitions, statements, or other
disclosure material set forth herein will only be incorporated to
the extent that no conflict arises between that incorporated
material and the existing disclosure material.
[0223] While this invention has been particularly shown and
described with references to preferred embodiments thereof, it will
be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in
form and details may be made therein without departing from the
scope of the invention encompassed by the appended claims.
* * * * *