Abstract:
A screw extruder for industrially mass-producing a cellulose-containing composition having a high saccharification performance by continuously conducting pretreatment of cellulose-containing biomass to pretreatment, which screw extruder is characterized as including a raw-material feed portion, a pulverization section, a heating section and a cooling section, and having a plurality of seal rings arranged in the heating section.
Abstract:
A treatment method for biomass, which is a pretreatment method including continuously performing hydrothermal treatment using a screw extruder to produce a biomass composition for saccharification from cellulose-containing biomass and containing only a small quantity of furfural, the treatment method sequentially including: pulverizing the cellulose-containing biomass so as to have a maximum grain size of 1,000 μm or less and adjusting a water content ratio thereof to from 30% to 80%; performing hydrothermal treatment in which an element including a seal ring and at least one set of a kneading disc and/or a left-hand screw is arranged immediately upstream of the seal ring, at a temperature of (1) from 150° C. to 200° C. or (2) from 200° C. to 215° C. for 0.1 minute to 15 minutes while performing kneading pulverization having a grinding effect; and cooling a treated product to 100° C. or less to recover the treated product.
Abstract:
A low-cost process is provided to render lignocellulosic biomass accessible to cellulase enzymes, to produce fermentable sugars. Some variations provide a process to produce ethanol from lignocellulosic biomass (such as sugarcane bagasse or corn stover), comprising introducing a lignocellulosic biomass feedstock to a single-stage digestor; exposing the feedstock to a reaction solution comprising steam or liquid hot water within the digestor, to solubilize the hemicellulose in a liquid phase and to provide a cellulose-rich solid phase; refining the cellulose-rich solid phase, together with the liquid phase, in a mechanical refiner, thereby providing a mixture of refined cellulose-rich solids and the liquid phase; enzymatically hydrolyzing the mixture in a hydrolysis reactor with cellulase enzymes, to generate fermentable sugars; and fermenting the fermentable sugars to produce ethanol. Many alternative process configurations are described. The disclosed processes may be employed for other fermentation products.
Abstract:
The present invention relates to methods of degrading or converting biomass material enriched with hemicellulosic material into fermentable sugars.
Abstract:
The present disclosure relates to mutant thermostable glycosyl hydrolases family 7 enzymes, including mutant Trichoderma reesei endoglucanase I. In particular, the present disclosure relates to mutant thermostable enzymes, compositions containing the enzymes, and methods of use thereof.
Abstract:
Biomass feedstocks (e.g., plant biomass, animal biomass, and municipal waste biomass) are processed to produce useful products, such as fuels. For example, systems are described that can convert feedstock materials to a sugar solution, which can then be fermented to produce a product such as a biofuel.
Abstract:
A method of producing a sugar liquid includes steps (1) providing a pretreatment product of a first cellulose-containing biomass; (2) adding a second cellulose-containing biomass or a pretreatment product thereof in an amount ranging from 1 to 50% based on the solid content weight of the first cellulose-containing biomass pretreatment product of step (1), and carrying out hydrolysis by a filamentous fungus-derived cellulase; and (3) subjecting a hydrolysate of step (2) to solid-liquid separation to obtain a solution component and a hydrolysis residue, and filtering the solution component through an ultrafiltration membrane to recover the filamentous fungus-derived cellulase as a retentate and recover a sugar liquid as a permeate.
Abstract:
The present invention relates to isolated polypeptides having cellulolytic enhancing activity and isolated polynucleotides encoding the polypeptides. The invention also relates to nucleic acid constructs, vectors, and host cells comprising the polynucleotides as well as methods of producing and using the polypeptides.
Abstract:
Methods of processing lignocellulosic biomass to fermentable sugars are provided which rely on hydrothermal pretreatment. Soft lignocellulosic biomass feedstock is pretreated in a single-stage pressurized hydrothermal pretreatment to very low severity. The pre-treated biomass is hydrolysed, typically as a whole slurry, using enzymatic hydrolysis catalysed by an enzyme mixture comprising endoglucanase, exoglucanase, β-glucosidase, endoxylanase, and β-xylosidase activities at activity levels in nkat/g glucan of endoglucanase of at least 1100, exoglucanase of at least 280, β-glucosidase of at least 3000, endoxylanase of at least 1400, and β-xylosidase of at least 75, so as to produce a hydrolysate in which the yield of C5 monomers is at least 55% of the original xylose and arabinose content of the feedstock prior to pretreatment.
Abstract:
The present invention provides an apparatus and a method for conversion of cellulosic material, such as chopped straw and corn stover, and household waste, to ethanol and other products. The cellulosic material is subjected to continuous hydrothermal pre-treatment without addition of chemicals, and a liquid and a fibre fraction are produced. The fibre fraction is subjected to enzymatic liquefaction and saccharification. The method of the present invention comprises: performing the hydrothermal pre-treatment by subjecting the cellulosic material to at least one soaking operation, and conveying the cellulosic material through at least one pressurised reactor, and subjecting the cellulosic material to at least one pressing operation, creating a fibre fraction and a liquid fraction; selecting the temperature and residence time for the hydrothermal pretreatment, so that the fibrous structure of the feedstock is maintained and at least 80% of the lignin is maintained in the fibre fraction.