Class / Patent application number | Description | Number of patent applications / Date published |
162021000 | Defibration by projection or explosion | 9 |
20100032110 | Device and Method of Using Explosive Forces in a Contained Environment - A method is provided for subjecting a material which is partially in a solid state and partially in a liquid state to explosive forces. The method includes containing the material in a vessel having a length in a first direction and a width in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, the length being greater than the width; subjecting the material to the explosive forces in the vessel, the explosive forces being caused by introducing energy to the material by discharging a capacitor through a capacitor discharge electrode located within the material; and removing the material from the vessel after being subjected to the explosive forces. | 02-11-2010 |
20100263814 | PRETREATMENT OF LIGNOCELLULOSIC BIOMASS THROUGH REMOVAL OF INHIBITORY COMPOUNDS - A process for the pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass is disclosed. The process is intended for use in connection with biomass to ethanol processes and is directed in particular to an economical removal of inhibitory compounds generated in biomass pretreatment, which are inhibitory to downstream hydrolysis and fermentation steps. The process includes the steps of heating the lignocellulosic biomass with steam to a preselected temperature, at a preselected pressure and for a preselected time to hydrolyze and solubilize hemicelluloses in the biomass; explosively decomposing the biomass into fibers; and extracting from the resulting reaction mixture a liquefied portion of the lignocellulosic biomass before or after explosive decomposition. The liquefied portion is extracted to remove compounds from the lignocellulosic biomass which are inhibitory to enzymatic cellulose hydrolysis and sugar fermentation to ethanol. For improved efficiency and economy, the inhibitory compounds are not completely removed. Furthermore, xylose has been found to be a good indicator compound for the general level of inhibitory compounds in the reaction mixture and the extraction step is therefore controlled on the basis of the xylose content in the reaction mixture. In particular, the extracting step is discontinued once a dry matter (dm) content of xylose, as monomer or oligomer, in the reaction mixture of 4% to 8% (w/w dm) is achieved. This most economically balances the practical need for inhibitory compound removal with the economical need to control and preferably minimize the costs of the overall ethanol production process. | 10-21-2010 |
20100269990 | SEPARATION OF REACTIVE CELLULOSE FROM LIGNOCELLULOSIC BIOMASS WITH HIGH LIGNIN CONTENT - A process for separating the components of lignocellulosic biomass for the purpose of producing a pure reactive cellulose is disclosed. The process has two stages. In the first stage, the lignocellulosic biomass is pretreated with steam, with or without an acid catalyst, and then pressed, with or without the presence of an eluent, to remove hemicellulose and other impurities. In the second stage, the pretreated biomass is extracted with a solvent such as ethanol with or without acid catalysts in order to remove lignin and release a purified cellulose stream. The extracted cellulose is then rapidly decompressed to rupture the fibrous structure. The process provides a purified cellulose stream that is relatively easy to hydrolyze with enzymes and ferment to biofuels and other chemicals such as ethanol. | 10-28-2010 |
20110000631 | PROCESSING OF LIGNOCELLULOSIC AND RELATED MATERIALS - A method for processing lignocellulosic precursors that includes the following steps:
| 01-06-2011 |
20120118517 | SOLID/FLUID SEPARATION DEVICE AND METHOD FOR TREATING BIOMASS INCLUDING SOLID/FLUID SEPARATION - A solid/fluid separation module and pretreatment apparatus and method enables pretreatment of biomass at high temperature and pressure with the ability to vary residence and processing times. | 05-17-2012 |
20120125549 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MIXING A LIGNOCELLULOSIC MATERIAL WITH ENZYMES - A method to treat a lignocellulosic material including: performing a steam explosion reaction on the lignocellulosic material and discharging a slurry from the; adding an alkali material to the slurry in a first conveyor; transferring the slurry with the alkali material from the first conveyor to a second conveyor; adding an enzyme solution to the slurry while in, entering or at the discharge of the second conveyor; transferring the slurry with the enzyme solution from the second conveyor slurry to a mixer; mixing the slurry in the mixer, wherein a second portion of the enzyme solution is added to the slurry during the mixing, and transferring the slurry with the enzyme solution from the mixer to a first reactor vessel wherein the slurry in the first reactor vessel undergoing enzymatic hydrolysis such that the viscosity of the slurry is reduced in the first reactor vessel. | 05-24-2012 |
20130206345 | METHOD AND DEVICE FOR THE HYDROLYSIS OF PREFERABLY SOLID ORGANIC SUBSTRATES - The invention relates to a device for the hydrolysis of preferably solid organic substrates, in particular of energy crops and plant residues, with a collection vessel ( | 08-15-2013 |
20140110069 | PIPING SYSTEM FROM REACTOR TO SEPARATOR AND METHOD TO CONTROL PROCESS FLOW - An apparatus, for the steam explosion treatment of biomass, having a pressurized reactor vessel to receive a biomass material and steam, discharge lines connecting the pressurized reactor vessel to the separation device, the lines sized and positioned to allow for the steam explosion of biomass material. At the outlet end of the discharge lines is a collection-expansion manifold to connect the outlet end of each of the discharge lines to a collection line, wherein the collection line provides a passage for biomass material and steam flowing from the discharge lines. The collection line passage has a substantially larger cross-sectional area than the cross-sectional area of a single discharge line. The collection line is coupled to a separation device such that the separation device receives the biomass material and steam from the collection line. | 04-24-2014 |
20180023249 | PRETREATMENT PROCESS OF A LIGNO-CELLULOSIC FEEDSTOCK | 01-25-2018 |