System and process for obtaining products from biomass
Inventors
Ross, Michael Kyle • Granda, Cesar B.
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-10662447-B2
Publication Date
2020-05-26
Expiration Date
Abstract
A process for producing products from biomass comprising fermenting biomass to produce a first product stream comprising carboxylic acid salts; acidifying at least one of the first product stream and a second product stream to produce a third product stream comprising acids; extracting such acids from the third product stream with a solvent; separating the extracting solvent from the acids to produce the separated extracting solvent and a fourth product stream comprising acids; and processing the fourth product stream to produce a fifth product stream.
Core Innovation
The invention relates to integrated biomass-to-products processes in which buffered mixed-acid/volatile fatty acid (VFA) fermentation produces carboxylic acid salts. The process acidifies at least one product stream to form an aqueous product stream containing short- and medium-chain fatty acids. Acidification can be performed using electrochemical acidification units, including electrodialysis with bipolar membranes (EDBM), ion-exchange regeneration with high-pressure CO2, or direct high-pressure CO2 acidification.
After acidifying, the short- and medium-chain fatty acids are separated from the aqueous product stream by liquid-liquid extraction under high pressure carbon dioxide. The extraction adds an organic solvent which contains medium-chain fatty acids to form a product stream comprising short- and/or medium-chain fatty acids. The process further includes separating and/or fractionating acids, with optional conversion steps described for converting acids to ketones or ethyl acetate.
Recycling streams are emphasized, including recycling of base/hydroxide, carbonate/bicarbonate buffers, aqueous phases, and extracting solvent/acid streams. The document includes examples of CO2-assisted extraction of VFAs from sodium VFA salts using an octanoic acid extractant at different pressures, demonstrating extraction behavior for different operating conditions.
Claims Coverage
The partial content includes two independent process claims. Across them, there are three main inventive aspects: producing fatty acid salts from biomass by fermentation, converting the salts to fatty acids by acidifying an aqueous stream, and separating the fatty acids by liquid-liquid extraction under high-pressure carbon dioxide using an organic solvent that contains medium-chain fatty acids.
Biomass fermentation to produce first stream of fatty acid salts
Fermenting biomass to produce a first product stream comprising short- and medium-chain fatty acid salts or fermenting biomass to produce a first stream comprising medium chain fatty acid salts.
Acidifying salt streams to produce aqueous fatty acid stream
Acidifying at least one of the first product stream, a second product stream derived from intermediate processing of the first product stream, and combinations thereof to produce a third aqueous product stream containing the short- and medium-chain fatty acids; or acidifying the medium-chain fatty acid salts from the first stream to form an aqueous acidified stream containing medium chain fatty acids.
CO2 high-pressure liquid-liquid extraction using organic solvent containing medium-chain fatty acids
Separating the short- and medium-chain fatty acids from the third aqueous product stream by liquid-liquid extraction under high pressure carbon dioxide by adding an organic solvent which contains medium-chain fatty acids to form a product stream which comprises short- and medium-chain fatty acids; or subjecting the acidified stream to liquid-liquid extraction under high pressure carbon dioxide by adding an organic solvent which contains medium chain fatty acids to form a product stream which comprises medium chain fatty acids.
Both independent claims cover a process sequence of fermentation of biomass to form fatty acid salts, acidification to generate an aqueous stream containing the fatty acids, and liquid-liquid extraction under high-pressure carbon dioxide using an organic solvent that contains medium-chain fatty acids.
Stated Advantages
Not explicitly described in patent.
Documented Applications
Not explicitly described in patent.
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