Process for pretreating a lignocellulosic material

{
  "publication_number": "US2014120596A1",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "A1",
  "title": "Process for pretreating a lignocellulosic material",
  "abstract": "A process for pretreating a lignocellulosic material is provided. The process comprises mixing the lignocellulosic material and an alkaline aqueous solution, in a solid to liquid weight ratio of equal to or more than 25:75 to equal to or less than 60:40, in a mixer to produce an aqueous slurry and heat-treating the aqueous slurry at a temperature in the range from equal to or more than 50° C. to equal to or less than 200° C. to produce a heat-treated aqueous slurry comprising a pretreated lignocellulosic material. The lignocellulosic material has a lignin content in the range from equal to or more than 10 wt % to equal to or less than 50 wt %, based on the total weight of the lignocellulosic material. The alkaline aqueous solution has a pH of equal to or more than 9.0.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A process for pretreating a lignocellulosic material comprising: mixing a lignocellulosic material and an alkaline aqueous solution in a solid to liquid weight ratio of equal to or more than 25:75 to equal to or less than 60:40 in a mixer to produce an aqueous slurry, wherein the lignocellulosic material has a lignin content in the range from equal to or more than 10 wt % to equal to or less than 50 wt %, based on the total weight of the lignocellulosic material, and the alkaline aqueous solution has a pH of equal to or more than 9.0; and heat-treating the aqueous slurry at a temperature in the range from equal to or more than 50° C. to equal to or less than 200° C. to produce a heat-treated aqueous slurry comprising a pretreated lignocellulosic material. 2. The process of claim 1, wherein the lignocellulosic material contains in the range from equal to or more than 15 wt % lignin to equal to or less than 40 wt % lignin, based on the total weight of the lignocellulosic material. 3. The process of claim 1, wherein the alkaline aqueous solution is an alkaline aqueous solution comprising sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, sodium carbonate, potassium carbonate or any combination thereof. 4. The process of claim 1, wherein the alkaline aqueous solution comprises sodium hydroxide in the range from 0.04 gram/liter to 500 gram/liter. 5. The process of claim 1, wherein the lignocellulosic material and the alkaline aqueous solution are mixed in a solid to liquid weight ratio of equal to or more than 30:70 to equal to or less than 55:45. 6. The process of claim 1, wherein the mixing comprises applying a shear force. 7. The process of claim 6, wherein an amount of shear energy applied is in a range of equal to or more than 1% to equal to or less than 25% of the gross energy contained in the lignocellulosic material. 8. The process of claim 6, wherein an amount of shear energy applied is in a range from equal to or more than 100 Joule to equal to or less than 20,000 Joule per gram of lignocellulosic material. 9. The process of claim 1, wherein the mixer is a twin screw extruder. 10. The process of claim 1, wherein residence time of the lignocellulosic material in the mixer ranges from equal to or more than 10 seconds to equal to or less than 10 hours. 11. The process of claim 1, wherein the mixing and the heat-treating are carried out in sequence. 12. The process of claim 1, wherein it mixing and the heat-treating are carried out simultaneously. 13. The process of claim 1, which process comprises mixing the lignocellulosic material and an alkaline aqueous solution, which alkaline aqueous solution has a pH of equal to or more than 9.0, at a temperature in the range from equal to or more than 50° C. to equal to or less than 200° C., in a solid to liquid weight ratio of equal to or more than 25:75 to equal to or less than 60:40, in a mixer to produce a heat-treated aqueous slurry comprising a pretreated lignocellulosic material 14. The process of claim 1 further comprises: transporting the aqueous slurry from the mixer into a reaction vessel; and heat-treating the aqueous slurry in the reaction vessel at a temperature in the range from equal to or more than 50° C. to equal to or less than 200° C. to produce a heat-treated aqueous slurry comprising a pretreated lignocellulosic material. 15. The process of claim 13, wherein the residence time in the mixer is equal to or lower than the residence time in the reaction vessel. 16. A process for the production of an alkanol comprising pretreating a lignocellulosic material having a lignin content in the range from equal to or more than 10 wt % to equal to or less than 50 wt %, based on the total weight of the lignocellulosic material by mixing the lignocellulosic material and an alkaline aqueous solution in a mixer to produce an aqueous slurry; wherein the alkaline aqueous solution has a pH of equal to or more than 9.0, in a solid to liquid weight ratio of equal to or more than 25:75 to equal to or less than 60:40; heat-treating the aqueous slurry at a temperature in the range from equal to or more than 50° C. to equal to or less than 200° C. to produce a heat-treated aqueous slurry containing pretreated lignocellulosic material; and converting the pretreated lignocellulosic material into an alkanol. 17. The process of claim 16 further comprising neutralizing the pretreated lignocellulosic material before the converting step to a pH in a range of equal to or more than 4.0 to equal to or less than 7.0. 18. The process of claim 17 wherein the neutralizing comprises washing the pretreated lignocellulosic material with water. 19. The process of claim 16 wherein the converting step comprises: hydrolyzing at least a portion of the pretreated lignocellulosic material to produce a hydrolysis product; and fermenting at least a portion of the hydrolysis product to produce a fermentation broth comprising the one or more alkanol(s)."
  ],
  "cpc": [
    "C08H 6/00",
    "C08B 1/00",
    "C08B 37/0057",
    "C08H 8/00",
    "C12P 2201/00",
    "C12P 7/02",
    "C12P 7/10",
    "C12P 7/14",
    "D21C 1/06",
    "Y02E 50/10"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "SHELL OIL CO"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2013-10-30",
  "publication_date": "2014-05-01",
  "priority_date": "2012-10-31",
  "application_number": "US-201314066866-A",
  "family_id": "49584693"
}