Patent ID: 9447345
Filing Date: 2016-09-20
CPC Classification: C10G,C10L,Y02E,Y02P,Y02T

Claim Text:
1. A lignocellulosic biomass conversion method comprising: (a) providing a solid biomass feedstock containing cellulose, lignin and water in a hydrothermal digestion unit; (b) heating the solid biomass feedstock in the hydrothermal digestion unit in the presence of a liquor to digest at least a portion of the solid biomass feedstock, thereby forming a hydrolysate comprising partially digested solids and soluble carbohydrates within a liquor phase; (c) contacting at least a portion of the hydrolysate, in one or more first fixed bed catalytic reduction reactor units, with molecular hydrogen at a temperature in the range of 180 degrees C. to less than 300 degrees C. in the presence of a supported metal catalyst capable of activating molecular hydrogen having an average void fraction of at least 40% and a surface area in the range of 10 m (d) recirculating at least a portion of the liquor phase and at least a portion of the partially digested solids from the one or more first fixed bed catalytic reduction reactor units to the hydrothermal digestion unit; and (e) transferring at least a portion of the reaction product to a second catalytic reduction reactor unit so as to further transform the soluble carbohydrates into a reaction product.