Patent ID: 7910338
Filing Date: 2011-03-22
Classification: C12M,C12P,Y02E,Y02W

Abstract:
1. A method of treating biomass composed of integrated feedstocks, said method comprising: a) providing biomass; b) adding to the biomass of a) at least one alternative feedstream to produce an integrated feedstock; c) for a period of time up to about 25 hours, contacting the integrated feedstock of b) with an aqueous solution comprising ammonia to form an integrated feedstock-aqueous ammonia mixture, wherein the ammonia is present at a concentration at least sufficient to maintain alkaline pH of the integrated feedstock-aqueous ammonia mixture, wherein said ammonia is present at 12 weight percent or less relative to dry weight of integrated feedstock, and further wherein the dry weight of integrated feedstock is at a solids concentration of about 15 weight percent or more relative to the weight of the integrated feedstock-aqueous ammonia mixture, to produce a pretreated integrated feedstock product; and d) contacting the product of c) with a saccharification enzyme consortium comprising one or more hemicellulose-hydrolyzing glycosidase, under suitable conditions to produce a fermentable sugar product, wherein said fermentable sugar product provides a carbohydrate source for a biocatalyst for a fermentation process.