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Timestamp: 2017-12-14 19:10:51
Document Index: 306066875

Matched Legal Cases: ['Application No. 2011', 'Application No. 2012232937', 'Application No. 2012232937', 'Application No. 2825542', 'Application No. 2012232938', 'Application No. 9', 'Application No. 11']

Apparatus for producing saccharide solution that uses biomass as feedstock - TORAY INDUSTRIES, INC.
United States Patent 9587217
Nishimura, Akira (Hyogo, JP)
Yamauchi, Takahiro (Hyogo, JP)
Ogura, Kentaro (Hyogo, JP)
Nishimoto, Haruka (Hyogo, JP)
Kurihara, Hiroyuki (Kanagawa, JP)
Minamino, Atsushi (Kanagawa, JP)
Suzuki, Hideo (Tokyo, JP)
Kondo, Gaku (Tokyo, JP)
13/982420
C12M1/00; C12M1/40; C13B20/16; C13K1/02; C13K13/00
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20110250637 METHOD FOR PRODUCING SUGAR LIQUID 2011-10-13 Kurihara et al.
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EP2251427 2010-11-17 METHOD OF PRODUCING COMPOUND ORIGINATING FROM POLYSACCHARIDE-BASED BIOMASS
JP09507386 July, 1997
JP11506934 June, 1999
JP2005168335A 2005-06-30 SYSTEM FOR PRODUCING ETHANOL FROM VARIOUS LIGNOCELLULOSE RESOURCES
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JP2009183154A 2009-08-20 DEVICE FOR AND METHOD OF HYDROTHERMALLY CRACKING BIOMASS, AND SYSTEM FOR PRODUCING ORGANIC MATERIAL USING BIOMASS RAW MATERIAL
JP2009183805A 2009-08-20 HYDROTHERMAL DECOMPOSITION DEVICE AND METHOD OF BIOMASS AND MANUFACTURING SYSTEM OF ORGANIC RAW MATERIAL USING BIOMASS RAW MATERIAL
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WO2007129921A1 2007-11-15 PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF BIOFUEL FROM PLANT MATERIALS
WO2008017145A1 2008-02-14 PROCESS FOR RECOVERY OF HOLOCELLULOSE AND NEAR-NATIVE LIGNIN FROM BIOMASS
WO2009110374A1 2009-09-11 METHOD OF PRODUCING COMPOUND ORIGINATING FROM POLYSACCHARIDE-BASED BIOMASS
WO2010067785A1 2010-06-17 METHOD FOR PRODUCING SUGAR LIQUID
WO2011111451A1 2011-09-15 METHOD FOR PRODUCING PURE SUGAR SOLUTION, AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING CHEMICAL PRODUCT
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JPH09507386A 1997-07-29
JPH11506934A 1999-06-22
WO1995017517A1 1995-06-29
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1. An apparatus for producing saccharide solution that uses biomass as a feedstock comprising: a hydrothermal decomposition apparatus that brings a biomass feedstock including at least cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin into countercurrent contact with pressurized hot water and performs a high temperature and high pressure treatment in a temperature range of 180° C. to 240° C. so as to produce a biomass treated liquid containing a pressurized hot water soluble component of the biomass feedstock; a cooling means that is provided downstream of the hydrothermal decomposition apparatus and cools the biomass treated liquid which has been discharged from the hydrothermal decomposition apparatus; an enzymatic saccharification tank that is provided downstream of the cooling means and saccharifies the cooled treated liquid with an enzyme so as to produce a saccharide solution; a saccharide solution purification means that is provided downstream of the enzymatic saccharification tank and removes a water-slightly soluble substance from the saccharide solution, the water-slightly soluble substance being a substance that is contained in the pressurized hot water soluble component, and solidified or colloidal due to the cooling; a dilution tank that is disposed downstream of the saccharide solution purification means and adds water thereto so as to dilute the saccharide solution from which the water-slightly soluble substance has been removed; a water separation unit that is provided with a reverse osmosis (RO) membrane and removes water from the diluted saccharide solution so as to obtain concentrated saccharide solution; a first measurement unit that measures both of a turbidity and a light absorbance of the saccharide solution from which the water-slightly soluble substance has been removed, wherein the saccharide solution purification means includes: a saccharide solution purification tank that is provided downstream of the enzymatic saccharification tank to receive and retain the saccharide solution taken from the enzymatic saccharification tank; a first circulation line that connects between a bottom portion of the saccharide solution purification tank and an upper portion of the saccharide solution purification tank to circulate the saccharide solution; a second circulation line that connects between the bottom portion of the saccharide solution purification tank and the upper portion of the saccharide solution purification tank to circulate the saccharide solution; a solid-liquid separation apparatus that is interposed in the first circulation line and removes the water-slightly soluble substance contained in the saccharide solution circulating in the first circulation line; a foreign substance removing unit that is interposed in the second circulation line and has a microfiltration (MF) membrane by which the water-slightly soluble substance circulating in the second circulation line is further removed and through which the saccharide solution from which the remaining water-slightly soluble substance is thus removed is passed.
Patent Literature 1: Japanese National Publication of international Patent Application No. 9-507386
Patent Literature 2: Japanese National Publication of international Patent Application No. 11-505034
Patent Literature 3: Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2005-168335
Patent Literature 4: Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2009-183805
Patent Literature 5: Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2009-183154
According to the proposal of the hydrothermal decomposition apparatus in Patent Literatures 4 and 5 described above, biomass and pressurized hot water are supplied while they are brought into countercurrent contact to each other, to perform hydrothermal reaction due to internal heat exchange, but the internal temperature is a high temperature of 180 to 240° C., and a pressure 0.1 to 0.4 MPa higher than the saturated vapor pressure of water at that temperature is applied to perform the decomposition treatment, thus resulting in containing decomposition products of lignin and the like in the biomass treated liquid at a high temperature (pressurized hot water effluent) after the reaction.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for producing saccharide solution that uses biomass as a feedstock including: a hydrothermal decomposition apparatus for performing a high temperature and high pressure treatment in a temperature range of 180° C. to 240° C., while bringing a biomass feedstock including at least cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin into countercurrent contact with pressurized hot water; a cooling means for cooling biomass treated liquid at a high temperature which has been discharged from the hydrothermal decomposition apparatus; an enzymatic saccharification tank for saccharifying the cooled treated liquid with an enzyme; a solid-liquid separation apparatus for removing a water-slightly soluble substance contained in the saccharide solution taken from the enzymatic saccharification; a foreign substance removing unit provided with a microfiltration (MF) membrane; a dilution tank disposed downstream of the foreign substance removing unit, for adding water thereto so as to dilute the saccharide solution from which the water-slightly soluble substance has been removed; and a water separation unit provided with a reverse osmosis (RO) membrane, for removing water from the diluted saccharide solution so as to obtain concentrated saccharide solution.
According to the apparatus of the present invention, water-slightly soluble fermentation inhibitory substances, which are generated during a high temperature and high pressure treatment at 180° C. to 240° C. while biomass feedstock including at least cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin is brought into countercurrent contact with pressurized hot water, is completely removed, whereby saccharide solution having less impurities can be obtained. As a result, it is also possible to concentrate the saccharide solution using reverse osmosis membrane in a subsequent stage, whereby the saccharide solution having a higher concentration than those in conventional methods can be produced. Fermentation inhibition can be suppressed with the improvement of the saccharide solution described above.
First, a “hydrothermal decomposition apparatus (50) in which a high temperature and high pressure treatment is performed at a temperature range of 180° C. to 240° C. while a biomass feedstock including at least cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin is brought into countercurrent contact with pressurized hot water” is explained using FIG. 8.
It is preferable to set a reaction temperature in the hydrothermal decomposition apparatus 50 at a range of 180° C. to 240° C., more preferably 200° C. to 230° C.
This is because a hydrothermal decomposition speed is slow at a to temperature of lower than 180° C., and thus a long retention time is required, leading to increasing in size of the apparatus, which is not preferable. On the other hand, when the temperature is higher than 240° C., the decomposition speed becomes excessive, which increases the transfer of the cellulose component from the solid to the liquid side and, at the same time, promotes the excessive decomposition of the hemicellulose saccharides, which is not preferable.
The hemicellulose component starts to dissolve at about 140° C., the cellulose starts to dissolve at about 230° C., and the lignin component starts at about 140° C. It is preferable to set a temperature to a range of 180° C. to 240° C., where the cellulose remains on the solid component side, and the hemicellulose component and the lignin component have sufficient decomposition speeds.
For example, according to a known hydrothermal decomposition treatment, the biomass and the pressurized hot water are supplied so that they are brought into countercurrent contact with each other, thereby performing the hydrothermal reaction due to the internal heat exchange, as described above. At that time, the reaction condition is that a temperature is high such that the internal temperature is from 180° C. to 240° C. and, at the same time, a pressure 0.1 to 0.4 MPa higher than the saturated vapor pressure of water having a temperature at that time is applied, and thus reaction decomposition products of lignin and the like are included in the biomass treated liquid at a high temperature (pressurized hot water effluent) after the reaction.
The pressurized hot water soluble component dissolved in this biomass treated liquid at a high temperature is cooled to an enzymatic saccharification temperature (for example, 60° C. or lower), in a saccharification step of a subsequent step, and thus a part of the pressurized hot water soluble component, which has been once dissolved in pressurized hot water, is precipitated, and is solidified or is formed into a colloidal water-slightly soluble substance.
An apparatus for producing saccharide solution 100A that uses biomass as feedstock according to the present Example includes the dilution tank 132 in which water (RO water) 131 was added to the saccharide solution 104 from which the water-slightly soluble fermentation inhibitory substances have been removed to dilute it. In FIG. 1, reference sign P6 shows a liquid sending pump for sending dilution water 133 to the water separation unit 116.
In FIG. 1, reference signs M1 to M3 show motors which drive stirring means in the enzymatic saccharification tank 103, the first and second saccharide solution tanks 121 and 122, and P1 to P3 show liquid sending pumps for sending the saccharide solution 104.
In FIG. 2, reference sign M5 shows a motor which drives a stirring means in which the stirring is performed in the fermentation tank 141, and P5 shows a liquid sending pump for sending the ethanol fermentation liquid 143.
The saccharide solution purification means 110 illustrated in FIG. 3 includes a saccharide solution purification tank 151 in which saccharide solution 104, which has been taken out from an enzymatic saccharification tank 103, is retained; a solid-liquid separation apparatus 112 which is disposed via a first circulation line L1 from the saccharide solution purification tank 151, and in which water-slightly soluble substances (solid residue such as lignin) 111 are removed from the taken saccharide solution 104; and a foreign substance removing unit 113 which is disposed via a second circulation line L2 from the saccharide solution purification tank 151, and which includes a microfiltration (MF) membrane 113a removing water-slightly soluble substances from the taken saccharide solution 104.
In FIG. 3, reference sign M6 shows a motor which drives a stirring means in the saccharide solution purification tank 151.
According to the saccharide solution purification means 110 of Example 1, the membrane treatment is sequentially performed, but according to the saccharide solution purification means 110 of Example 3, the saccharide solution purification tank 151 has two circulation lines (the first circulation line L1 and the second circulation line L2), and thus the treatment appropriate to the concentration condition of the water-slightly soluble substance (solid residue 111 such as lignin) can be performed.
When a content of the water-slightly soluble substance (solid residue 111 such as lignin) is higher than a pre-determined value, accordingly, the treatment using both of the first circulation line L1 and the second circulation line L2 is performed to remove the water-slightly soluble substances.
When the content of the water-slightly soluble substance is small, the membrane treatment using the second circulation line L2 alone can be performed. If necessary, the solid-liquid separation treatment may be performed.
The biomass treated liquid at a high temperature was obtained by hydrothermally decomposing rice straw in a pressurized condition having a temperature of 150° C. using a hydrothermal decomposition apparatus 50 illustrated in FIG. 8, and a pressurized hot water effluent 101A was used.
Acetonitrile, acetone, and methanol, which are all polar solvents, were used as a solvent. Pure water which had been filtered through “MILLI-Q” (trademark for water filtration systems) was used as Comparative Example.
The procedures are as follows: the cooled biomass treated liquid at a high temperature was mixed with these solvents and water, and the mixtures were allowed to stand in a refrigerator (4° C.) over night.
After that, centrifugal separation (15,000 rpm, 10 minutes, 4° C.) was performed, and supernatant liquid was recovered and the liquid was treated with a filter (0.45 μm).
ODS column (SYNERGI: 4μ, Hydro-RP80A 4.6×250 mm, manufactured by Phenomenex Company) was used as the column.
Unknown peak (RT: 22.6
Furfural min, Acetonitrile 55%)
(1-1) Acetonitrile 2469009 160550
(1-2) Acetone 2513992 157743
(1-3) Methanol 2428062 145366
(1-4) Pure water 2433687 22275
Fermentation of the saccharification liquid using the cooled biomass treated liquid at a high temperature was performed, and CO2 decreased amounts in the fermentation were compared.
A preculture condition was that 10 mL YPD (1% yeast extract, 2% peptone, 2% glucose) was used as a medium, and shaking culture was performed at 30° C. at 120 rpm.
The fermented liquid which had been passed through a filter (0.45 μm), and the fermented liquid which had not been passed through the filter (0.45 μm) were prepared, and the fermentation was performed.
An ethanol fermentation condition was that 100 mL of fermentation liquid was used and shaking culture was performed at 30° C. at 120 rpm.
Nutrient, Final
saccharide concentration
Test Filter ex.* CSL* Glucose Xylose
No Solvent (0.45 nm) (%) (%) (%) (%)
(2-1) Saccharide Absent 0 0 7.2 8.5
(2-2) solution Present
(2-3) from Absent 1.0 1.0
(2-4) biomass Present
saccharide)
Condition: 100 mL of fermented liquid, 30° C., 120 rpm Shaking culture
*Yeast ex.: Yeast extract
*CSL: Corn steep liquor
Strain used: Pichia stipitis NBRC1687 (standard strain)
Pre-culture conditions: Medium 10 mL YPD (1% Yeast ex.*, 2% Peptone, 2% Glucose)
Conditions 30° C., 120 rpm Shaking culture
Final concentration of Glucose, Xylose, or EtOH Concentration
Glucose Xylose EtOH Fermentation
Test No. (%) (%) (%) efficiency (%)
(2-1) 5.9 7.2 N.D. 0
(2-2) 3.7 7.1 0.9 11
(2-3) 5.4 7.4 N.D. 0
(2-4) N.D. 5.0 3.0 38
FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 are charts illustrating the results of decreased amounts of carbon dioxide in the ethanol fermentation test, in which the horizontal axis shows time, and the vertical axis shows a CO2 decreased amount.
It was confirmed, therefore, that when the treatment with a filter (0.45 μm) was performed, the water-slightly soluble fermentation inhibitory substances are removed, resulting in performance of good fermentation.
50 hydrothermal decomposition apparatus
51 biomass feedstock
52 biomass supplying unit
53 apparatus body
54 conveying screw means
55 pressurized hot water
56 biomass solid component
57 biomass discharging apparatus
90 cooling means
100A to 100C apparatus for producing saccharide solution that uses biomass as feedstock
101A biomass treated liquid at a high temperature (pressurized hot water effluent)
101B cooled treated liquid
102 enzyme
103 enzymatic saccharification tank
104 saccharide solution
110 saccharide solution purification means
140 fermentation tank
200 alcohol fermentation apparatus that uses biomass as a feedstock
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