Patent ID: 8877467

Claim:
A method of making a saccharified biomass material, the method comprising: (a) providing a cellulosic or lignocellulosic biomass feedstock; (b) saccharifying the biomass feedstock, comprising; (i) to a first portion of the feedstock, irradiating the first portion in an oxidizing environment with an amount of ionizing radiation sufficient to produce pendent carboxylic groups on the lignocellulosic material, thereby providing an irradiated first portion containing a recalcitrance-reduced biomass feedstock; (ii) saccharifying the irradiated first portion under conditions and for a period of time sufficient therefor, wherein the recalcitrance-reduced biomass provides an increased rate of saccharification relative to the rate of saccharifying a feedstock not having been irradiated; (iii) to a second portion of the feedstock, irradiating the second portion in an oxidizing environment with an amount of ionizing radiation sufficient to produce pendent carboxylic groups on the lignocellulosic material, thereby providing an irradiated second portion containing a recalcitrance-reduced biomass, wherein the second portion irradiating amount is the irradiating amount provided to the first portion in step (b)(i) or a dose-adjusted irradiating amount sufficient to provide the recalcitrance-reduced irradiated second portion, said irradiated second portion capable of providing an increased rate of saccharification relative to the rate of saccharifying a feedstock not having been irradiated; and (c) obtaining the saccharified, irradiated first portion or the irradiated second portion, thereby producing a saccharified biomass material.