Patent ID: 7781191

Claim:
A method for producing a target chemical derivable from biomass comprising: a) for a period of time up to about 25 hours, contacting biomass with an aqueous solution comprising ammonia, wherein the ammonia is present at a concentration at least sufficient to maintain alkaline pH of the biomass-aqueous ammonia mixture but wherein said ammonia is present at 12 or less weight percent relative to dry weight of biomass, and further wherein the dry weight of biomass is at a solids concentration of at least about 15 weight percent relative to the weight of the biomass-aqueous ammonia mixture; b) contacting the product of step (a) with a saccharification enzyme consortium comprising one or more hemicellulose-hydrolyzing glycosidase, under suitable conditions to produce fermentable sugars wherein said fermentable sugars provide a carbohydrate source for a biocatalyst for a fermentation process; and c) contacting the product of step (b) with at least one biocatalyst able to ferment the sugars to produce the target chemical under suitable fermentation conditions.