Patent ID: 8603789

Claim:
A method for producing glucose from a lignocellulosic feedstock, said method comprising the steps of: (i) providing a pretreated lignocellulosic feedstock slurry in which at least a portion of the hemicellulose has been hydrolyzed during pretreatment; (ii) moving the pretreated slurry through a pipe, which pretreated slurry has an undissolved solids content of between about 15 and about 30 wt %; (iii) optionally adjusting the pH of the pretreated slurry to a pH that is compatible with cellulase enzyme; (iv) adding cellulase enzyme to said pretreated slurry to produce a slurry comprising cellulase enzyme, while maintaining the undissolved solids content of said pretreated slurry between about 15 and about 30 wt %; (v) dispersing the cellulase enzyme added in step (iv) in said pretreated slurry prior to any hydrolysis in a reactor by using a high shear in-line mixing device so as to impart shear to said pretreated slurry, thereby producing a pretreated slurry in which the cellulase enzyme is dispersed; and thereafter (vi) subjecting the pretreated slurry resulting from step (v) comprising dispersed cellulase enzyme to hydrolysis in the reactor so as to produce glucose from cellulose contained therein.