Patent · US Expired

Process for separating acid-sugar mixtures using ion exclusion chromatography

US5538637A · kind A · utility

40Cited by
5References
7Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 6, 1995
Grant dateJul 23, 1996
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 6, 2015

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
  • CPC primaryB01J39/26
  • WIPO fieldChemical engineering
  • WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

A process for effectively and economically separating an ionic component such as acid from a nonionic component such as sugar in polar solutions using ion exclusion technology whereby the viability of using hydrolysis to convert wood and agricultural waste products such as corn stover into fuel alcohol is substantially effective. Underlying the gist of this invention are newly discovered methods by which dispersion, caused by shrinkage of resin within ion exclusion columns, is controlled resulting in operation of such columns, over a wide range of process conditions to produce separate and distinct elution profiles for the acid and sugar. Successful operation of these new ion exclusion methods, techniques, and systems can replace lime precipitation which currently is being used in acid hydrolysis processing. This not only obviates the need for the large quantities of acid and lime required therein, but also eliminates the unwanted and highly ecologically undesirable production of huge quantities of waste gypsum.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.