Concentrated sulfuric acid hydrolysis of lignocellulosics
US6063204A · kind A · utility
Assignees
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 27, 1999 |
| Grant date | May 16, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 27, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC C)Chemistry; Metallurgy
- CPC primaryC13K1/02
- WIPO fieldFood chemistry
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
A process, system, and apparatus for effectively and economically producing fermentable sugars from cellulosic feedstocks is described. The economic viability of using wood and/or agricultural waste, containing large fractions of cellulose and hemicellulose is highly dependent on the method used for hydrolysis. Underlying the gist of this invention are newly discovered methods, means, and techniques by which both the pentosans and hexosans comprising the hemicellulose fraction of the selected feedstock and the hexosans comprising the cellulose fraction of the selected feedstock can be quickly and efficiently converted in a single pass through a single device to fermentable sugars containing minimal quantities of degradation products known to inhibit fermentation. Successful operation of this new hydrolysis process employing a new reactor design can produce fermentable sugars at rates and efficiencies previously thought unattainable by reducing the number of processing steps, pieces of equipment, and unit operation previously used.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.