Methods and Systems for Processing Lignocellulosic Materials and Related Compsitions

Abstract

A method comprising: (a) providing a lignocellulosic substrate; (b) contacting said lignocellulosic substrate with an extractant comprising a water-soluble organic solvent to form an extracted substrate and a miscella; (c) removing miscella from said extracted substrate; and (d) hydrolyzing said extracted substrate using a chemically catalyzed process.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 (a) providing a lignocellulosic substrate;   (b) contacting said lignocellulosic substrate with an extractant comprising a water-soluble organic solvent to form an extracted substrate and a miscella;   (c) removing miscella from said extracted substrate; and   (d) hydrolyzing said extracted substrate using a chemically catalyzed process.   
     
     
         2 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein said hydrolyzing employs a mineral acid as a catalyst. 
     
     
         3 . A method according to  claim 2 , wherein said mineral acid includes HCl. 
     
     
         4 . A method according to  claim 2 , wherein said mineral acid includes H 2 SO 4 . 
     
     
         5 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein said hydrolyzing employs a reactive fluid as a catalyst. 
     
     
         6 . A method according to  claim 1  comprising:
 (a) filtering lignin solids from hydrolyzate formed by said hydrolyzing, 
 wherein a filtration rate of said filtering is faster by at least 10% compared with a filtration rate of lignin solids from hydrolyzate formed by hydrolyzing without said extracting, using an identical filter and identical filtration conditions. 
 
     
     
         7 . A method according to  claim 6 , wherein said hydrolyzing employs a mineral acid as a catalyst. 
     
     
         8 . A method according to  claim 7 , wherein said mineral acid includes HCl. 
     
     
         9 . A method according to  claim 7  wherein said mineral acid includes H 2 SO 4 . 
     
     
         10 . A method according to  claim 6 , wherein said hydrolyzing employs a reactive fluid as a catalyst. 
     
     
         11 . A system comprising,
 (a) an extraction module adapted to extract a lignocellulosic substrate with an extractant comprising a water soluble organic solvent and a weak acid, and to output an extracted substrate and a miscella; and   (b) a hydrolysis module adapted to receive said extracted substrate and to contact it with hydrochloric acid at a concentration of at least 30% to produce an acid hydrolyzate.   
     
     
         12 . A system according to  claim 11 , comprising a dryer adapted to remove extractant from said extracted substrate. 
     
     
         13 . A system according to  claim 11 , comprising a disruption module adapted to apply a predetermined pressure-temperature-time profile to said substrate to produce a disrupted substrate. 
     
     
         14 . A system according to  claim 13 , wherein said disruption module includes at least one item selected from the group consisting of a plug screw feeder and a steam explosion reactor. 
     
     
         15 . A system according to  claim 11 , comprising one or more distillation columns adapted to receive and process said miscella and return at least a portion of said solvent to said extraction module. 
     
     
         16 . A system according to  claim 11 , comprising a methane generator adapted to obtain said hydrocarbon comprising an aqueous phase. 
     
     
         17 . A lignocellulosic composition comprising (on a dry matter basis) cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin and characterized by at least two characteristic selected from the group consisting of:
 (i) less than 5000 PPM lipophilic material;   (ii) less than 5000 PPM ash;   (iii) less than 2000 PPM Ca;   (iv) less than 10,000 PPM pectin;   (v) less than 2000 PPM furfural;   (vi) at least 10 PPM of a marker selected from furfural, organically bound sulfur and a water soluble solvent; and   (vii) a moisture content of 5 to 30%.   
     
     
         18 . A lignocellulosic composition according to  claim 17 , characterized by at least three characteristics selected from said group. 
     
     
         19 . A lignocellulosic composition according to  claim 17 , characterized by at least four characteristics selected from said group. 
     
     
         20 . A lignocellulosic composition according to  claim 17 , characterized by at least five characteristics selected from said group.