System for treatment of biomass to facilitate the production of ethanol

Abstract

Systems for treating biomass for the production of ethanol are disclosed. The systems are configured to treat a liquid component separated from biomass to yield sugars available to be fermented into a fermentation product. The systems comprise a filter configured to remove particulate matter to provide a filtered component and an apparatus configured to remove inhibitors from the filtered liquid component provide a treated liquid component comprising sugars available for fermentation. Methods for treating for treating biomass useful in the production of a fermentation product are also disclosed. The methods include the steps of filtering a liquid component to remove particulate matter thereby yielding a filtered liquid component, and treating the filtered liquid component to remove inhibitors thereby yielding a treated liquid component comprising sugars available to be fermented into a fermentation product.

1 . A system for treating a liquid component separated from biomass to yield a treated liquid component comprising sugars available to be fermented into a fermentation product comprising:
 a filter configured to remove matter having a particle size of larger than about 25 to 100 microns from the liquid component;   an apparatus configured to remove one or more inhibitors from the filtered liquid component;   wherein the apparatus comprises an ion exchange system comprising a resin bed;   wherein the resin bed comprises an adsorbent type resin;   wherein the biomass comprises lignocellulosic material;   wherein the lignocellulosic material comprises at least one of corn cobs, corn plant husks, corn plant leaves and corn plant stalks.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the inhibitors comprise furfural and/or hydroxymethylfurfural. 
     
     
         3 . (canceled) 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the liquid component comprises furfural in a concentration of at least 700 PPM. 
     
     
         5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5  wherein the resin is capable of adsorbing furfural and/or hydroxymethylfurfural. 
     
     
         7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the resin does not retain sugars. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the resin does not retain xylose. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the treated liquid component comprises furfural at a concentration of no more than 700 PPM. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the treated liquid component comprises hydroxymethylfurfural at a concentration of no more than 100 PPM. 
     
     
         12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . A method for treating a liquid component separated from biomass to yield a treated liquid component comprising sugars suitable to be fermented into a fermentation product comprising the steps of:
 filtering the liquid component to remove particulate matter having a size of larger than about 25 to 100 microns;   treating the filtered liquid component using an ion exchange system to remove inhibitors from the filtered liquid component;   wherein the ion exchange system comprises a resin;   wherein the biomass comprises lignocellulosic material;   wherein the lignocellulosic material comprises at least one of corn cobs, corn plant husks, corn plant leaves and corn plant stalks;   wherein the sugars contain xylose.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the inhibitors comprise furfural. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the inhibitors comprise hydroxymethylfurfural. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the liquid component comprises furfural at a concentration of at least 700 PPM. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the treated liquid component comprises furfural at a concentration of no more than 700 PPM. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the liquid component comprises xylose at a concentration of at least 1.0 percent by weight. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the fermentation product comprises ethanol. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the resin comprises an adsorbent type resin. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the liquid component comprises an acid. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the acid comprises acetic acid. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the acid comprises sulfuric acid. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the resin is configured to remove acid from the liquid component.