Beta Renewables S.p.a.

Biochemtex S.p.a.

Beta Renewable,m S.p.a.

Versalis S.p.a.

Beatriz Rivas Torres

Piero Ottonello

Paolo Torre

Simone Ferrero

Dario Giordano

Francesco Cherchi

Guido Ghisolfi

Chiara Prefumo

Pietro Pastorino

Stefano Paravisi

Daniele Riva

Federica Bosio

Liliane Tonet Rensi

Michelle Marrone

Marco Bernardi

Irene Bozzano

Danilo De Faveri

Tommaso Crippa

Liliane Tonte Rensi

Daniela Todaro

Guido (deceased) Ghisolfi

This specification describes a process of producing a monomeric sugar stream ligno-cellulosic biomass without enzymes or acid catalysts. This is accomplished by removing the water soluble C5 sugars from the ligno-cellulosic biomass feedstream, lowering the pH of the C5 solution with little or no addition of an acid, thermally treating the remaining ligno-cellulosic biomass, combining the thermally treated ligno-cellulosic biomass with the low pH C5 solution and then exposing the mixture to an elevated temperature greater than 80&#xb0; C. for a time sufficient to hydrolyze at least some of the components of the ligno-cellulosic biomass. Preferably, the thermally treated ligno-cellulosic biomass is subjected to a fiber shives reduction step to reduce the amount of long fiber shives.

Lignocellulosic biomass hydrolysis without enzymes or acid catalysts

This specification describes a process of producing a monomeric sugar stream, with little or no acid addition, from an oligomeric sugar solution using the intrinsic features of the mildly pre-treated vegetable or ligno-cellulosic biomass, namely the presence of naturally occurring salts. This is accomplished by lowering the pH of the oligomer sugar solution with little or no addition of an acid and then exposing the biomass with the lowered pH to an elevated temperature greater than 80&#xb0; C. for a time sufficient to hydrolyze the components of the biomass.

Acid hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass with minimal use of an acid catalyst

An improved method of conducting the pre-soaking step involving pre-soaking the ligno-cellulosic biomass in a liquid (water) at a temperature in the range of between 100&#xb0; C. to 150&#xb0; C. prior to soaking at higher temperatures. This material can then be soaked and soaked liquid filtered by nano-filtration. When nano-filtration is used, the pre-soak temperature can be in the range of 10&#xb0; C. to 150&#xb0; C.

Pre-soaking process for biomass conversion

Growing community of inventors

Arenzano, Italy

Beatriz Rivas Torres