Georgia-pacific Corporation

Dsm IP Assets B.v.

Versalis S.p.a.

Pierre Louis Woestenborghs

Johannes Augustinus Kroon

Rudy Francois Maria Jozef Parton

Johannes Gerardus De Vries

Rinke Marcel Altink

Arie De Rijke

Rinke Marcel

De Arie Rijke

De Johannes Gerardus Vries

The invention relates to a process for the preparation of a sugar and/or fermentation product from lignocellulosic material.

Process for enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulosic material and fermentation of sugars

The invention relates to a process for the isolation of levulinic acid from an organic solution, comprising washing said organic solution with an alkaline aqueous stream to yield a washed organic solution; subjecting the washed organic solution to a distillation to yield a distillate and a distillation residue; and recovering levulinic acid from the distillate or the residue. This process may result in high yields of levulinic acid.

Process for the isolation of levulinic acid

The invention provides a process to separate levulinic acid from a biomass hydrolysate said process comprising extraction using as an organic solvent a substituted benzene comprising (i) at least one ORgroup wherein Ris H or CH; and (ii) at least one Calkyl group, wherein each of the at least one ORgroup is ortho positioned to at least one Calkyl group. Using said substituted benzene as extraction solvent gives good extraction efficiency, the extraction can advantageously be carried out at elevated temperature, and is very suitable for subsequent distillation steps.

Process for the separation of levulinic acid from a biomass hydrolysate

A process for producing furfural and levulinic acid from lignocellulose-comprising biomass is disclosed. The biomass is slurried using water and optionally an acid, subjected to hydrolysis, and then subjected to a solid/liquid separation to yield at least an aqueous fraction comprising C5 and C6 sugars and a solid fraction comprising cellulose and lignin. Furfural is obtained by adding an organic solvent to the aqueous fraction, heating at 120-220&#xb0; C. for a sufficient time to form furfural, cooling, and separating an organic phase comprising at least part of the furfural from an aqueous phase. Levulinic acid is obtained by suspending the solid fraction in water and optionally an acid, heating the suspension to 140-220&#xb0; C., and separating an aqueous fraction comprising the levulinic acid from a solid fraction.

Process for the production of furfural and levulinic acid from lignocellulosic biomass

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Echt, Netherlands

Pierre Louis Woestenborghs