Kior, Inc.

Johns Manville

Inaeris Technologies, LLC

Ciris Energy, Inc

Lusbio, Inc.

Robert Bartek

Dennis N Stamires

Michael F Brady

Steve Yanik

Paul O'Connor

Ronald Cordle

Bahman Rejai

Paul O'connor

Bruce Adkins

Ruben Gregory Garcia

Ronald Lee Cordle

Ronny W Lin

Henrique Soares Cerqueira

John Hacskaylo

John Hackskaylo

Bhaman Rejai

Jacobus Cornelius Rasser

Paul O'CONNOR

A growth medium for fungus is obtained by: (a) treating a mixture of lignocellulosic biomass and water with at least one oxidizing agent and steam at a temperature in a range of from about 130° C. to about 220° C. for a period from about 5 seconds to about 10 hours; (b) periodically measuring a pH of the mixture for substantially an entire duration of the treating step; and (c) as necessary, based on the pH of the mixture measured in step (b), adjusting the pH of the mixture into a range of from about pH 4.5 to about pH 7.5 by adding a base to the mixture. A method for producing the growth medium for fungi and a method for cultivating fungi are also provided.

Growth media for improved growth and yield of fungus using treated lignocellulosic biomass

A method for treating biomass including lignocellulosic polymers. The biomass is treated in a mixture of water with at least one oxidizing agent and steam at a temperature in a range of from about 130&#xb0; C. to about 220&#xb0; C. for a period from about 5 seconds to about 10 hours. The pH of the mixture is periodically measured for substantially an entire duration of the treating step. As necessary, based on the measured pH of the mixture, adjusting the pH of the mixture into a range of from about pH 4.5 to about pH 7.5 by adding a base to the mixture.

Controlled pH biomass treatment

A growth medium for fungus is obtained by: (a) treating a mixture of lignocellulosic biomass and water with at least one oxidizing agent and steam at a temperature in a range of from about 130 C to about 220 C for a period from about 5 seconds to about 10 hours; (b) periodically measuring a pH of the mixture for substantially an entire duration of the treating step; and (c) as necessary, based on the pH of the mixture measured in step (b), adjusting the pH of the mixture into a range of from about pH 4.5 to about pH 7.5 by adding abase to the mixture. A method for producing the growth medium for fungi and a method for cultivating fungi are also provided.

A method for solubilizing a carbonaceous feedstock. The method includes steps of reacting a mixture of the carbonaceous feedstock with a metal oxide including a metal at a first, higher oxidation state to reduce the metal of the metal oxide to a second, lower oxidation state by releasing at least one oxygen atom from the metal oxide. The released oxygen from the metal oxide is used to oxidize the carbonaceous feedstock. At least a portion of the metal or metal oxide containing the metal at the second, lower oxidation state is then oxidized to the metal oxide containing the metal at the first, higher oxidation state for reuse in the reaction step.

Depolymerization process

A method for treatment of a lignocellulosic biomass using an oxidizing agent selected from an oxygen-containing gas, hydrogen peroxide, ozone and oxidizing acids. The treatment products may be subjected to microbial digestion in order to generate one or more desirable products from the carbonaceous feedstock. The solid portion of the reaction products may be further processed to be used in the paper industry.

Discriminate mass transfer in a wet oxidation system

A method for treatment of a carbonaceous feedstock such as coal or biomass. The method comprises adsorbing an oxidizing agent selected from an oxygen-containing gas, hydrogen peroxide, ozone and oxidizing acids from a liquid phase of an aqueous mixture comprising water and the carbonaceous feedstock onto the carbonaceous feedstock to produce an aqueous mixture with the liquid phase having a reduced content of the oxidizing agent and the carbonaceous feedstock having oxidizing agent adsorbed on a surface thereof, and heating this aqueous mixture to a temperature and for a sufficient time to partially oxidize and solubilize at least a portion of the carbonaceous feedstock. The reaction products may be chemically or physically separated, recycled to the heating step and/or subjected to microbial digestion in order to generate one or more desirable products from the carbonaceous feedstock. The solid portion of the reaction products may be further processed to be used in the paper industry.

Preparing solid biomass particles for catalytic conversion includes agitating solid biomass particles and providing a biomass-catalyst mixture to a conventional petroleum refinery process unit. The biomass-catalyst mixture includes the solid biomass particles and a catalyst. Agitating solid biomass particles includes flowing a gas to provide a velocity to at least a portion of the solid biomass particles sufficient to reduce their sizes. Co-processing a biomass feedstock and a conventional petroleum feedstock includes liquefying at least a portion of a biomass-catalyst mixture and co-processing at least a portion of the liquefied biomass feedstock and a conventional petroleum feedstock in a conventional petroleum refinery process unit. The biomass feedstock includes a plurality of solid biomass particles and a catalyst, which is liquefied to produce a liquefied biomass feedstock.

Co-processing solid biomass in a conventional petroleum refining process unit

A process for biomass catalytic cracking is disclosed herein. More specifically, the process is in presence of is a mixed metal oxide catalyst represented by the formula (XO).(XO).(XYO) wherein X, Xand Xare alkaline earth elements selected from the group of Mg, Ca, Be, Ba, and mixture thereof, and Y is a metal selected from the group of Al, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cr, Ga, B, La, P and mixture thereof, wherein the catalyst is formed by calcining at least one compound comprising at least one alkaline earth element and a metal element.

Method of producing mixed metal oxide catalyst system

Catalyst compositions comprising a phosphorous-promoted ZSM-5 component and a silica-containing binder, and methods for making and using same, are disclosed. More, specifically, processes for making a catalyst for biomass conversion are provided. The process includes: treating a ZSM-5 zeolite with a phosphorous-containing compound to form a phosphorous-promoted ZSM-5 component; preparing a slurry comprising the phosphorous-promoted ZSM-5 component and a silica-containing binder; and shaping the slurry into shaped bodes. Such catalysts can be used for the Thermocatalytic conversion of particulate biomass to liquid products such as bio-oil, resulting in higher bio-oil yields and lower coke than conventional catalysts.

Catalyst for thermocatalytic conversion of biomass to liquid fuels and chemicals

A process for producing catalyst for biomass catalytic cracking is disclosed herein. The process includes modifying a phyllosilicate to produce a modified phyllosilicate having an improved yield of a pyrolysis reaction. The modification of the phyllosilicate includes leaching the clay with an acid or basic solution to form a leached clay preparation, calcining the leached clay and contacting the treated clay with a suspension comprising metal ions for ion-exchange. The modified clay catalyst can then be mixed with inorganic materials such as zeolites and dried to form fluidizable microspheres.

Biomass catalytic cracking catalyst and process of preparing the same

A reactor and/or process is disclosed for fluidized cracking of solid particulate biomass material, including a first mixing zone where a particulate stream comprising solid particulate biomass is mixed with a lift gas and becomes fluidized, and including a second mixing zone where a heat carrier material is mixed with the fluidized solid particulate biomass material.

Catalyst/biomass mixing in transport reactor

Catalyst compositions comprising a phosphorous-promoted ZSM-5 component and a silica-containing binder, and methods for making and using same, are disclosed. More specifically, processes for making a catalyst for biomass conversion are provided. The process includes: treating a ZSM-5 zeolite with a phosphorous-containing compound to form a phosphorous-promoted ZSM-5 component; preparing a slurry comprising the phosphorous-promoted ZSM-5 component and a silica-containing binder; and shaping the slurry into shaped bodies. Such catalysts can be used for the thermocatalytic conversion of particulate biomass to liquid products such as bio-oil, resulting in higher bio-oil yields and lower coke than conventional catalysts.

Process for converting biomass to a fuel

Disclosed is a process for biomass conversion which includes co-processing the biomass with thermoplastic and non-thermoplastic polymer based materials in a catalytic pyrolysis reactor to convert such to liquid hydrocarbons; wherein hydrogen atoms originating with the polymer materials can remove oxygen from oxygenated hydrocarbons produced in the conversion of the biomass in the reactor.

Co-processing of biomass and synthetic polymer based materials in a pyrolysis conversion process

A process is disclosed for preparing fluidizable particles of a biomass/catalyst composite material. The process comprises the steps of (i) providing a particulate, solid biomass material; (ii) forming a composite of the biomass material and a catalytic material; (iii) subjecting the biomass material to a thermal treatment at a torrefaction temperature at or above 200&#xb0; C., and low enough to avoid significant conversion of the biomass material to liquid conversion products; and (iv) forming fluidizable particles from the biomass material. Step (ii) may be carried out before or after step (iii).

Process for preparing a fluidizable biomass-catalyst composite material

A process for biomass catalytic cracking is described herein. More specifically, the process comprises heating the cellulosic biomass to a conversion temperature in presence of a mixed metal oxide catalyst represented by the formula (XO).(XO).(XYO), wherein X, Xand Xare alkaline earth elements selected from the group of Mg, Ca, Be, Ba , and mixture thereof, and Y is a metal selected from the group of Al, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cr, Ga, B, La, P and mixture thereof.

Growing community of inventors

Centennial, CO, United States of America

Robert Bartek