Michigan State University

Shishir Chundawat

Bruce E Dale

Venkatesh Balan

Leonardo Sousa

Leonardo Da Costa Sousa

Albert M Cheh

Ming Woei Lau

Balan Venkatesh

Methods for producing extracted and digested products from pretreated lignocellulosic biomass are provided. The methods include converting native cellulose Ito cellulose IIIby pretreating the lignocellulosic biomass with liquid ammonia under certain conditions, and performing extracting or digesting steps on the pretreated/converted lignocellulosic biomass.

Methods for producing extracted and digested products from pretreated lignocellulosic biomass

A method for pretreating biomass is provided, which includes, in a reactor, allowing gaseous ammonia to condense on the biomass and react with water present in the biomass to produce pretreated biomass, wherein reactivity of polysaccharides in the biomass is increased during subsequent biological conversion as compared to the reactivity of polysaccharides in biomass which has not been pretreated. A method for pretreating biomass with a liquid ammonia and recovering the liquid ammonia is also provided. Related systems which include a biochemical or biofuel production facility are also disclosed.

Methods for pretreating biomass

A method for producing a microbial growth stimulant (MGS) from a plant biomass is described. In one embodiment, an ammonium hydroxide solution is used to extract a solution of proteins and ammonia from the biomass. Some of the proteins and ammonia are separated from the extracted solution to provide the MGS solution. The removed ammonia can be recycled and the proteins are useful as animal feeds. In one embodiment, the method comprises extracting solubles from pretreated lignocellulosic biomass with a cellulase enzyme-producing growth medium (such) in the presence of water and an aqueous extract.

Extraction of solubles from plant biomass for use as microbial growth stimulant and methods related thereto

A method of alkaline pretreatment of biomass, in particular, pretreating biomass with gaseous ammonia.

A process for producing sugars from lignocellulosic materials such as corn stover by the addition of corn stillage as a carbon source is disclosed. The sugars are formed by treating the combination of the corn stillage and the lignocellulosic materials with hydrolytic enzymes. The sugars can be fermented to ethanol, and the process improves ethanol production economies with an increased sugar yield from the lignocellulosic materials.

Growing community of inventors

East Lansing, MI, United States of America

Shishir Chundawat