Abstract:
It is disclosed a process for increasing the enzymatic accessibility of a thermally treated ligno-cellulosic biomass feedstock which has been thermally treated at a severity factor. The process comprises a step of fiber shives reduction, for reducing the amount of long shives. The thermally treated ligno-cellulosic biomass after fiber shives reduction is characterized by having an increased glucans accessibility and by forming a slurry having a low viscosity.
Abstract:
A process produces at least a first enzyme from a host cell, wherein the first enzyme is capable of hydrolyzing a first pre-treated ligno-cellulosic biomass. The process comprises the step of cultivating the host cell to produce at least the first enzyme for a cultivation time, wherein the cultivation of the host cell occurs in a sugar depleted cultivation environment comprising the host cell, water and a solid composition comprising a complex sugar of the solid composition and a lignin of the solid composition. In such a process, the solid composition is obtained from a second pre-treated ligno-cellulosic biomass, comprising a complex sugar of the second pre-treated ligno-cellulosic biomass and a lignin of the second pre-treated ligno-cellulosic biomass; and the ratio of the total amount of the complex sugars of the solid composition to the total amount of the lignin of the solid composition is greater than zero and less than the ratio of the total amount of the complex sugars of the second pre-treated ligno-cellulosic biomass to the total amount of the lignin of the second pre-treated ligno-cellulosic biomass.
Abstract:
A process for producing polyols from a low viscosity slurry comprising a thermally treated ligno-cellulosic biomass which has been subjected to a fiber shives reduction step is provided. Specifically, a continuous process for catalyzing the formation of polyol products, such as ethylene glycol and propylene glycol, from the low viscosity slurry is provided.