METHODS FOR THE RECOVERY OF HCL AND FOR THE PRODUCTION OF CARBOHYDRATES

1 . An organic phase composition comprising:

a. a first component selected from the group consisting of quaternary amines;

b. a second component selected from:

b1. the group consisting of category B organic acids;

b2. the group consisting of a mixtures of category B organic acids and category C organic acids at a B/C molar ratio of R B/C ; and

b3. the group consisting of a mixtures of category A organic acids and category C organic acids at an A/C molar ratio of R A/C ,

c. a third component selected from the group consisting of solvents for said first component and for said second component, wherein

(i) all three components are oil-soluble and water-insoluble;

(ii) the molar concentration of each of said first component and said second component is greater than 0.6 mol/Kg;

(iii) the molar ratio between said second component and said first component is greater than 0.9;

(iv) R B/C and R A/C are greater than 2;

(v) category A organic acids are selected from the group consisting of poly-aromatic sulfonic acids, naphthalene sulfonic acids and acids with a pKa in the range within +/−0.5 pKa units of that of naphthalene sulfonic acid;

(vi) category B organic acids are selected from the group consisting of mono-aromatic sulfonic acids, benzene sulfonic acids, and acids with a pKa in the range within +/−0.5 pKa units of that of benzene sulfonic acid; and

(vii) category C organic acids are selected from the group consisting of phosphoric acid esters and acids with a pKa in the range within +/−0.5 pKa units of that of di-octyl esters of phosphoric acid.

2 . (canceled)

3 . The organic phase composition according to claim 1 , further comprising HCl wherein the molar ratio between HCl and said first component is greater than 1.0.

4 . (canceled)

5 . The organic phase composition according to claim 1 , characterized in that when equilibrated at 45° C. with an aqueous solution containing 35% wt. dextrose and 1% wt. HCl, said organic phase is loaded to at least 0.05 mol/Kg; in that when equilibrated at 90° C. with an aqueous solution containing 2% wt. HCl, said organic phase is loaded to less than 0.30 mol/Kg; and in that when equilibrated at 45° C. with an aqueous solution containing 35% wt. dextrose and 5% wt. HCl, said organic phase is loaded to between 0.10 mol/Kg and 0.50 mol/Kg; in that when equilibrated at 45° C. with an aqueous solution containing 35% wt. dextrose and 10% wt. HCl, said organic phase is loaded to between 0.20 mol/Kg and 0.70 mol/Kg; in that when equilibrated at 45° C. with an aqueous solution containing 35% wt. dextrose and 15% wt. HCl, said organic phase is loaded to between 0.45 mol/Kg and 0.90 mol/Kg; and in that when equilibrated at 45° C. with an aqueous solution containing 35% wt. dextrose and 20% wt. HCl, said organic phase is loaded to between 0.55 mol/Kg and 1 mol/Kg.

6 . (canceled)

7 . The organic phase composition according to claim 1 , characterized by an essentially linear distribution curve for HCl extraction from 35% wt. dextrose solution in a range between 1% wt. HCl and 20% wt. HCl.

8 . The organic phase composition according to claim 1 , characterized by a water concentration of between 2.0% and 7.0% when equilibrated at 45° C. with an aqueous solution containing 35% wt. dextrose and 10% wt HCl.

9 . The organic phase composition according to claim 1 , characterized by an aqueous/organic phase separation time of less than 5 min as measure after shaking gently 50 times at 50° C. with an aqueous solution containing 35% wt. dextrose and 20% wt HCl.

10 . A method for the recovery of HCl comprising

a. bringing an aqueous process stream comprising HCl and a solute, wherein HCl amount, concentration and purity are W1, C1 and P1, respectively, into contact at a temperature T1 with an organic phase according to claim 1 , whereupon HCl selectively transfers to said organic phase to form an HCl-carrying extract; and

b. recovering, at a temperature T2, HCl from said HCl-carrying solvent to form a recovered HCl stream wherein HCl amount, concentration and purity are W2, C2 and P2, respectively, and a regenerated organic phase, wherein said recovering comprises at least one of:

b1. bringing said HCl-carrying extract into contact with an aqueous back-extracting stream, whereupon HCl transfers to said aqueous stream, and

b2. distilling HCl from said HCl-carrying extract

wherein

(i) W2/W1 is greater than 0.5

(ii) C2/C1 is greater than 0.7;

(iii) P2/P1 is greater than 20; and

(iv) T1 and T2 are less than 130° C.

11 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein said recovering comprises both bringing in contact and distilling and wherein said distilling precedes said bringing in contact.

12 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein T2 is greater than T1 by at least 20° C.

13 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein said solute is a carbohydrate, said carbohydrate concentration is greater than 15% wt. and said process stream is formed in a process of hydrolyzing a polysaccharide in a polysaccharide-containing material.

14 . The method according to claim 10 , further comprising a step of using said recovered HCl stream for the hydrolysis of a polysaccharide.

15 . A method for the production of carbohydrate comprising

a) providing a feed comprising a polysaccharide;

b) hydrolyzing said polysaccharide in an HCl-comprising hydrolysis medium, wherein HCl amount, concentration and purity are W3, C3 and P3, respectively, to form a hydrolyzate comprising carbohydrate and HCl, wherein HCl amount, concentration and purity are W4, C4 and P4, respectively;

c) separating a portion of the HCl from said hydrolyzate to form a first separated HCl stream wherein HCl amount, concentration and purity are W5, C5 and P5, respectively, and an HCl-depleted hydrolyzate, wherein HCl amount, concentration and purity are W1, C1 and P1, respectively;

d) bringing said HCl-depleted hydrolyzate into contact at a temperature T1 with an organic phase according to claim 1 , whereupon HCl selectively transfers to said organic phase to form an HCl-carrying extract and an essentially HCl-free hydrolyzate;

e) recovering, at a temperature of T2, HCl from said HCl-carrying solvent to form a recovered HCl stream wherein HCl amount, concentration and purity are W2, C2 and P2, respectively, and a regenerated organic phase, wherein said recovering comprises at least one of

e1. bringing said HCl-carrying extract into contact at a temperature T2 with an aqueous back-extracting stream, whereupon HCl transfers to said aqueous stream, and

e2. distilling HCl from said HCl-carrying extract;

f) combining at least a portion of said first separated HCl stream and a portion of said recovered HCl stream to form a reagent HCl stream, wherein HCl amount, concentration and purity are W6, C6 and P6, respectively; and

g) combining said reagent HCl stream with a lignocellulosic material to form said hydrolysis medium;

wherein

i. said first HCl stream is essentially carbohydrate free;

ii. W2/W1 is greater than 0.5, W1/W3 and W1/W4 are each less than 0.4, W5/W4 is greater than 0.1, and W6/W4 is greater than 1;

iii. C2/C1 is greater than 0.7;

iv. C3, C4, C5 and C6 are each greater than 30% wt;

v. P2/P1 is greater than 20, and P3/P1 and P4/P1 are each greater than 50;

vi. P5 and P6 are each greater than 80%; and

vii. T1 and T2 are each less than 130° C.

16 . The method according to claim 15 , wherein said recovering comprises both bringing in contact and distilling and wherein said distilling precedes said bringing in contact.

17 . The method according to claim 15 , wherein T2 is greater than T1 by at least 20° C.

18 . (canceled)

19 . The method according to claim 15 , wherein C3 is greater than 36% wt, and C4, C5 and C6 are greater than 39% wt.

20 - 21 . (canceled)

22 . The method according to claim 15 , wherein said feed comprises a lignocellulosic material, wherein said hydrolyzing further forms an HCl-comprising lignin stream, wherein HCl amount, concentration and purity are W8, C8 and P8, respectively, wherein W8/W3 is greater than 0.2, C8 is greater than 35% and P8/P1 is greater than 20; and wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

h) separating HCl from said HCl-comprising lignin stream to form a third separated HCl stream wherein HCl amount, concentration and purity are W9, C9 and P9, respectively, and an HCl-depleted lignin stream; and

i) combining at least a portion of said third separated HCl stream with at least a portion of said first separated HCl stream and a portion of said recovered HCl stream to form said reagent HCl stream, wherein C9 is greater than 30% wt, P9 is greater than 80% wt and W9/W8 is greater than 0.1.

23 - 24 . (canceled)

25 . The method according to claim 22 , further comprising a step of;

j) separating HCl from said HCl-depleted lignin stream to form a fourth separated HCl stream wherein HCl amount, concentration and purity are W10, C10 and P10, respectively, and an essentially HCl-free lignin stream and wherein W10/W8 is greater than 0.1, C10 is greater than 10% wt and P10 is greater than 50% wt.; and wherein said separating HCl from said HCl-depleted lignin stream comprises distilling HCl in the presence of a first organic solvent.

26 - 28 . (canceled)

29 . A method for the production of a carbohydrate comprising;

a) providing a lignocellulosic material feed comprising a polysaccharide;

b) hydrolyzing said polysaccharide in an HCl-comprising hydrolysis medium, wherein HCl amount, concentration and purity are W3, C3 and P3, respectively, to form a hydrolyzate comprising carbohydrate and HCl, wherein HCl amount, concentration and purity are W4, C4 and P4, respectively and an HCl-comprising lignin stream, wherein HCl amount, concentration and purity are W8, C8 and P8, respectively;

c) separating a portion of the HCl from said hydrolyzate to form a first separated HCl stream wherein HCl amount, concentration and purity are W5, C5 and P5, respectively, and an HCl-depleted hydrolyzate, wherein HCl amount, concentration and purity are W1, C1 and P1, respectively;

d) separating HCl from said HCl-comprising lignin stream to form a third separated HCl stream wherein HCl amount, concentration and purity are W9, C9 and P9, respectively, and an HCl-depleted lignin stream; and

e) bringing said HCl-depleted hydrolyzate into contact at a temperature T1 with an organic phase, according to claim 1 ,

whereupon HCl selectively transfers to said organic phase to form an HCl-carrying extract and an essentially HCl-free hydrolyzate;

f) recovering, at a temperature of T2, HCl from said HCl-carrying extract to form a recovered HCl stream wherein HCl amount, concentration and purity are W2, C2 and P2, respectively, and a regenerated organic phase, wherein said recovering comprises at least one of

f1. bringing said HCl-carrying extract into contact with an aqueous back-extracting stream, whereupon HCl transfers to said aqueous stream and

f2. distilling HCl from said HCl-carrying extract;

g) combining at least a portion of said first separated HCl stream, a portion of said recovered HCl stream and a portion of said third separated HCl stream to form a reagent HCl stream, wherein HCl amount, concentration and purity are W6, C6 and P6, respectively; and

h) combining said reagent HCl stream with a lignocellulosic material to form said hydrolysis medium; wherein

(i) said first HCl stream is essentially carbohydrate free;

(ii) W2/W1 is greater than 0.5, W1/W3 and W1/W4 are each less than 0.4, W5/W4 is greater than 0.1, W6/W4 is greater than 1, W8/W3 is greater than 0.2 and W9/W8 is greater than 0.1;

(iii) C2/C1 is greater than 0.7;

(iv) C3, C4, C5, C6, C8 and C9 are each greater than 30% wt;

(v) P2/P1 and P8/P1 are each greater than 20 and, P3/P1 and P4/P1 are each greater than 50;

(vi) P5, P6 and P9 are each greater than 80% and

(vii) T1 and T2 are each less than 130° C.;

(viii) each of said contacts comprises at least 3 counter-current stages.

30 . (canceled)

31 . The method according to claim 29 , wherein T2 is greater than T1 by at least 20° C.

32 . The method according to claim 29 further comprising the steps of:

i) separating HCl from said HCl-depleted lignin stream to form a fourth separated HCl stream wherein HCl amount, concentration and purity are W10, C10 and P10, respectively, and an essentially HCl-free lignin stream; and

i) combining at least a portion of said fourth separated HCl stream with at least a portion of said first separated HCl stream, a portion of said recovered HCl stream and a portion of said third separated HCl stream to form said reagent HCl stream, wherein W10/W8 is greater than 0.1, C10 is greater than 10% wt and P10 is greater than 50% wt., wherein said separating HCl from said HCl-depleted lignin stream comprises distilling HCl in the presence of a first organic solvent.

33 - 34 . (canceled)

35 . The method according to any of claim 29 , wherein C3, C4, C5, C6 and C9 are each greater than 39% wt.

36 - 40 . (canceled)

41 . The method according to claim 29 , wherein said hydrolyzate further comprises an organic solute, and the method further comprises the step of:

i) bringing said hydrolyzate into contact at a temperature T3 with a third organic solvent, whereupon said organic solute selectively transfers to said third organic solvent to form an organic solute-depleted hydrolyzate and a first organic solute-carrying solvent; and optionally:

i) recovering said third solvent and organic solute from said first extractives-carrying solvent to form a separated organic solute and a regenerated third solvent.

42 - 45 . (canceled)