Separation process of oil and sugars from biomass
View Patent ↗Process for recovery and separation of sugars and oil from plants where the stems and leaves of such plants have substantial levels of both sugars and oils.
1. A method of recovering oil and sugars from a modified plant comprising stems and leaves, wherein the stems and leaves each contain oil selected from lipids, in an amount from 0.1 to 25 wt % on a dry matter basis and sugars selected from sucrose, glucose, fructose, other mono, di, or tri saccharides, or mixtures thereof in an amount from 0.1 to 55 wt % on a dry matter basis,
the method comprising:
mechanically treating the plant to release liquid comprising the oil and sugars from the stems and leaves, thereby forming a mechanically treated mixture comprising the liquid and solid components, the mechanical treatment being selected from at least one of shredding, crushing and pressing;
separating the oil from the liquid, thereby forming an oil-rich stream, the oil separation step being selected from centrifugation, membrane filtration, or solvent extraction; and
separating the sugars from the liquid, thereby forming a sugar-rich solution, the sugar separation step being selected from centrifugation or membrane filtration.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising purifying the oil-rich stream, the oil purification step being selected from physical, chemical or biological processes.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising purifying the sugar-rich solution, the sugar-solution purification step being selected from physical, chemical or biological processes.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising treating the solid component in a solid component processing step selected from physical, chemical or biological processes.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the plant is a grass.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein the grass is a saccharinae.
7. The method of claim 6 wherein the saccharinae is sugarcane or sweet sorghum.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein the mechanical treatment comprises crushing in a roller mill.
9. The method of claim 8 wherein during crushing, the mechanically treated mixture is immersed in hot water or solvents.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein the lipids are selected from fats, waxes, sterols, monoglycerides, diglycerides, triglycerides, phospholipids or mixtures thereof.
11. The method of claim 1 wherein the mechanical treatment step comprises at least two of shredding, crushing and pressing.
12. The method of claim 1 wherein the mechanical treatment step comprises shredding, crushing and pressing.
13. The method of claim 1 wherein the sugars are selected from sucrose, other di, or tri saccharides, or mixtures thereof.
14. The method of claim 1 wherein the lipids are present in an amount from 0.5 to 25 wt %.
15. The method of claim 1 wherein the sugars are present in an amount from 1.0 to 55 wt %.
16. The method of claim 1 wherein the lipids are present in an amount from 0.5 to 25 wt % and the sugars are present in an amount from 1.0 to 55 wt %.
17. A method of recovering oil and sugars from a modified plant comprising stems and leaves, wherein the stems and leaves each contain oil selected from lipids in an amount from 0.1 to 25 wt % on a dry matter basis and sugars selected from sucrose, glucose, fructose, other mono, di, or tri saccharides, or mixtures thereof in an amount from 0.1 to 55 wt % on a dry matter basis,
the method comprising:
mechanically treating the plant to release liquid comprising oil and sugars from the stems and leaves, thereby forming a mechanically treated mixture comprising the liquid and solid components, the mechanical treatment being selected from at least one of shredding and crushing;
separating the liquid from the solid component in a liquid-solid separation step selected from centrifugation or filtration, thereby forming a separated liquid stream and a separated solid component stream;
separating the oils from the sugars in the separated liquid stream in a solvent extraction step, thereby forming a raw sugar solution stream and a miscella stream comprising oil and solvent;
removing solvent from the miscella stream in an evaporation step, thereby forming an oil-rich stream and a solvent recycle stream; and
returning the solvent stream to the solvent extraction step.
18. A method of recovering oil and sugars from a modified plant comprising stems and leaves, wherein the stems and leaves each contain oil selected from lipids in an amount from 0.1 to 25 wt % on a dry matter basis and sugars selected from sucrose, glucose, fructose, other mono, di, or tri saccharides, or mixtures thereof in an amount from 0.1 to 55 wt % on a dry matter basis,
the method comprising:
mechanically treating the plant to release liquid comprising oil and sugars from the stems and leaves, thereby forming a mechanically treated mixture comprising the liquid and solid components, the mechanical treatment being selected from at least one of shredding and crushing;
separating the liquid from the solid component in a liquid-solid separation step selected from centrifugation or filtration, thereby forming a separated liquid stream and a separated solid component stream;
separating the oil from the sugars in the separated liquid stream in a membrane filtration step, thereby forming a raw sugar solution stream and an oil-rich stream comprising oil; and
concentrating the oil in the oil-rich stream in an evaporation step, thereby forming a concentrated oil stream.
19. A method of recovering oil and sugars from a modified plant comprising stems and leaves, wherein the stems and leaves each contain oil selected from lipids in an amount from 0.1 to 25 wt % on a dry matter basis and sugars selected from sucrose, glucose, fructose, other mono, di, or tri saccharides, or mixtures thereof in an amount from 0.1 to 55 wt% on a dry matter basis,
the method comprising:
mechanically treating the plant to release liquid comprising oil and sugars from the stems and leaves, thereby forming a mechanically treated mixture comprising the liquid and solid components, the mechanical treatment being selected from at least one of shredding and crushing;
extracting the mechanically treated mixture in a solvent extraction step, thereby forming a de-oiled material stream comprising sugars and a solid component, and a miscella stream comprising oil and solvent;
removing solvent from the miscella stream in an evaporation step, thereby forming an oil-rich stream and a solvent recycle stream; and
separating the sugars from the solid component in the de-oiled material stream in a membrane filtration step, thereby forming a raw sugar solution and a solid component stream.
20. A method of recovering oil and sugars from a modified plant comprising stems and leaves, wherein the stems and leaves each contain oil selected from lipids in an amount from 0.1 to 25 wt % on a dry basis and sugars selected from sucrose, glucose, fructose, other mono, di, or tri saccharides, or mixtures thereof in an amount from 0.1 to 55 wt % on a dry matter basis,
the method comprising:
mechanically treating the plant to release liquid from the stems and leaves, thereby forming a mechanically treated mixture comprising a juice stream comprising the oil and sugars, the mechanical treatment being selected from at least one of shredding and crushing;
fermenting the juice stream in a fermentation step to convert the sugars to ethanol, thereby forming a fermented mixture;
evaporating the ethanol from the fermented mixture in an evaporation step, thereby forming a raw oil stream; and
extracting the raw oil stream in a solvent extraction step to separate oil from the raw oil stream, thereby forming an oil enriched stream.