Process for the production of oligosaccharides from lignocellulosic biomass

1. A process for the production of oligosaccharides from lignocellulosic biomass, comprising at least the following steps:

a) pre-treating the biomass in a pre-treatment reactor in order to provide an effluent containing a pre-treated substrate;

b) carrying out an enzymatic hydrolysis of the pre-treated substrate contained in the effluent obtained from step a) in a reactor, in the presence of cellulases, in a manner such that a hydrolysate containing glucose, cellulases and water is produced;

c) removing at least a portion of the hydrolysate obtained from step b) comprising a liquid fraction;

d) reducing the water content of said at least a portion of the hydrolysate removed in step c) in a manner such that the liquid fraction of the resulting hydrolysate has a water content of less than 65% by weight of water with respect to the total weight of the liquid fraction of the at least a portion of the hydrolysate removed in step c);

e) incubating the resulting hydrolysate with reduced water content obtained from step d) at a temperature in the range 40° C. to 70° C. for a time necessary to produce an effluent enriched in oligosaccharides.

2. The process according to claim 1 in which in step d), the at least a portion of the hydrolysate removed in step c) is reduced in water content by evaporation at a temperature of less than 90° C.

3. The process according to claim 1 in which in step d), glucose is added to the at least a portion of the hydrolysate removed in step c).

4. The process according to claim 1 in which in step d), a membrane separation of the at least a portion of the hydrolysate removed in step c) is carried out in order to separate at least a portion of the water of the liquid fraction.

5. The process according to claim 1 in which in step d), the at least a portion of the hydrolysate removed in step c) is separated into at least a first hydrolysate portion and a second hydrolysate portion, the first hydrolysate portion is reduced in water content by evaporation at a temperature of more than 90° C. and this reduced in water first hydrolysate portion is mixed with the second hydrolysate portion.

6. The process according to claim 1 , in which a solid/liquid separation of the effluent obtained from step a) is carried out in order to recover a liquid fraction containing sugars and a solid fraction containing the pre-treated substrate, said solid fraction being sent to step b).

7. The process according to claim 6 , in which the hydrolysate is treated in step d) as a mixture with the liquid fraction containing sugars obtained from the solid/liquid separation of the effluent obtained from step a).

8. The process according to claim 6 , in which the liquid fraction containing sugars obtained from the solid/liquid separation of the effluent obtained from step a) is mixed with the effluent enriched in oligosaccharides obtained from step e).

9. The process according to claim 1 , in which the effluent obtained from step e) comprises sophorose and/or gentiobiose.

10. The process according to claim 1 , in which the liquid fraction of the at least a portion of the hydrolysate removed in step c), before reducing the water content in step d), has a water content of 85% to 95% by weight of water with respect to the total weight of said liquid fraction.

11. The process according to claim 1 , in which in step d), the reducing the water content of said at least a portion of the hydrolysate removed in step c) is such that the liquid fraction of the resulting hydrolysate has a water content of less than 50% by weight of water with respect to the total weight of the liquid fraction of the at least a portion of the hydrolysate removed in step c).

12. The process according to claim 1 , in which the pre-treating is conducted by an acid digestion, alkaline digestion, steam explosion or Organosolv process.

13. The process according to claim 1 , in which the pre-treating is conducted by a steam explosion process.