Sugar mixtures and methods for production and use thereof
View Patent ↗A sugar mixture comprising: monosaccharides; oligosaccharides in a ratio≥0.06 to total saccharides; disaccharides in a ratio to total saccharides≥0.05; pentose in a ratio to total saccharides≥0.05; at least one alpha-bonded di-glucose; and at least one beta-bonded di-glucose. Also disclosed are methods to make and/or use such mixtures.
1. A method comprising:
(a) hydrolyzing a lignocellulosic material in a medium containing a mineral acid to form a hydrolyzate;
(b) de-acidifying the hydrolyzate to form a de-acidified hydrolyzate comprising:
monosaccharides;
a ratio of higher oligosaccharides to total saccharides of≤0.2 weight/weight;
a ratio of pentose to total saccharides of≥0.05 weight/weight;
at least one alpha-bonded di-glucose;
at least one beta-bonded di-glucose; and
a ratio of mineral acid to total saccharides of≤0.03 weight/weight.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hydrolyzing is conducted in a counter-current mode of operation.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hydrolyzing is conducted at a temperature of less than 50° C.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ratio of the mineral acid to total mineral acid and water in the medium is≥0.37 by weight.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mineral acid is HCl.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the de-acidifying is conducted at a temperature of less than 80° C.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the de-acidifying comprises:
(i) extracting the hydrolyzate with a first extractant comprising an S1 solvent to form a mineral acid-carrying first extract and a mineral acid-depleted sugar solution, and
(ii) removing residual mineral acid in the mineral acid-depleted sugar solution by at least one of:
(ii-a) chromatographic separation, and
(ii-b) extraction with a second extractant comprising the S1 solvent and an S2 solvent;
wherein the S1 solvent is an organic solvent with a water solubility of less than 15% and is characterized by one or more of a polarity related component of Hoy's cohesion parameter (delta-P) between 5 and 10 MPa 1/2 and a hydrogen bonding related component of Hoy's cohesion parameter (delta-H) between 5 and 20 MPa 1/2 ; and
wherein the S2 solvent is an organic solvent with a water solubility of at least 30% and is characterized by one or more of a delta-P greater than 8 MPa 1/2 and a delta-H greater than 12 MPa 1/2 .
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the S1 solvent is selected from an alcohol, a ketone, and an aldehyde having at least 5 carbon atoms.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the S1 solvent is selected from hexanol and 2-ethyl hexanol.
10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the S2 solvent is selected from a C 1 -C 4 mono-alcohol, a C 1 -C 4 poly-alcohol, an aldehyde, and a ketone.
11. The method of claim 7 , comprising removing residual mineral acid in the mineral acid-depleted sugar solution by (ii-a) chromatographic separation.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the de-acidifying comprises chromatographic separation.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hydrolyzing of (a) forms the hydrolyzate and residual lignin, wherein the method further comprises:
(a-2) separating the hydrolyzate from the residual lignin before the de-acidifying of (b).
14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
(c) converting the saccharides in the de-acidified hydrolyzate to a conversion product.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the conversion product is selected from a detergent, polyethylene-based products, polypropylene-based products, polyolefin-based products, polylactic acid-based products, polyhydroxyalkanoate-based products and polyacrylic-based products.
16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the conversion product is selected from carboxylic acids, fatty acids, dicarboxylic acids, hydroxycarboxylic acids, hydroxy di-carboxylic acids, hydroxy-fatty acids, methylglyoxal, mono-, di-, or poly-alcohols, alkanes, alkenes, aromatics, aldehydes, ketones, esters, biopolymers, proteins, peptides, amino acids, vitamins, antibiotics, and pharmaceuticals.
17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the conversion product is selected from ethanol, butanol, isobutanol, a fatty acid, a fatty acid ester, a fatty alcohol and biodiesel.
18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ratio of total saccharides to total saccharides and water in the hydrolyzate is≥0.20 by weight.
19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ratio of at least one of the alpha-bonded di-glucose and the beta-bonded di-glucose to total saccharides in the de-acidified hydrolyzate is≥0.01 weight/weight.