Approach to biomass delignification
Method of delignification of plant material, said method comprising: providing said plant material comprising cellulose fibres and lignin; exposing said plant material requiring to a composition comprising: an acid; a modifiying agent selected from the group consisting of: sulfamic acid; imidazole; N-alkylimidazole; taurine; a taurine derivative; a taurine-related compound; alkylsulfonic acid; arylsulfonic acid; triethanolamine; and combinations thereof; a metal oxide; and a peroxide; for a period of time sufficient to remove substantially all (at least 80%) of the lignin present on said plant material.
1. A composition comprising:
an acid;
a modifiying agent selected from the group consisting of: sulfamic acid; imidazole; N-alkylimidazole derivative; taurine; a taurine derivative; a taurine-related compound; alkylsulfonic acid; arylsulfonic acid; triethanolamine; and combinations thereof;
a metal oxide; and
a peroxide.
2. The composition according to claim 1 , wherein the taurine derivative or taurine-related compound is selected from the group consisting of: taurolidine; taurocholic acid;
tauroselcholic acid; tauromustine; 5-taurinomethyluridine and 5-taurinomethyl-2-thiouridine; homotaurine (tramiprosate); acamprosate; and taurates.
3. The composition according to claim 1 , wherein the alkysulfonic acid is selected from the group consisting of: methanesulfonic acid; ethanesulfonic acid; and combinations thereof.
4. The composition according to claim 1 , wherein the arylsulfonic acid is selected from the group consisting of: orthanilic acid; metanilic acid; sulfanilic acid; toluenesulfonic acid; benzenesulfonic acid; and combinations thereof.
5. The composition according to claim 1 , wherein the acid and the metal oxide are present in a molar ratio ranging from 1:1 to 100:1.
6. The composition according to claim 1 , wherein the acid and the metal oxide are present in a molar ratio ranging from 20:1 to 100:1.
7. The composition according to claim 1 , wherein the acid and the modifying agent are present in a molar ratio ranging from 1:1 to 10:1.
8. The composition according to claim 1 , wherein the acid and the modifying agent are present in a molar ratio ranging from 1:1 to 5:1.
9. The composition according to claim 1 , wherein the acid and the modifying agent are present in a molar ratio ranging from 1:1 to 3:1.
10. The composition according to claim 1 , wherein the acid is sulfuric acid.
11. The composition according to claim 1 , wherein the metal oxide is selected from the group consisting of: TiO 2 ; Fe 2 O 3 ; ZnO; Al 2 O 3 ; SiO 2 ; ZrO 2 /Y 2 O 3 ; WO 3 ; SnO; Bi 2 O 3 ; and combinations thereof.
12. The composition according to claim 1 , wherein the metal oxide is selected from the group consisting of: TiO 2 ; Al 2 O 3 ; SiO 2 ; and combinations thereof.
13. A one-pot process to separate lignin from a lignocellulosic feedstock, said process comprising the steps of:
providing a vessel;
providing said lignocellulosic feedstock;
providing a composition comprising;
an acid;
a modifiying agent;
a metal oxide; and
a peroxide;
exposing said lignocellulosic feedstock to said composition in said vessel for a period of time sufficient to remove at least 80% of the lignin present said lignocellulosic feedstock;
optionally, removing a liquid phase comprising dissolved lignin fragments from a solid phase comprising cellulose fibres.
14. The process according to claim 13 , wherein said acid is sulfuric acid.
15. The process according to claim 13 , wherein said peroxide is hydrogen peroxide.
16. The process according to claim 13 , wherein the period of time is sufficient to remove at least 90% of the lignin present on said plant material.
17. The process according to claim 13 , wherein the temperature of the composition prior to the step of exposing it to the lignocellulosic feedstock is below 50° C.
18. The process according to claim 13 where the modifying agent is selected from the group consisting of: sulfamic acid; imidazole; N-alkylimidazole; taurine; a taurine derivative; a taurine-related compound; alkylsulfonic acid; arylsulfonic acid; triethanolamine; and combinations thereof.
19. The process according to claim 13 where the modifying agent is taurine derivative or taurine-related compound selected from the group consisting of: sulfamic acid; taurolidine; taurocholic acid; tauroselcholic acid; tauromustine; 5-taurinomethyluridine and 5-taurinomethyl-2-thiouridine; homotaurine (tramiprosate); acamprosate; and taurates.
20. The process according to claim 13 where the modifying agent is an alkysulfonic acid is selected from the group consisting of: methanesulfonic acid; ethanesulfonic acid; sulfamic acid and combinations thereof.
21. The process according to claim 13 where the modifying agent is an arylsulfonic acid is selected from the group consisting of: toluenesulfonic acid; benzenesulfonic acid; and combinations thereof.
22. The process according to claim 13 where the modifying agent comprises a compound containing an amine group and a compound comprising a sulfonic acid moiety.
23. The process according to claim 13 , wherein the metal oxide is selected from the group consisting of: TiO 2 ; Fe 2 O 3 ; ZnO; Al 2 O 3 ; SiO 2 ; ZrO 2 /Y 2 O 3 ; WO 3 ; SnO; Bi 2 O 3 ; and combinations thereof.
24. The process according to claim 13 , wherein the metal oxide is selected from the group consisting of: TiO 2 ; Al 2 O 3 ; SiO 2 ; and combinations thereof.