SixRing Inc.

A method for removing the constituents of a biomass into separate streams, where said method comprises the following steps: Step 1: providing a biomass feedstock comprising: cellulose; hemicellulose; and lignin; Step 2: exposing said biomass to a first acidic composition comprising an acid selected from the group consisting of: mineral acids; organic acids; modified acids; synthetic acids; and combinations thereof; for a first period of time sufficient to dissolve at least 50% of the hemicellulose present in said biomass; Step 3: separating and recovering into a first liquid stream, the dissolved hemicellulose from the remaining biomass; Step 4: exposing the remaining biomass mixture to a modified Caro's acid selected from the group consisting of: composition A; composition B and Composition C; wherein said composition A comprises: sulfuric acid in an amount ranging from 20 to 70 wt % of the total weight of the composition; a compound comprising an amine moiety and a sulfonic acid moiety selected from the group consisting of: taurine; taurine derivatives; and taurine-related compounds; and a peroxide; wherein said composition B comprises: an alkylsulfonic acid; and a peroxide; wherein the acid is present in an amount ranging from 40 to 80 wt % of the total weight of the composition and where the peroxide is present in an amount ranging from 10 to 40 wt % of the total weight of the composition; wherein said composition C comprises: sulfuric acid; a compound comprising an amine moiety; a compound comprising a sulfonic acid moiety; and a peroxide; for a first period of time sufficient to dissolve enough of the lignin present in said remaining biomass mixture to obtain a kappa number for the cellulose of less than 5; for a first period of time sufficient to dissolve enough of the lignin present in said remaining biomass mixture to obtain a kappa number for the cellulose of less than 5; Step 5: recovering into a second liquid stream the dissolved lignin from the resulting reaction mixture, wherein said solid portion comprises cellulose fibers with, at most, 7.5 wt % hemicellulose.

A process to manufacture nanocrystalline cellulose from cellulose having a low hemicellulose content, said process comprising the steps of: exposing said cellulose to a microemulsion composition for a first pre-determined period of time, thereby creating a soaked cellulose; optionally, exposing the soaked cellulose to a sonication step for a second predetermined period of time; and exposing the resulting mixture to a H 2 O 2 with FeSO 4 or CuSO 4 under acidic conditions for a third pre-determined period causing hydrolysis of the cellulose; wherein the nanocrystalline cellulose will have a crystallinity index of more than 50% and an aspect ratio ranging from 10:1 length to width to 50:1 length to width.

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 modifying 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; adding an organic solvent to the resulting mixture; allowing a delignification reaction to occur for a period of time sufficient to remove at least 80% of the lignin present on said plant material.

A process to delignify biomass, said process comprising the steps of: providing a vessel; providing biomass comprising lignin, hemicellulose and cellulose fibers into said vessel; providing a aqueous acidic composition comprising a sulfuric acid component; providing a peroxide component; exposing said biomass to said sulfuric acid component and peroxide component, creating a reaction mass; allowing said sulfuric acid component and peroxide component to come into contact with said biomass for a period of time sufficient to a delignification reaction to occur and remove over 90 wt % of said lignin and hemicellulose from said biomass; and controlling the temperature of the delignification reaction to maintain it below 55° C.

A one-pot process to separate lignin from a lignocellulosic feedstock, where the process involves the steps of: providing a vessel; providing the lignocellulosic feedstock; providing a composition that includes: an acid; a modifying agent including a compound containing an amine group; and a peroxide; exposing the lignocellulosic feedstock to the composition in the vessel for a period of time sufficient to remove at least 80% of the lignin present in the lignocellulosic feedstock; and, optionally, separating and removing a liquid phase that includes dissolved lignin fragments from a solid phase containing cellulose fibres.

An aqueous composition comprising: sulfuric acid; a heterocyclic compound; an alkanesulfonic acid; and a peroxide. Said composition being capable of delignifying biomass under milder conditions than conditions under which kraft pulping takes place.

A method of obtaining ethanol from a lignocellulosic biomass comprises delignification of a lignocellulosic biomass using a modified Caro's acid. Next a solid portion of the delignification reaction mixture is recovered wherein the solid portion comprises a substantially hemicellulose-free cellulosic component which includes at most, up to 15% w/w hemicellulose. Next, the recovered solid portion of the resulting reaction mixture is exposed to an enzyme mix comprising cellulase enzymes to create a saccharification system that breaks down the cellulose into a saccharified composition such as oligosaccharides. The saccharified composition is then fed to an organism, such as yeast, with the ability to ferment sugars into ethanol.

A process to separate lignin from a lignocellulosic feedstock, said process comprising the steps of: providing said lignocellulosic feedstock; providing a composition comprising; an acid; a modifying agent selected from the group consisting of: sulfamic acid; imidazole; imidazole derivatives; taurine; a taurine derivative; a taurine-related compound; alkylsulfonic acid; arylsulfonic acid; triethanolamine; and combinations thereof; a peroxide salt; and a peroxide; exposing said lignocellulosic feedstock to said composition for a period of time sufficient to depolymerize substantially all of the lignin present in said lignocellulosic feedstock into lignin oligomers and lignin monomers; wherein said process is carried out at atmospheric pressure.

An aqueous composition comprising: sulfuric acid; a modifying agent comprising an amine group; and a peroxide. The amine group can include triethanolamine, diethanolamine, monoethanolamine, pyrrolidine, ethylenediamine, diethylamine, triethylamine, DIPEA, cyclohexylamine, piperidine, morpholine, DBU, benzylamine, and combinations thereof. The composition is capable of delignifying biomass under milder conditions than conditions under which kraft pulping takes place. The composition can be used in processing and depolymerization of cellulose from a plant source.

A process to perform a controlled exothermic delignification of biomass comprises providing a system having a first vessel and a second vessel, providing a biomass comprising lignin, hemicellulose and cellulose fibers placed into the first vessel, providing an aqueous acidic composition comprising a sulfuric acid component, providing a modifier component and providing a peroxide component. The biomass is exposed to the sulfuric acid component and peroxide component, thereby creating a reaction mass. The reaction mass is mixed and the sulfuric acid, modifier and peroxide components are allowed to come into contact with the biomass for a period of time sufficient for a delignification reaction to occur and to remove a predetermined amount of the lignin from the biomass. The predetermined amount is assessed by testing a first kappa number of the biomass. When the first kappa number of the biomass is reached, the biomass is transferred to the second vessel.