Claims
- 1. A method for extracting bio-functional and bio-responsive fractions from biomass, comprising:
providing or obtaining biomass; treating the biomass in a high-frequency, rotor-stator device to make sheared biomass; treating the sheared biomass with saturated steam at a time and temperature effective to extract bio-functional fractions; rapidly depressurizing the biomass and steam; mixing a depressurized bio-functional fraction with reagent that breaks down the fraction into oligomers and monomers; and separating the monomers from the each other and the oligomers.
- 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the biomass is subjected to pressurization at a temperature of about 390 to 460 degrees Fahrenheit.
- 3. The method of claim 1 wherein the biomass is subjected to pressurization for a time ranging from 2 minutes to 4 hours.
- 4. The method of claim 1 wherein the separation material used in monomer separation includes styrene crosslinked with divinyl benzene.
- 5. A process for extraction of monomers from biomass, comprising:
obtaining biomass; subjecting the biomass to saturated steam at a time and temperature effective to extract the bio-functional materials comprising polymers; rapidly depressurizing the biomass to extract the bio-functional materials; mixing the bio-functional materials, in one or more static mixers, with one or more materials to hydrolyze the polymers to form monomeric and oligomeric hydrolysates; converting the hydrolysates to form a mixture of monomers, having no added acid; and separating the monomers from the mixture using ion exchange.
- 6. The process of claim 5 wherein the ion exchange includes media comprising beads that include styrene crosslinked with divinylbenzene.
- 7. A process for extracting a stereoisomer from biomass, comprising:
providing biomass; subjecting the biomass to substantially instantaneous pressurization and depressurization in a manner effective to separate lignin, hemicellulose and cellulose in the biomass; hydrolyzing the hemicellulose to form hemicellulose hydrolysates in a mixture free from added acid; and separating one or more stereoisomers from the hemicellulose hydrolysates using ion exchange.
- 8. The process of claim 7 and further comprising reducing size of the biomass prior to pressurization.
- 9. The process of claim 7 and further comprising compacting the biomass prior to pressurization.
- 10. The process of claim 7 wherein the biomass provided is one or more of wood, beets, corn, soy, wheat, and plant biomass.
- 11. The process of claim 7 wherein the stereoisomer separated is L-arabinose.
- 12. The process of claim 7 wherein the biomass is subjected to pressurization at a temperature of about 390 to 460 degrees Fahrenheit.
- 13. The process of claim 7 wherein the biomass is subjected to pressurization for not more than about 10 minutes.
- 14. The process of claim 7 wherein the biomass is reduced to a size sawdust.
- 15. The process of claim 7 and further comprising feeding the biomass for pressurization continuously.
- 16. The process of claim 7 and further comprising adding moisture to the biomass before pressurization.
- 17. The process of claim 1 wherein the hydrolysis occurs in a reactor/static mixer.
- 18. The process of claim 7 wherein sodium hydroxide is added to the static mixer in a flowpath that is counter-current to the flow of hemicellulose.
- 19. A system for obtaining monosaccharides, oligosaccharides and polysaccharides from biomass, comprising:
a mechanism for substantially instantaneously pressurizing and depressurizing biomass to separate the biomass into hemicellulose, cellulose, and lignin; a heater for heating the hemicellulose to liquefy the hemicellulose; a static reactor/mixer for mixing a sodium hydroxide with hemicellulose and for making hemicellulose hydrolysates without an addition of acid; and ion exchange mechanisms comprising ion exchange resin for selectively separating a hemicellulose hydrolysate based upon the component's stereoisomeric identity.
- 20. The system of claim 1 the ion exchange resin comprises styrene crosslinked with divinyl benzene.
- 21. The system of claim 19 wherein the hemicellulose product passes through a glass transition state and into its liquefied state very rapidly.
- 22. The system of claim 15 wherein the hemicellulose hydrolysates comprised arabinose, l-arabinose, d-xylose, l-xylose, d-glucose, l-glucose, and any other racemic carbohydrates.
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a Continuation-In-Part of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/340,877 which is a Continuation under 35 U.S.C. 111(a) from International Application No. PCT/US01/41322, filed Jul. 10, 2001, and published in English at WO 02/04084 on Jul. 17, 2002, which claims priority from U.S. application Ser. No. 09/613,411, filed Jul. 10, 2000, which application and publications are incorporated by reference.
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
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PCT/US01/41322 |
Jul 2001 |
US |
Child |
10340877 |
Jan 2003 |
US |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Date |
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10340877 |
Jan 2003 |
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Child |
10670178 |
Sep 2003 |
US |