US1032440A - Process of producing fermentable sugars from lignocellulose. - Google Patents

Description

G. H. TOMLINSON. PROCESS OF PRODUCING PERMENTABLE SUGARS FROM LIGNO GBLLULOSR. 7

APPLICATION FILED MAR.10,1910.

1,082,440- Patented July 16,19 12.

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N 1' e j g mZnwfie/S' $3 7221672 07.

574 I w Q60 TEES PATENT OFFICE- GEORGE E. TOMLINSON, OF CHIOAGQJLLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 STANDARD ALCOHOL COMPANY, OF YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 16, 1912.

Application filed March 10, 1910. Serial N0. 548,443.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. TOMLIN- SON, a subject of the King of England, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Processes of Producing Fermentable Sugars from Lignocellulose, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to "a process of producing from ligno-cellulose fermentable sugars adapted to be converted into alcohol.

In the accompanying drawing, I have illustrated diagrammatically one form of apparatus whereby my process can be carried out. This apparatus may be described as follows :A, A, are hoppers adapted to contain ligno-cellulose such as sawdust, and provided with suitable devices not shown for controlling the supply and flow of the same thereinto and therefrom. B, B are digesters, each provided with an exterior part C preferably metal, with an interlor lining'C preferably of acid-resisting brlck.

Each digester is provided with a blow-off pipe and valve G a man-hole G a removably secured man-hole cover 0 and a pressure gage C which may be attached to the man-hole cover. Each digester is also preferably provided with a worm-wheel D and a driving worm D whereby it may be rotated on 1ts projecting hubs D D mounted in suitable bearings on the standards D, D.

Stuflin boxes I)", D are provided at the ends '0 the hubs for the usual purposes. E is an acid tank adapted to contain, for example, sulfuric acid in its concentrated com mercial form. E is a pipe leading thence and controlled by the valve E This pipe opens into the reservoir E into which leads the water pipe F controlled by the valve F and from this reservoir leads a pipe F 3 controlled by the valve F to the pressurechamber F G is a steam supply pipe controlled by the valve G and from it leads the pipe G controlled by the valve Gr to the pressure chamber F The steam pipe is connected by the elbow G toa perforated pipe G which passes into or through thedigester. From the pressure chamber F leads the pipe J controlled by the valve J to the elbow G, through which it asses and terminates in the nozzle J 2 pre' erably placed in the contracted passage J 3 in the pipe G.

I- have shown my apparatus as applied to two digesters. In this case, a similar set of parts will be applied to the right hand digester as those which have been just de'- scribed in connection with the left hand digester. One of the objects in using two digesters 1s to permit the discharge of steam. or acid or both from one digester into the other when the first mentioned digester is about to be freed of its load while the second is ready to have steam and acid applied to 1t. In order to elfect such transmission, I employ the system of pipes, valves and couplings illustrated in the drawing.

K is a valve whence leads the pipe K to the T K whence leads the pipe K to the valve K". From the T leads a pipe K to the valve K whence leads the pipe K" to the T K from the opposite ends of which lead plpes K K", to valves K, K, whence lead pipes K K, to couplings K K which are adapted each to cooperate with the coupling K on the blow-oil? C when the digester is rotated to bring the parts -into the proper position. By a proper manipulation of the valves, it will be seen, that the parts can be so connected that either digester instead of being blown off into the open air can be blown ofl' into the perforated pipe of the other digester. When this is done one of the digesters is rotated until the coupling K can be brought in contact with the coupling K. The valve C is then opened, the steam passing through the pipe K to the valve K which is also open, through pipe K, T K pipe K the open valve K, valve K and into the pipe Gr in the other digester.

It will be seen that any one of many forms of apparatus could be used to work into the digester steam in such quantity as to raise the temperature of the entire mass up to what is called the critical point or the point where, in presence of acids, particularly strongly hydrolyzing acids, the

decomposition products which hinder fermentation begin to appear in considerable and objectionable quantities. This is from about 275 to about 325 Fahrenheit. The steam is preferably introduced until the temperature in the digester has been raised alone, and when the acid-fluid is admitted into the steam current, the streams should .be so regulated as to give the steam aproper opportunity to disintegrate the acid and under such conditions that the entlre predetermined charge of acid is discharged into the digester before the temperature rises above the maiu'mum point or say 325 Fahrenheit. I When the entire char e of acid has been inserted the admission 0 fluid is cut off and the temperature-retained at apoint, say between 260 and 330 Fahrenbelt, for from fifteen to sixty minutes, depending u. on the nature of the wood, the amount 0 [acid used and other such conditions as may arise from a practical applifirst. admission of steam, but I cation of the process. The acid may, of

course,'be forced into the digester withthe I believe I get' better results tereby, to allow the temperature to rise as above stated to 212 Fahrenheit first. This gives a unlform distribution of the acid spray through particles of ligno-cellulose at the time when the stream of steam and, therefore, through the material, and results in less condensation at the immediate neighborhood of the points of entry. By this means also the acid is not brought into contact with the wood until the temperature of re-actlon is nearly reached and thus- I prevent at least to a degree, the formation of reversion products. The preferred process, therefore, is that wherein a stream of steam 1s forced into the ligno-cellulose in the dlgester to heat it to approximately 212 Fahrenheit, and a stream of acid-fluid is then supplled to the stream of'steam so as to be disintegrated thereby and carried therewith into the digester, the discharge into the digester being made at numerous points so that the commingled steam and disintegrated ac1dfluid are disseminated through the lignocellulose, the acid particles, so to'speak, being brought into intimate relation with the the latter are heated to apoint where conditions are substantially ready for the reaction.

Any suitable acid for the purpose of refer, "for closed vessel and 'dischar 'n treating the ligno-cellulose can be employed and in any state, though my process is particularly applicable to the employment of acid solutions such as sulfuric acids for the purpose of producing .fermentable sugars from ligno-cellulose. All other acids capable of producing the same result can be utilized in my process, the modification thereof being made in such way as to adapt the process to the condition, nature, strength and other peculiarities of the acid desired to be employed. The process is particularly applicable for such hydrolyzing acids as are diflicult of volatilization. When the process has been continued lon gases are blown off in any esired manner and the contents of the digester removed, whereupon the fermentable sugar can be secured in the usual manner. The blowing off of the gases involves a rapid reduction of the internal temperature, which falls with the reduction of pressure to or below the atmospheric boiling point of the liquid.

I claim i 1. The process of producing fermentable sugars from ligno-cellulose which consists in placing a quantity of ligno-cellulose in a closed vessel, quickly raising its temperature by. the introduction of steam, introducing a suitable quantity'of an acid-fluid into the stream of steam whereby it is disintegrated and disseminated through the ligno-cellulose, maintaining the temperature for from fifteen to sixty minutes at approximately the critical point and then reducing the temperature.

enough, the.

2. The process of producing fermentable I sugars from ligno-cellulose' which consists a closed vessel, quickly raising the temperature to about 212 Fahrenheit by the intro-.

duction of steam, introducing a suitable quantity of an acid-fluid into the stream of steamwhereby it is-disintegrated "and disseminated through the ligno-cellulose, con tlnuing the process-until thetemperaturef is raised to from 260 to 330 Fahrenheit and I in placing a quantity-of ligno-cellulose in ligno-cellulose until it is heated to the ligno-cellulose until it is heated to from 260 to 830 Fahrenheit, then maintaining such temperature for from fifteen to sixty minutes by steam thus directly introduced and then reducing the temperature.

5. The process of producing fermentable sugars from ligno-cellulose which consists in placing a quantity of ligno-cellulose in a closed vessel and 'discharg'iifig dthereinto ui through steam and disintegrated aci a series of discharge openings so as to bring the acid particles into intimate relation with the ligno-cellulose particles, and continuing the operation until the temperature has reached the proper point, maintaining such temperature for from fifteen to sixty minutes by steam thus directly introduced and then blowing ofl.

6. The process of producing fermentable sugars from ligno-cellulose which consists in placing a quantity of li o-cellulose in a closed vessel, heating suc ligno-cellulose, forcing a stream of steam and disintegrated acid-fluid into such heated ligno-cellulose until the proper temperature for the desired re-action is produced, and then maintaining such temperature until the reaction is completed and then quickly reducing the contact with steam, and then disseminatinga.hydrolyzing agent through the mass and continuing the heating thereof to eflect the conversion.

8. The process of producing fermentable sugars from ligno-cellulose, which consists in preliminarily heating the mass by direct contact with steam, and then conveying a hydrolyzing agent to the mass and isseminating it therethrough by a current of steam, and continuing the heating of the mass to efiect the conversion.

GEORGE H. TOMLINSON.

Witnesses:

WILHELM G. From Ln ROY H. Burma. I

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