US 11,982,052 B2
Combination approach to delignification of biomass under ambient conditions
Clay Purdy, Medicine Hat (CA); Markus Weissenberger, Calgary (CA); Markus Pagels, Calgary (CA); Kyle G Wynnyk, Calgary (CA); Matthew Dewit, Calgary (CA); and Andrew M Corbett, Calgary (CA)
Assigned to SIXRING INC., Calgary (CA)
Filed by SixRing Inc., Calgary (CA)
Filed on Aug. 17, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/404,199.
Claims priority of application No. 3102538 (CA), filed on Dec. 11, 2020; and application No. 3102541 (CA), filed on Dec. 11, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0186434 A1, Jun. 16, 2022
Int. Cl. D21C 3/04 (2006.01); D21C 3/00 (2006.01); D21C 3/20 (2006.01); D21C 9/16 (2006.01)
CPC D21C 3/04 (2013.01) [D21C 3/003 (2013.01); D21C 3/20 (2013.01); D21C 9/163 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
 
1. Method of delignification of plant material, said method comprising:
providing said plant material comprising cellulose fibres and lignin;
exposing said plant material requiring delignification to a composition comprising:
an acid;
a modifying agent selected from the group consisting of: imidazole; N-alkylimidazole; taurine; taurolidine; taurocholic acid; tauroselcholic acid; tauromustine; 5-taurinomethyluridine; 5-taurinomethyl-2-thiouridine; homotaurine (tramiprosate); acamprosate; taurates; alkylsulfonic acid; arylsulfonic acid; triethanolamine; and combinations thereof;
a metal oxide; and
a peroxide,
 thereby forming a resulting mixture for said plant material and said composition;
adding an organic solvent to the resulting mixture, wherein the organic solvent is selected from the group consisting of: toluene; iso-octane; hexanes; xylene; and combinations thereof; and
allowing a delignification reaction to occur for a period of time sufficient to remove at least 80% of the lignin present in said plant material.
 
11. A one-pot process to separate lignin from a lignocellulosic feedstock, said process comprising the steps of:
providing a vessel;
providing said lignocellulosic feedstock comprising cellulose fibres and lignin;
providing a composition comprising:
an acid;
a modifying agent selected from the group consisting of: imidazole; N-alkylimidazole; taurine; taurolidine; taurocholic acid; tauroselcholic acid; tauromustine; 5-taurinomethyluridine; 5-taurinomethyl-2-thiouridine; homotaurine (tramiprosate); acamprosate; taurates; alkylsulfonic acid; arylsulfonic acid; triethanolamine; and combinations thereof;
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 in said lignocellulosic feedstock, thereby forming a reaction mixture from said lignocellulosic feedstock and said composition;
exposing the reaction mixture to a water immiscible solvent; and
optionally, separating and removing a liquid phase from a solid phase comprising cellulose fibres, said liquid phase comprising said water immiscible solvent.