US4840903A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Process for producing ethanol from plant biomass using the fungus paecilomyces sp.
Assignee: United States, ENERGY THE, Department of
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Filing: 1985-08-08
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Granted: 1989-06-20
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Expires: 2005-08-08
Abstract
Abstract A process for producing ethanol from plant biomass is disclosed. The process in cludes forming a substrate from the biomass with the substrate including hydrolysates of cellulose and hemicellulose. A species of the fungus Paecilomyces, which has the ability to ferment both cellobiose and xylose to ethanol, is then selected and isolated. The substrate is inoculated with this fungus, and the inoculated substrate is then fermented under conditions favorable for cell viability and conversion of hydrolysates to ethanol. Finally, ethanol is recovered from the fermented substrate.
Inventors
- 👤 Jung Fu Wu
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 01:18
CPC Classifications
C; C12; C12P; C12P7/00; C12P7/02; C12P7/04; C12P7/06; C12P7/08; C12P7/10; C12N; C12N1/00; C12N1/14; C12N1/145; C12R; C12R2001/00; C12R2001/645; C12R2001/79; Y; Y02; Y02E; Y02E50/00; Y02E50/10; Y10; Y10S; Y10S435/00; Y10S435/8215; Y10S435/911; Y10S435/932
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 31
Claim 1
Independent Claim
77 words
A process for producing ethanol from plant biomass comprising: forming a substrate from said biomass, said substrate including hydrolysates of cellulose and hemicellulose; selecting and isolating a species of the fungus Paecilomyces sp. NF1 which species has the ability to ferment both cellobiose and xylose to ethanol; inoculating said substrate with said selected fungus; fermenting said inoculated substrate under conditions favorable for cell viability and conversion of hydrolysates to ethanol; and recovering the ethanol from said substrate.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
77 words
A process for producing ethanol from plant biomass comprising: forming a substrate from said biomass, said substrate including hydrolysates of cellulose and hemicellulose; selecting and isolating a species of the fungus Paecilomyces sp. NF1 which species has the ability to ferment both cellobiose and xylose to ethanol; inoculating said substrate with said selected fungus; fermenting said inoculated substrate under conditions favorable for cell viability and conversion of hydrolysates to ethanol; and recovering the ethanol from said substrate.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
25 words
The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of fermenting said substrate is carried out at a temperature ranging from about 20°-42° C.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
14 words
The process as claimed in claim 2, wherein said temperature range comprises 30°-37° C.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
22 words
The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pH of said inoculated substrate is maintained at about 2.2-7.0 during fermentation thereof.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
27 words
The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein said biomass includes cellulose and hemicellulose, and wherein said substrate is formed by saccharification of said cellulose and hemicellulose.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
14 words
The process as claimed in claim 5, wherein said saccharification step comprises acid hydrolysis.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
14 words
The process as claimed in claim 5, wherein said saccharification step comprises enzymatic hydrolysis.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
81 words
A process for producing ethanol from a substrate comprising: forming a substrate selected from the group consisting of pentoses, hexoses, the disaccharides including sucrose, maltose, cellobiose and lactose, polysaccharides, and mixtures thereof; inoculating said substrate with a species of the fungus Paecilomyces sp. NF1 species has the ability to ferment one or more of said, substrate components to ethanol; fermenting said inoculated substrate under conditions favorable for cell viability and production of ethanol; and recovering the ethanol from said fermented substrate.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
81 words
A process for producing ethanol from a substrate comprising: forming a substrate selected from the group consisting of pentoses, hexoses, the disaccharides including sucrose, maltose, cellobiose and lactose, polysaccharides, and mixtures thereof; inoculating said substrate with a species of the fungus Paecilomyces sp. NF1 species has the ability to ferment one or more of said, substrate components to ethanol; fermenting said inoculated substrate under conditions favorable for cell viability and production of ethanol; and recovering the ethanol from said fermented substrate.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
25 words
The process as claimed in claim 8, wherein the fermentation of said inoculated substrate is carried out at a temperature ranging from about 20°-42° C.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
20 words
The process as claimed in claim 8, wherein the pH of the inoculated substrate is about 2.2-7.0 during fermentation thereof.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
23 words
The process as claimed in claim 8, wherein said pentoses are selected from the group consisting of D-xylose, D-ribose, L-arabinose, and mixtures thereof.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
25 words
The process as claimed in claim 8, wherein said hexoses are selected from the group consisting of D-glucose, mannose, D-galactose, fructose, sorbose, and mixtures thereof.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
24 words
The process as claimed in claim 8, wherein said disaccharide is selected from the group consisting of D-cellobiose, sucrose, maltose, lactose, and mixtures thereof.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
12 words
The process as claimed in claim 8, wherein said polysaccharide comprises starch.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
20 words
The process as claimed in claim 8, wherein said substrate comprises a mixture of at least xylose, glucose and cellobiose.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
19 words
The process as claimed in claim 8, wherein said pentoses and hexoses are hydrolysate sugars of cellulose and hemicellulose.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
87 words
A process for producing ethanol from a substrate having a least a portion thereof selected from the group consisting of cellobiose, xylose and mixtures thereof, said process comprising the steps of: isolating a species of the filamentous fungus Paecilomyces sp. NF1 the ability to ferment both cellobiose and xylose to ethanol; inoculating said substrate with the isolated fungus; fermenting said inoculated substrate under conditions favorable for cell viability and conversion of any cellobiose and xylose present therein to ethanol; and recovering the ethanol from said fermented substrate.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
87 words
A process for producing ethanol from a substrate having a least a portion thereof selected from the group consisting of cellobiose, xylose and mixtures thereof, said process comprising the steps of: isolating a species of the filamentous fungus Paecilomyces sp. NF1 the ability to ferment both cellobiose and xylose to ethanol; inoculating said substrate with the isolated fungus; fermenting said inoculated substrate under conditions favorable for cell viability and conversion of any cellobiose and xylose present therein to ethanol; and recovering the ethanol from said fermented substrate.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
24 words
The process as claimed in claim 17, wherein the fermentation of said inoculated substrate is carried out at a temperature of about 20°-42° C.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
20 words
The process as claimed in claim 17, wherein the pH of the inoculated substrate is approximately 2.2-7.0 during fermentation thereof.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
21 words
The process as claimed in claim 17, wherein said substrate portion is derived by the acid hydrolysis of cellulose and hemicellulose.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
21 words
The process as claimed in claim 17, wherein said substrate portion is derived by the enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose and hemicellulose.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
20 words
The process as claimed in claim 17, wherein said substrate comprises a mixture of at least xylose, cellobiose and glucose.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
19 words
The process as claimed in claim 17, wherein said mixture is derived by the saccharification of cellulose and hemicellulose.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
16 words
The process as claimed in claim 17, wherein said fermentation is carried out under aerobic conditions.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
36 words
The process as claimed in claim 17, wherein said fermentation is carried out under anaerobic conditions. of ATCC No. 20766 and which is capable of assimilating both cellobiose and xylose to produce ethanol in recoverable amounts.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
37 words
In a process for fermenting an aqueous fermentable sugars-containing solution to ethanol, the improvement comprising innoculating said solution with a species of the fungus Paecilomyces sp. NF1 which ferments sugars, to ethanol, and allowing fermentation to proceed.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
37 words
In a process for fermenting an aqueous fermentable sugars-containing solution to ethanol, the improvement comprising innoculating said solution with a species of the fungus Paecilomyces sp. NF1 which ferments sugars, to ethanol, and allowing fermentation to proceed.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
26 words
The improvement as claimed in claim 26, wherein the fermentation is allowed to proceed until fermentation of the sugars present in said solution is substantially complete.
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