Composition of lignin pellets and system for producing the same

Abstract

A system for treating biomass for the production of a composition of lignin pellets is disclosed. Pellets comprising at least 50 percent lignin by dry weight is disclosed. Also disclosed are pellets produced from a lignin composition by a process comprising: pre-treating lignocellulosic biomass into pre-treated biomass; separating the pre-treated biomass into a first liquid component comprising sugars and a first solids component comprising cellulose and the lignin composition; hydrolysing the first solids component of the pre-treated biomass into a hydrolysed biomass comprising sugars and the lignin composition; separating the hydrolysed biomass into a second liquid component comprising sugars and a second solids component comprising the lignin composition; supplying the second solids component comprising the lignin composition to a pelleting apparatus to produce the pellets; wherein the lignocellulosic biomass comprises cellulose, hemi-cellulose and lignin. According to an aspect, at least a portion of the lignin is not sulfonated.

1 - 12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . A process for producing pellets produced from a lignin composition, the process comprising:
 pre-treating lignocellulosic biomass into pre-treated biomass;   separating the pre-treated biomass into a first liquid component comprising sugars and a first solids component comprising cellulose and the lignin composition;   hydrolysing the first solids component of the pre-treated biomass into a hydrolysed biomass comprising sugars and the lignin composition;   separating the hydrolysed biomass into a second liquid component comprising sugars and a second solids component comprising the lignin composition;   supplying the second solids component comprising the lignin composition to a pelleting apparatus to produce the pellets;   wherein the lignocellulosic biomass comprises cellulose, hemi-cellulose and lignin.   
     
     
         14 . The process of  claim 13 , wherein the supplying comprises supplying the second solids component to a pelleting apparatus comprising a disk pelletizer. 
     
     
         15 . The process of  claim 13 , comprising:
 supplying the second solids component to a fermentation system to produce fermentation product;   separating the fermentation product to a third liquid component and a third solids component comprising the lignin composition; and   supplying the third solids component to the pelleting apparatus to produce the pellets.   
     
     
         16 . The process of  claim 13 , wherein the pellets comprise at least 50 percent lignin by dry weight. 
     
     
         17 . The process of  claim 13 , wherein the pellets comprise at least 65 percent lignin by dry weight. 
     
     
         18 . The process of  claim 13 , wherein the process further comprises supplying the second solids component to a treatment system to increase the concentration of lignin in the lignin composition. 
     
     
         19 . The process of  claim 18 , wherein the pellets comprise at least 80 percent lignin by dry weight. 
     
     
         20 . The process of  claim 18 , wherein the pellets comprise at least 90 percent lignin by dry weight. 
     
     
         21 . The process of  claim 18 , wherein the pellets comprise at least 95 percent lignin by dry weight. 
     
     
         22 . The process of  claim 13 , wherein the process further comprises drying the pellets. 
     
     
         23 . The process of  claim 13 , wherein the lignocellulosic biomass comprises at least one of corn cobs, corn plant husks, corn plant leaves, corn plant stalks, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         24 . The process of  claim 13 , wherein the lignocellulosic biomass consists essentially of corn cobs, corn plant husks, corn plant leaves, corn stalks, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         25 . The process of  claim 13 , wherein at least a portion of the lignin is not sulfonated. 
     
     
         26 . The process of  claim 13 , wherein the pellets comprise at least 50 percent lignin by dry weight and from 40 to 75 weight percent moisture. 
     
     
         27 . The process of  claim 26 , wherein the pellets comprise at least 80 percent lignin by dry weight. 
     
     
         28 . The process of  claim 26 , wherein the pellets comprise at least 90 percent lignin by dry weight. 
     
     
         29 . The process of  claim 13 , wherein the pellets comprise from about 57-67 percent lignin and from about 2 to 22 weight percent ash based on total solids. 
     
     
         30 . The process of  claim 13 , wherein the pellets comprise from about 57-67 percent lignin, from about 5.5 to 7.5 percent cellulose, and from about 1.8 to 3.9 percent hemicellulose based on total solids. 
     
     
         31 . The process of  claim 31 , wherein the pellets comprise from 40 to 65 percent moisture. 
     
     
         32 . The process of  claim 31 , wherein the pellets comprise from 45 to 55 percent moisture.