Production of products from biomass

Abstract

The processes disclosed herein include saccharifying cellulosic and/or lignocellulosic biomass and fermenting the sugars to produce a sugar alcohol.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for making sugar alcohols, the method comprising:
 combining cellulosic or lignocellulosic biomass that contains one or more sugars with a microorganism, the recalcitrance of the biomass having been reduced by bombardment with electrons; and   utilizing jet mixing while maintaining the microorganism-biomass combination under conditions that enable the microorganism to ferment at least one of the sugars to a sugar alcohol, wherein said conditions comprise a dissolved oxygen level above 10%, and wherein said sugar alcohol is erythritol.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising saccharifying the cellulosic or lignocellulosic biomass, optionally via one or more cellulases. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the microorganism is selected from the group consisting of  Moniliella pollinis, Moniliella megachiliensis, Yarrowia lipolytica, Aureobasidium  sp.,  Trichosporonoides  sp.,  Trigonopsis variabilis, Trichosporon  sp.,  Moniliellaacetoabutans, Typhula variabilis, Candida magnoliae, Ustilaginomycetes, Pseudozyma tsukubaensis ; yeast species of genera  Zygosaccharomyces, Debaryomyces, Hansenula  and  Pichia ; and fungi of the dematioid genus  Torula.    
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the microorganism is a species of  Moniliella , optionally  M. pollinis , and optionally  M. pollinis  strain CBS 461.67. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the microorganism is  M. megachiliensis , optionally  M. megachiliensis  strain CBS 567.85. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the cellulosic or lignocellulosic biomass is selected from the group consisting of: paper, paper products, paper waste, paper pulp, pigmented papers, loaded papers, coated papers, filled papers, magazines, printed matter, printer paper, polycoated paper, card stock, cardboard, paperboard, cotton, wood, particle board, forestry wastes, sawdust, aspen wood, wood chips, grasses, switchgrass, miscanthus, cord grass, reed canary grass, grain residues, rice hulls, oat hulls, wheat chaff, barley hulls, agricultural waste, silage, canola straw, wheat straw, barley straw, oat straw, rice straw, jute, hemp, flax, bamboo, sisal, abaca, corn cobs, corn stover, soybean stover, corn fiber, alfalfa, hay, coconut hair, sugar processing residues, bagasse, beet pulp, agave bagasse, algae, seaweed, manure, sewage, offal, agricultural or industrial waste, arracacha, buckwheat, banana, barley, cassava, kudzu, oca, sago, sorghum, potato, sweet potato, taro, yams, beans, favas, lentils, peas, and mixtures of any of these. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , where the recalcitrance of the biomass has been additionally reduced by a treatment method selected from the group consisting of: sonication, oxidation, pyrolysis, steam explosion, chemical treatment, and mechanical treatment. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising mechanically treating the cellulosic or lignocellulosic biomass to reduce its bulk density and/or increase its surface area. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the cellulosic or lignocellulosic biomass is comminuted, optionally via dry milling or wet milling. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising separating the one or more of the one or more sugars prior to combining the cellulosic or lignocellulosic biomass with the microorganism. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising concentrating the one or more sugars prior to combining the cellulosic or lignocellulosic biomass with the microorganism. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the saccharified biomass is adjusted to have an initial glucose concentration of at least 5 wt %. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising culturing the microorganism in a cell growth phase before combining the cellulosic or lignocellulosic biomass with the microorganism. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising purifying the biomass, wherein said purifying optionally comprises the removal of metal ions.