Described are a method for processing cellulose-containing biomass and the use of methanesulfonic acid for processing cellulose-containing biomass, especially for the pretreatment of cellulose-containing biomass prior to saccharification.

The invention herein disclosed and claimed is a process for refining fiber from lignocellulosic biomass. The process provides refined fiber and agriculturally amenable co-products, with a virtually waste-free systems design.

The present invention relates to regulation of the p H of a liquefaction process. Presented is a method for treatment of a biomass feedstock wherein the biomass feedstock is subjected to liquefaction, at a p H of at most 4, by treatment with hot compressed liquid water (HCW) at subcritical and/or supercritical conditions to improve the conversion efficiency. The present invention is also directed to quenching of a liquefaction process according to above, preventing, minimizing or eliminating clogging and/or fouling of sticky biomass components in process equipment during processing as according to above, and to the use of additives in a biomass liquefaction process.

The present invention relates to regulation of the p H of a liquefaction process. Presented is a method for treatment of a biomass feedstock wherein the biomass feedstock is subjected to liquefaction, at a p H of at most 4, by treatment with hot compressed liquid water (HCW) at subcritical and/or supercritical conditions to improve the conversion efficiency. The present invention is also directed to quenching of a liquefaction process according to above, preventing, minimizing or eliminating clogging and/or fouling of sticky biomass components in process equipment during processing as according to above, and to the use of additives in a biomass liquefaction process.

Described herein are processes for one-step delignification and hydrodeoxygenation of lignin fraction a biomass feedstock. The lignin feedstock is derived from by-products of paper production and biorefineries. Additionally described is a process for converting biomass-derived oxygenates to lower oxygen-content compounds and/or hydrocarbons in the liquid or vapor phase in a reactor system containing hydrogen and a catalyst comprised of a hydrogenation function and/or an oxophilic function and/or an acid function. Finally, also described herein is a process for converting biomass-derived oxygenates to lower oxygen-content compounds and/or hydrocarbons in the liquid or vapor phase in a reactor system containing hydrogen and a catalyst comprised of a hydrogenation function and/or an oxophilic function and/or an acid function.

Described herein are processes for one-step delignification and hydrodeoxygenation of lignin fraction a biomass feedstock. The lignin feedstock is derived from by-products of paper production and biorefineries. Additionally described is a process for converting biomass-derived oxygenates to lower oxygen-content compounds and/or hydrocarbons in the liquid or vapor phase in a reactor system containing hydrogen and a catalyst comprised of a hydrogenation function and/or an oxophilic function and/or an acid function. Finally, also described herein is a process for converting biomass-derived oxygenates to lower oxygen-content compounds and/or hydrocarbons in the liquid or vapor phase in a reactor system containing hydrogen and a catalyst comprised of a hydrogenation function and/or an oxophilic function and/or an acid function.

Digestion of cellulosic biomass solids may be complicated by release of lignin therefrom. Methods and systems for processing a reaction product containing lignin-derived products, such as phenolics, can comprise hydrotreating the reaction product to convert the lignin-derived products to desired higher molecular weight compounds. The methods can further include separating the higher molecular weight compounds from unconverted products, such as unconverted phenolics, and recycling the unconverted phenolics for use as at least a portion of the digestion solvent and for further conversion to desired higher molecular weight compounds with additional hydrotreatment.

Digestion of cellulosic biomass solids may be complicated by release of lignin therefrom. Methods and systems for processing a reaction product containing lignin-derived products, such as phenolics, can comprise hydrotreating the reaction product to convert the lignin-derived products to desired higher molecular weight compounds. The methods can further include separating the higher molecular weight compounds from unconverted products, such as unconverted phenolics, and recycling the unconverted phenolics for use as at least a portion of the digestion solvent and for further conversion to desired higher molecular weight compounds with additional hydrotreatment.

A method of treating wood with an organic phosphonate salt in a liquid phase to chemically modify its surface and thus provide protection from microorganisms. The organic phosphonate salts are of Formula III

##STR00001##

wherein R1 is a hydrogen radical or an alkyl or aryl radical having 1 to 20 carbon atoms and R2 is a cation selected from the group of NH4+, H+, Li+, Na+, K+, Rb+, Cs+, Fr+, Cu+, Ag+, substituted or unsubstituted ammonium, phosphonium, and sulfonium, methylpyrrolidinium, isothiazolium, isoxazolium, oxazolium, pyrrolium, thiophenium, pyridinium, pyridazinium, pyrimidinium, pyrazinium, imidazolium, pyrazolium, thiazolium, oxazolium, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium, and triazolium, or a mixture thereof, said method preferably comprising using one or more salt compounds having formula III. Products comprising a raw material having been treated according to the method with one or more organic salts of formula III are also disclosed.

A method of treating wood with an organic phosphonate salt in a liquid phase to chemically modify its surface and thus provide protection from microorganisms. The organic phosphonate salts are of Formula III

##STR00001##

wherein R1 is a hydrogen radical or an alkyl or aryl radical having 1 to 20 carbon atoms and R2 is a cation selected from the group of NH4+, H+, Li+, Na+, K+, Rb+, Cs+, Fr+, Cu+, Ag+, substituted or unsubstituted ammonium, phosphonium, and sulfonium, methylpyrrolidinium, isothiazolium, isoxazolium, oxazolium, pyrrolium, thiophenium, pyridinium, pyridazinium, pyrimidinium, pyrazinium, imidazolium, pyrazolium, thiazolium, oxazolium, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium, and triazolium, or a mixture thereof, said method preferably comprising using one or more salt compounds having formula III. Products comprising a raw material having been treated according to the method with one or more organic salts of formula III are also disclosed.