The present invention relates to an improved method and device for treating biomass in which thermally treated biomass is discharged from a pressurized reactor and introduced into a blow tank and then a flash tank, wherein the absolute pressure in the blow tank is maintained above atmospheric pressure and the absolute pressure in the flash tank is maintained below atmospheric pressure. The slurry of biomass separated in the flash tank is then enzymatically treated. The heat from the thermally treated biomass is recovered from the latent heat of a vaporous aqueous stream withdrawn from the blow tank.

The present disclosure relates to methods and systems of fermenting that include, after the fermentable composition has been exposed to fermentations conditions to produce biochemical, exposing at least a portion of a fermentable composition to a disruption process to disrupt at least a portion of insoluble solid component. After the fermentable composition has been exposed to a disruption process, the fermentable composition can be exposed to fermentation conditions again to product biochemical.

A method for producing a partially hydrolysed lignocellulosic material is provided including treating a lignocellulosic material with an acid and/or an alkali and then a polyol. Also provided are methods of producing a fermentable sugar, or a fermentable sugar and a fermentation product from said partially hydrolysed lignocellulosic material. A partially hydrolysed lignocellulosic material, a fermentable sugar, and fermentation product produced by such methods are also provided. Also provided is an apparatus for producing a partially hydrolysed lignocellulosic material, such as by the aforementioned method.

The present invention relates to a processing method at acidic or neutral pH in a reactor (4) for processing lignocellulosic biomass (P), said process including a continuous cleaning phase of the reactor which comprises introducing a basic aqueous solution (EB) into said reactor containing the biomass being processed.

A wood-derived lignin composition is disclosed. The wood-derived lignin composition comprises: - acid-insoluble lignin in an amount of 80 - 90 weight-% based on the total dry matter content of the lignin composition, wherein the average molecular weight of the lignin is 5000 - 15000 Da; -carbohydrates in an amount of 1.5 - 15 weight-% based on the total dry matter content of the lignin composition; - nitrogen in an amount of 0.2 - 1.5 weight-% based on the total dry matter content of the lignin composition; and wherein weight ratio of oxygen to carbon is at least 0.5 Further is disclosed a method for producing the wood-derived lignin composition.

A pre-hydrolysis pressure vessel system includes; a material inlet for receiving biomass material to be treated in the pre-hydrolysis pressure vessel system and a material outlet for expelling treated biomass material out from the pre-hydrolysis pressure vessel system; a transport screw arrangement including a transport screw provided inside an enclosing housing of the transport screw arrangement, said transport screw being configured for transporting biomass material through the enclosing housing towards the material outlet of the pre-hydrolysis pressure vessel system. The enclosing housing includes a cleaning arrangement that includes: at least one elongated fluid channel positioned in connection with an inner wall of the enclosing housing and wherein said at least one elongated fluid channel comprises a number of fluid outlets, and at least one cleaning fluid inlet which is provided through the enclosing housing in fluid connection with the at least one fluid channel.

The invention relates to a process for the preparation of a sugar and/or fermentation product from lignocellulosic material.

A cellulose saccharification method includes: a pulverization step of pulverizing a raw material containing cellulose and filler; a classification step of classifying the raw material in air into the cellulose and the filler; and a saccharification step of introducing the cellulose classified in the classification step and a saccharification reaction liquid which contains an enzyme in a saccharification tank to proceed a saccharification reaction by decomposition of the cellulose using the enzyme.

The present invention provides a process for producing a nanocellulose material, comprising: fractionating a lignocellulosic biomass feedstock in the presence of a solvent for lignin and water, but no acid catalyst, to generate cellulose-rich solids; and then mechanically treating the cellulose-rich solids to form a nanocellulose material comprising cellulose nanofibrils and/or cellulose nanocrystals. Many organic or inorganic solvents are possible. In some embodiments, the solvent for lignin is an oxygenated organic compound, such as a C.sub.1-C.sub.18 alcohol, e.g. ethanol, ethylene glycol, propanol, propanediol, glycerol, butanol, or butanediol. The solvent for lignin may be an aromatic alcohol, such as phenol, cresol, or benzyl alcohol. The solvent for lignin may be a ketone, an aldehyde, or an ether, such as methyl ethyl ketone or diethyl ether. The solvent for lignin may be a non-oxygenated alkane, olefin, or aromatic hydrocarbon. In some embodiments, the solvent for lignin is an ionic liquid.

Provided are dry-milling methods for producing an aqueous fermentation feedstock ingredient. The methods include providing a corn-processing filtration feed; filtering at least a fraction of said filtration feed on a microfiltration membrane, whereby an aqueous filtration permeate and a filtration retentate are formed; separating said filtration permeate from said filtration retentate, to form separated permeate and separated retentate; forming a fermentation feedstock comprising said separated permeate, and saccharifying and/or washing said separated retentate.