The present invention provides a method for producing pentosan polysulfate, the method including a first step of obtaining an acidic xylooligosaccharide from a plant-derived raw material, and a second step of obtaining pentosan polysulfate from the acidic xylooligosaccharide. The first step includes a step of depolymerizing the plant-derived raw material. The second step includes a step of sulfating the acidic xylooligosaccharide. The method further includes a deacetylation step of adding a base to achieve a pH of 11 or higher. The deacetylation step is a step performed after the depolymerization step. The production method of the present invention can provide pentosan polysulfate having a low acetyl group content, and also produce pentosan polysulfate with a high yield inexpensively and efficiently.

Provided are methods for preparing modified natural fiber composite feedstocks. In some embodiments, the presently disclosed methods include hydrolyzing agricultural fiber material, optionally soybean hulls, under conditions and for a time sufficient to remove some or all of the arabinose from the agricultural fiber material to produce an arabinose-deficient hydrolyzed product; hydrolyzing the arabinose-deficient hydrolyzed product under conditions and for a time sufficient to remove some or all of the xylose from the arabinose-deficient hydrolyzed product to produce a hydrolyzed fiber material; and combining a thermoplastic copolyester (TPC) with up to 35 wt. % by weight of the hydrolyzed material, whereby a modified fiber composite feed stock is prepared. Also provided are methods for isolating xylose removed from arabinose-deficient hydrolysates, modified fiber composites prepared by the presently disclosed methods, method for 3D printing structure using the modified fiber composites, methods for improving at least one characteristic of modified TPC composites, and methods for improving fused filament fabrication (FEE) processes.

The process includes pretreating the biomass with a first basic solution such as sodium hydroxide and mechanically altering the fibers to provide a fluidized biomass. The fluidized biomass is then subjected to high frequency pulses and shear forces without denaturing the individual components of the biomass. The biomass is then subjected to compressive force to separate a first liquid fraction from a first fractionated biomass. The first fractionated biomass may again then be subjected to the same high frequency pulses and shear forces as previously, particularly if there are hemicellulose and/or sugars still present in the first fractionated biomass. Compressive forces are used to separate a second liquid fraction from a second fractionated biomass. The second fractionated biomass is subjected to oxidation such as with hydrogen peroxide at a pH of 8 to 12. The second fractioned biomass is then subjected to compressive forces to separate one or more water insoluble components of the biomass in water soluble form.

The invention proposes a method of separating hemicellulose through efficient pretreatment of fibrous biomass materials. Fibrous biomass materials are first pretreated by the slurry method: the fibrous biomass materials are milled through ball mills and sieved to obtain fibrous biomass material powder, and the powder is mixed with water at room temperature to obtain slurry premixed solution of the fibrous biomass material powder. Through regulation and control of the reaction temperature, the time and the water amount, efficient hydrothermal removal of hemicellulose from the fibrous biomass material powder is realized. After the mixed solution is filtered, the filtrate is subject to gradient sedimentation to separate hemicellulose with low dispersity, and the sediment is then dried before storage. After the filter residue is mixed with polar aprotic solvent and water, and heated and stirred in a pressurized reactor, high-purity cellulose is obtained through filtering and separation.

The process includes pretreating the biomass with a first basic solution such as sodium hydroxide and mechanically altering the fibers to provide a fluidized biomass. The fluidized biomass is then subjected to high frequency pulses and shear forces without denaturing the individual components of the biomass. The biomass is then subjected to compressive force to separate a first liquid fraction from a first fractionated biomass. The first fractionated biomass may again then be subjected to the same high frequency pulses and shear forces as previously, particularly if there are hemicellulose and/or sugars still present in the first fractionated biomass. Compressive forces are used to separate a second liquid fraction from a second fractionated biomass. The second fractioned biomass is then subjected to compressive forces to provide lignin in water soluble form.

In some variations, a process for converting a biomass feedstock into a pretreated biomass material comprises: providing a biomass feedstock containing cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin; introducing the biomass feedstock and a recycled vapor stream to a biomass-heating unit, thereby generating a heated biomass stream at a first temperature, wherein the recycled vapor stream is at a first pressure of at least atmospheric pressure; feeding the heated biomass stream to a biomass digestor operated at a second temperature and a second pressure to pretreat the biomass feedstock, thereby generating a digested stream comprising a solid-liquid mixture and a digestor vapor, wherein the second temperature is higher than the first temperature, and wherein the second pressure is higher than the first pressure; recycling at least a portion of the digestor vapor to the biomass-heating unit; and recovering or further processing the solid-liquid mixture as a pretreated biomass material. Many variations are disclosed.

A process for hydrolyzing at least part of the hemicellulose and at least part of the cellulose of a particulate solid material comprising cellulose, lignin, and from 10 to 60% by weight of hemicellulose, wherein said hemicellulose comprises xylose in an amount of from 40 to 100% by weight, on the basis of hemicellulose, said process being conducted in at least one reactor comprising said particulate solid material and interstitial space. The process comprises two hydrolysis steps using hydrochloric acid, separated by a displacement step wherein a water-immiscible displacement fluid displaces part of the hydrochloric acid containing hydrolysate products from the interstitial space in the reactor. In the present process, a particulate solid material is used of which the hemicellulose is high in xylose (xylan).

Methods of forming an ingredient for human consumption are provided herein. The methods may include isolating one or more soluble polysaccharides from a biomass, generating one or more oligosaccharides from the biomass, and combining the one or more isolated soluble polysaccharides with the generated oligosaccharides to form the ingredient. Methods of pretreating a biomass are also provided. The methods may include administering a physical pretreatment to a biomass, administering a gentle pretreatment to the physically pretreated biomass, and administering a strong pretreatment to the gently pretreated biomass. Ingredients for human consumption are also provided.

In some variations, a process for preparing a biomass feedstock for conversion to a sugar, a biofuel, a biochemical, or a biomaterial, comprises: providing a biomass feedstock containing cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin; optionally, introducing the biomass feedstock and a first vapor stream to a biomass-heating unit, thereby generating a heated biomass stream; introducing the biomass feedstock and a first liquid stream to a liquid-addition unit, thereby generating a wet biomass stream, wherein the first liquid stream contains a pretreatment chemical; introducing the wet biomass stream to a mechanical conveyor operated to physically remove liquid from the wet biomass stream, thereby generating an excess-liquid stream comprising the pretreatment chemical and a solid discharge stream comprising the biomass feedstock and the pretreatment chemical; recycling at least a portion of the excess-liquid stream to the first liquid stream; and recovering or further processing the solid discharge stream. Many variations are disclosed.

In some variations, a process for converting a biomass feedstock into a product comprises: providing a biomass feedstock containing cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin; providing a reaction solution comprising a fluid and optionally a pretreatment chemical; feeding the biomass feedstock and the reaction solution to a biomass digestor operated to pretreat the biomass feedstock, thereby generating a digested stream comprising a solid-liquid mixture and a digestor vapor; discharging the digested stream to a vapor-separation unit operated to separate the digestor vapor from the solid-liquid mixture; optionally recycling at least a portion of the digestor vapor within the process; conveying the solid-liquid mixture, or a portion thereof, to a hydrolysis reactor operated to hydrolyze the cellulose and/or the hemicellulose to monomeric and/or oligomeric sugars; and converting the monomeric and/or oligomeric sugars to a product. Many variations are disclosed.