Abstract: It is disclosed a process for increasing the enzymatic accessibility of a thermally treated ligno-cellulosic biomass feedstock which has been thermally treated at a severity factor. The process comprises a step of fiber shives reduction, for reducing the amount of long shives. The thermally treated ligno-cellulosic biomass after fiber shives reduction is characterized by having an increased glucans accessibility and by forming a slurry having a low viscosity.

Abstract: It is disclosed a process for increasing the enzymatic accessibility of a thermally treated ligno-cellulosic biomass feedstock which has been thermally treated at a severity factor. The process comprises a step of fiber shives reduction, for reducing the amount of long shives. The thermally treated ligno-cellulosic biomass after fiber shives reduction is characterized by having an increased glucans accessibility and by forming a slurry having a low viscosity.

Abstract: It is disclosed a process for increasing the enzymatic accessibility of a thermally treated ligno-cellulosic biomass feedstock which has been thermally treated at a severity factor. The process comprises a step of fiber shives reduction, for reducing the amount of long shives. The thermally treated ligno-cellulosic biomass after fiber shives reduction is characterized by having an increased glucans accessibility and by forming a slurry having a low viscosity.

Abstract: The invention relates to processes of closing an observed gap in sugar yield between pure batch hydrolysis and a multi-stage hydrolysis containing a continuous reactor. Enzyme compositions containing varied ratios of cellulolytic composition and a hemicellulolytic composition preconditioning are used in multi-stage hydrolysis processes containing a continuous reactor in order to close the gap. Such enzyme compositions are useful in multi-stage saccharification of a lignocellulosic material, fermentation processes following multi-stage saccharification of a lignocellulosic material and in improving a glucose or xylose yield in multi-stage saccharification of a lignocellulosic material.

Abstract: The invention relates to processes of multi-stage hydrolysis where different enzyme compositions are added in at least two stages of hydrolysis. In a first stage, a first enzyme composition of xylanase, a beta-xylosidase and an endoglucanase is added, followed by a latter stage in which a second enzyme composition, a cellulolytic enzyme composition, is added. Also provided are processes for obtaining hydrolysis products and fermentation products using processes of the invention.

Abstract: This specification describes a process of producing a monomeric sugar stream ligno-cellulosic biomass without enzymes or acid catalysts. This is accomplished by removing the water soluble C5 sugars from the ligno-cellulosic biomass feedstream, lowering the pH of the C5 solution with little or no addition of an acid, thermally treating the remaining ligno-cellulosic biomass, combining the thermally treated ligno-cellulosic biomass with the low pH C5 solution and then exposing the mixture to an elevated temperature greater than 80° C. for a time sufficient to hydrolyze at least some of the components of the ligno-cellulosic biomass. Preferably, the thermally treated ligno-cellulosic biomass is subjected to a fiber shives reduction step to reduce the amount of long fiber shives.

Abstract: A process for producing polyols from a low viscosity slurry comprising a thermally treated ligno-cellulosic biomass which has been subjected to a fiber shives reduction step is provided. Specifically, a continuous process for catalyzing the formation of polyol products, such as ethylene glycol and propylene glycol, from the low viscosity slurry is provided.

Abstract: This specification discloses an operational continuous process to convert lignin as found in ligno-cellulosic biomass before or after converting at least some of the carbohydrates. The process comprises thermally treating the ligno-cellulosic biomass and then subjecting the thermally treated ligno-cellulosic biomass to a step of fiber shives reduction to produce a low viscosity slurry. The continuous process has been demonstrated to create slurry, raise the slurry to ultra high pressures, deoxygenate the lignin in a reactor over a catalyst which not a fixed bed without producing char. The conversion products of the carbohydrates or lignin can be further processed into polyester intermediates for use in polyester preforms and bottles.

Abstract: A process for producing polyols from a low viscosity slurry comprising a thermally treated ligno-cellulosic biomass which has been subjected to a fiber shives reduction step is provided. Specifically, a continuous process for catalyzing the formation of polyol products, such as ethylene glycol and propylene glycol, from the low viscosity slurry is provided.

Abstract: An method for growing a microbial organism, comprising the cultivation of the microbial organism in the presence of a hydrolyzed composition obtained from a thermally treated ligno-cellulosic biomass. The treatment preferably comprises a fiber shives reduction step. The hydrolyzed composition has very few inhibitor compounds and the microbial organism feed with the hydrolyzed composition grows in a short time with a high duplication factor.

Abstract: It is disclosed a process for increasing the enzymatic accessibility of a thermally treated ligno-cellulosic biomass feedstock which has been thermally treated at a severity factor. The process comprises a step of fiber shives reduction, for reducing the amount of long shives. The thermally treated ligno-cellulosic biomass after fiber shives reduction is characterized by having an increased glucans accessibility and by forming a slurry having a low viscosity.

Abstract: A process produces at least a first enzyme from a host cell, wherein the first enzyme is capable of hydrolyzing a first pre-treated ligno-cellulosic biomass. The process comprises the step of cultivating the host cell to produce at least the first enzyme for a cultivation time, wherein the cultivation of the host cell occurs in a sugar depleted cultivation environment comprising the host cell, water and a solid composition comprising a complex sugar of the solid composition and a lignin of the solid composition.

Abstract: The invention is to a novel method for evaluating the hydrolysis conversion of a enzyme or enzyme mixture relative to a specific ligno-cellulosic biomass. The method evaluates the hydrolysis conversion of a enzyme or enzyme mixture relative to a specific ligno-cellulosic biomass by preparing a pretreated ligno-cellulosic biomass suspension, a buffer solution and an enzyme or enzyme mixture solution; dispensing a portion of one or more of the three components into a plurality of test vials, subjecting one or more of the plurality of test vials to varying incubation periods, reducing the rate of incubation at the end of each incubation period, and analyzing the resulting samples for dissolved sugars to determine the rate of reaction.

Abstract: The invention is to a novel method for assaying most or all of the activities of an enzyme or enzyme solution that could be used to convert ligno-cellulosic material into monomeric sugars. The method characterizes enzymes and enzyme mixtures for the hydrolysis of ligno-cellulosic biomass by measuring the protein concentration of an enzyme or enzyme mixture, adding the enzyme or enzyme mixture to a plurality of test vials creating a liquid fraction in the plurality of test vials wherein each test vial in the plurality of test vials contains a different substrate, incubating each test vial for a period of time sufficient to establish the conversion of the substrate in each test vial of the plurality of test vials at the same pH and temperature, while, if necessary, providing at least enough agitation to keep the substrate in suspension, quenching the reaction, and analyzing the optical absorbance of the liquid fraction of at least one test vial of the plurality of test vials.

Abstract: This specification discloses a process for producing at least one enzyme from a host cell for the hydrolysis of a first pre-treated ligno-cellulosic biomass under simple sugar starved conditions wherein the cultivation environment has very little, preferable no, simple sugars added other than those present in a ligno-cellulosic biomass used to feed and grow the host cell. The cultivation environment is substantially void of fermentation stimulators and inducers of enzyme production. Preferably, the cultivation environment has a high dry matter content of the pre-treated ligno-cellulosic biomass.