Patents by Inventor Atsushi Minamino
Atsushi Minamino has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
-
Patent number: 9670516Abstract: A method of producing a sugar liquid from cellulose-containing biomass includes (1) to (4): (1) subjecting a cellulose-containing biomass to a dilute sulfuric acid treatment and thereafter separating the treated cellulose-containing biomass into a dilute sulfuric acid-treated liquid and a cellulose-containing solid content; (2) adding a cellulase to the cellulose-containing solid content to hydrolyze the cellulose and thereafter obtaining a sugar liquid; (3) filtering the dilute sulfuric acid-treated liquid through a nanofiltration membrane at pH 2.5 or lower to thereby separate a sugar concentrated liquid as a retentate and at the same time recover a sulfuric acid aqueous solution as a permeate; and (4) reusing the whole amount or a part of the sulfuric acid aqueous solution obtained in (3) in the dilute sulfuric acid treatment in (1).Type: GrantFiled: June 11, 2013Date of Patent: June 6, 2017Assignee: Toray Industries, Inc.Inventors: Atsushi Minamino, Hiroyuki Kurihara, Katsushige Yamada
-
Patent number: 9657262Abstract: An apparatus for treating a biomass feedstock at a high temperature, includes a cooling device 90 for cooling a biomass treated liquid at a high temperature; an enzymatic saccharification tank 103 for saccharifying a cooled treated liquid 101B with an enzyme; a solid-liquid separation apparatus 112 for removing water-slightly soluble substances contained in a saccharide solution 104 taken out from the enzymatic saccharification tank 103 and a foreign substance removing unit 113 provided with a microfiltration (MF) membrane 113a; a dilution tank 132, disposed downstream of the foreign substance removing unit 113, for diluting the saccharide solution from which the water-slightly soluble substances are removed by adding water thereto; a water separation unit 116, provided with a reverse osmosis (RO) membrane 116a, for removing water 114 from the diluted saccharide solution so as to obtain concentrated saccharide solution 115.Type: GrantFiled: March 23, 2012Date of Patent: May 23, 2017Assignee: TORAY INDUSTRIES, INC.Inventors: Akira Nishimura, Takahiro Yamauchi, Kentaro Ogura, Haruka Nishimoto, Hiroyuki Kurihara, Atsushi Minamino, Hideo Suzuki, Gaku Kondo
-
Patent number: 9624516Abstract: A method produces a sugar liquid by repeating a sugar liquid production process including (1) to (3): (1) adding a filamentous fungus-derived cellulase to cellulose to perform primary hydrolysis; (2) adding a fresh filamentous fungus-derived cellulase to the hydrolysate in Step (1) to perform secondary hydrolysis; and (3) subjecting the hydrolysate in Step (2) to solid-liquid separation to obtain a sugar liquid, from which a recovered enzyme is obtained; wherein the recovered enzyme obtained in Step (3) is used for Step (1) of the next and later sugar liquid production processes.Type: GrantFiled: March 14, 2011Date of Patent: April 18, 2017Assignee: Toray Industries, Inc.Inventors: Hiroyuki Kurihara, Atsushi Minamino, Yuki Yamamoto, Katsushige Yamada
-
Patent number: 9598740Abstract: A method of producing a sugar liquid, includes filtering a cellulose-derived sugar liquid through one or more separation membranes selected from the group consisting of ultrafiltration membranes, nanofiltration membranes and reverse osmosis membranes, and washing the separation membrane(s) after filtration with warm water at a temperature of not less than 50° C.Type: GrantFiled: February 17, 2012Date of Patent: March 21, 2017Assignee: Toray Industries, Inc.Inventors: Junpei Kishimoto, Hiroyuki Kurihara, Atsushi Minamino, Katsushige Yamada
-
Patent number: 9587217Abstract: An apparatus for treating a biomass feedstock at a high temperature, includes a cooling device 90 for cooling a biomass treated liquid at a high temperature; an enzymatic saccharification tank 103 for saccharifying a cooled treated liquid 101B with an enzyme; a solid-liquid separation apparatus 112 for removing water-slightly soluble substances contained in a saccharide solution 104 taken out from the enzymatic saccharification tank 103 and a foreign substance removing unit 113 provided with a microfiltration (MF) membrane 113a; a dilution tank 132, disposed downstream of the foreign substance removing unit 113, for diluting the saccharide solution from which the water-slightly soluble substances are removed by adding water thereto; a water separation unit 116, provided with a reverse osmosis (RO) membrane 116a, for removing water 114 from the diluted saccharide solution so as to obtain concentrated saccharide solution 115.Type: GrantFiled: March 23, 2012Date of Patent: March 7, 2017Assignees: TORAY INDUSTRIES, INC., MITSUBISHI HITACHI POWER SYSTEMS ENVIRONMENTAL SOLUTIONS, LTDInventors: Akira Nishimura, Takahiro Yamauchi, Kentaro Ogura, Haruka Nishimoto, Hiroyuki Kurihara, Atsushi Minamino, Hideo Suzuki, Gaku Kondo
-
Publication number: 20170058369Abstract: A method of producing a sugar liquid includes a step of filtering a saccharified liquid derived from cellulose-containing biomass, through a nanofiltration membrane and/or reverse osmosis membrane; and a two-step washing step of washing the nanofiltration membrane and/or reverse osmosis membrane after the filtration, with an acid washing liquid and then with an alkali washing liquid; is provided. The method of producing a sugar liquid in which a cellulose-derived sugar liquid is processed through a nanofiltration membrane and/or reverse osmosis membrane is/are effectively washed in a contaminated separation membrane(s).Type: ApplicationFiled: January 29, 2015Publication date: March 2, 2017Inventors: Yuka Asahi, Atsushi Minamino, Jumpei Kishimoto, Masashi Higasa
-
Patent number: 9527802Abstract: A method of manufacturing coumaramide includes treating cellulose-based biomass with an ammonia-containing treatment agent to obtain ammonia-treated biomass, immersing the ammonia-treated biomass into a solvent containing at least water and eluting coumaramide in the ammonia-treated biomass into the solvent to obtain a coumaramide solution, and precipitating coumaramide in the coumaramide solution as a crystal to obtain a coumaramide crystal.Type: GrantFiled: August 8, 2013Date of Patent: December 27, 2016Assignee: Toray Industries, Inc.Inventors: Jumpei Kishimoto, Atsushi Minamino, Hiroyuki Kurihara, Katsushige Yamada
-
Patent number: 9499783Abstract: A sugar solution production apparatus includes a saccharification tank that obtains a saccharified solution containing a solid substance from a cellulose-containing biomass, a solid-liquid separator that separates the solid substance from the saccharified solution to obtain a sugar solution, an enzyme recovery solution tank that stores an enzyme recovery solution, a sugar solution extraction line that extracts the sugar solution from the solid-liquid separator, a warm water supply unit that supplies warm water to the solid-liquid separator, an enzyme recovery solution supply line that supplies the enzyme recovery solution from the enzyme recovery solution tank to the solid-liquid separator, an enzyme recovery solution recovery line that feeds the enzyme recovery solution containing the saccharifying enzyme recovered from the solid substance to the enzyme recovery solution tank, and an enzyme recovery solution return line that returns the enzyme recovery solution to the saccharification tank.Type: GrantFiled: September 13, 2012Date of Patent: November 22, 2016Assignee: Toray Industries, Inc.Inventors: Atsushi Minamino, Junpei Kishimoto, Hiroyuki Kurihara, Katsushige Yamada
-
Publication number: 20160010046Abstract: An apparatus for producing a sugar liquid includes a stirring tank for primary hydrolysis; a solid-liquid separation device; a secondary hydrolysis tank or press filtration device for secondary hydrolysis; a solid-liquid separation device(s) for the primary hydrolysate and secondary hydrolysate; and an ultrafiltration membrane device that separates the carbohydrase and the sugar liquid from the primary sugar liquid and/or the secondary sugar liquid.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 31, 2015Publication date: January 14, 2016Inventors: Hiroyuki Kurihara, Atsushi Minamino, Yuki Yamamoto, Katsushige Yamada
-
Publication number: 20150353881Abstract: A device that produces a sugar solution from cellulose-containing biomass includes: a horizontal reaction tank that includes a stirring shaft provided along a horizontal direction in the horizontal reaction tank and a stirring blade provided to the stirring shaft, the horizontal reaction tank being configured to obtain a saccharified slurry by reacting the cellulose-containing biomass with a saccharification enzyme by stirring the cellulose-containing biomass and the saccharification enzyme; a vertical reaction tank configured to obtain a saccharified liquid by saccharifying the saccharified slurry; a saccharified slurry feed line that connects the horizontal reaction tank and the vertical reaction tank; and a warming part provided around the horizontal reaction tank or on a wall surface of the horizontal reaction tank and heats the horizontal reaction tank.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 6, 2014Publication date: December 10, 2015Inventors: Atsushi Minamino, Jumpei Kishimoto, Hiroyuki Kurihara, Katsushige Yamada
-
Patent number: 9163294Abstract: A method of producing a sugar liquid with a cellulose-containing biomass as a raw material includes (1) hydrolyzing a cellulose-containing biomass to produce an aqueous sugar solution, and (2) filtering the aqueous sugar solution obtain in (1) through an ultrafiltration membrane having a molecular weight cutoff of 600 to 2,000 to remove a fermentation inhibitor(s) into the permeate side and collect a sugar liquid from the feed side.Type: GrantFiled: July 27, 2012Date of Patent: October 20, 2015Assignee: Toray Industries, Inc.Inventors: Atsushi Minamino, Hiroyuki Kurihara, Katsushige Yamada
-
Patent number: 9150895Abstract: A method of hydrolysis of cellulose uses a filamentous fungus-derived cellulase as a carbohydrase and includes adding the carbohydrase to cellulose to perform primary hydrolysis and then subjecting the primary hydrolysate to solid-liquid separation into a primary sugar liquid and solids; adding water to the solids and performing secondary hydrolysis, followed by subjecting the secondary hydrolysate to solid-liquid separation into a secondary sugar liquid and a residue; and filtering the primary sugar liquid and/or secondary sugar liquid through an ultrafiltration membrane, and recovering the carbohydrase from the feed side and recovering a sugar solution from the permeate side.Type: GrantFiled: March 14, 2011Date of Patent: October 6, 2015Assignee: Toray Industries, Inc.Inventors: Hiroyuki Kurihara, Atsushi Minamino, Yuki Yamamoto, Katsushige Yamada
-
Publication number: 20150218087Abstract: A method of manufacturing coumaramide includes treating cellulose-based biomass with an ammonia-containing treatment agent to obtain ammonia-treated biomass, immersing the ammonia-treated biomass into a solvent containing at least water and eluting coumaramide in the ammonia-treated biomass into the solvent to obtain a coumaramide solution, and precipitating coumaramide in the coumaramide solution as a crystal to obtain a coumaramide crystal.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 8, 2013Publication date: August 6, 2015Inventors: Jumpei Kishimoto, Atsushi Minamino, Hiroyuki Kurihara, Katsushige Yamada
-
Publication number: 20150203927Abstract: A method of producing a sugar liquid includes filtering a cellulose-derived sugar liquid through one or more separation membranes selected from the group consisting of an ultrafiltration membrane, a nanofiltration membrane and a reverse osmosis membrane and washing the separation membrane(s) after filtration with washing water containing an alkaline substance and an aromatic compound at 10° C. or more and less than 50° C.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 8, 2013Publication date: July 23, 2015Inventors: Jumpei Kishimoto, Hiroyuki Kurihara, Atsushi Minamino, Katsushige Yamada
-
Publication number: 20150191801Abstract: A method of producing a sugar liquid includes filtering a cellulose-derived sugar liquid through one or more separation membranes selected from the group consisting of an ultrafiltration membrane, a nanofiltration membrane and a reverse osmosis membrane, and washing the separation membrane(s) after filtration with washing water containing an acidic substance and an aromatic compound.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 8, 2013Publication date: July 9, 2015Applicant: Toray Industries, Inc.Inventors: Jumpei Kishimoto, Hiroyuki Kurihara, Atsushi Minamino, Katsushige Yamada
-
Publication number: 20150140606Abstract: A method of producing a sugar liquid from cellulose-containing biomass includes (1) to (4): (1) subjecting a cellulose-containing biomass to a dilute sulfuric acid treatment and thereafter separating the treated cellulose-containing biomass into a dilute sulfuric acid-treated liquid and a cellulose-containing solid content; (2) adding a cellulase to the cellulose-containing solid content to hydrolyze the cellulose and thereafter obtaining a sugar liquid; (3) filtering the dilute sulfuric acid-treated liquid through a nanofiltration membrane at pH 2.5 or lower to thereby separate a sugar concentrated liquid as a retentate and at the same time recover a sulfuric acid aqueous solution as a permeate; and (4) reusing the whole amount or a part of the sulfuric acid aqueous solution obtained in (3) in the dilute sulfuric acid treatment in (1).Type: ApplicationFiled: June 11, 2013Publication date: May 21, 2015Inventors: Atsushi Minamino, Hiroyuki Kurihara, Katsushige Yamada
-
Publication number: 20150125908Abstract: A method of producing a sugar liquid from cellulose-containing biomass includes (1) to (3): (1): subjecting a cellulose-containing biomass to hydrothermal treatment and thereafter separating the treated cellulose-containing biomass into a hydrothermally-treated liquid and a cellulose-containing solid content; (2): adding a filamentous fungus-derived cellulase to the cellulose-containing solid content obtained in (1) to hydrolyze the cellulose and thereafter separating the hydrolysate into a saccharification residue and a sugar liquid; and (3): washing the saccharification residue obtained in (2) with the hydrothermally-treated liquid obtained in (1) to elute the filamentous fungus-derived cellulase adsorbed to the saccharification residue into the hydrothermally-treated liquid and thereafter obtaining a solution component comprising the filamentous fungus-derived cellulase by solid-liquid separation.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 17, 2013Publication date: May 7, 2015Inventors: Hiroyuki Kurihara, Hiroko Ishizuka, Atsushi Minamino, Katsushige Yamada
-
Publication number: 20150083118Abstract: A method of producing a sugar liquid includes filtering a sugar liquid through a nanofiltration membrane and collecting a sugar liquid from the feed side, wherein a sugar liquid containing an organic liquid compound having a relative dielectric constant of not less than 17 at 25° C. is filtered through the nanofiltration membrane.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 25, 2013Publication date: March 26, 2015Inventors: Junpei Kishimoto, Hiroyuki Kurihara, Atsushi Minamino, Katsushige Yamada
-
Patent number: 8986459Abstract: A method of producing a sugar liquid includes concentrating an aqueous cellulose-derived sugar solution with a nanofiltration membrane and/or reverse osmosis membrane, wherein the concentration is carried out after adding a water-soluble anionic polymer to the aqueous cellulose-derived sugar solution to remove a fermentation inhibitor(s) into a permeate side of the nanofiltration membrane and/or reverse osmosis membrane.Type: GrantFiled: March 28, 2012Date of Patent: March 24, 2015Assignee: Toray Industries, Inc.Inventors: Atsushi Minamino, Hiroyuki Kurihara, Katsushige Yamada
-
Publication number: 20150004647Abstract: A method of producing a sugar solution includes a pretreatment step of treating cellulosic biomass with a treatment agent containing ammonia to obtain an ammonia-treated product, an ammonia-treated sugar solution preparation step of enzymatically saccharifying the ammonia-treated product to obtain an ammonia-treated sugar solution, and a purified sugar solution preparation step of removing coumaramide and/or ferulamide in the ammonia-treated sugar solution by purification to obtain a purified sugar solution having a concentration of coumaramide and/or ferulamide of 10 to 1,100 ppm.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 12, 2013Publication date: January 1, 2015Inventors: Masahiro Niwa, Sho Shindo, Takanori Nishida, Junpei Kishimoto, Atsushi Minamino, Hiroyuki Kurihara, Katsushige Yamada