Patents by Inventor Thomas Craig Masterman

Thomas Craig Masterman 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).

  • PROCESSING BIOMASS
    Publication number: 20150368684
    Abstract: Biomass (e.g., plant biomass, animal biomass, and municipal waste biomass) is processed to produce useful intermediates and products, such as energy, fuels, foods or materials. Two or more sugars can be produced and these can be further processed and purified. For example, a mixture of the two or more sugars can be selectively fermented to leave one or more sugars in the mixture along with a product. The unfermented sugar may be fermented with a different fermenting system and produce a second product.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2014
    Publication date: December 24, 2015
    Inventors: Marshall MEDOFF, Thomas Craig MASTERMAN
  • PROCESSING AND TRANSFORMING BIOMASS
    Publication number: 20150361457
    Abstract: Biomass (e.g., plant biomass, animal biomass, and municipal waste biomass) is processed to produce useful intermediates and products, such as energy, fuels, foods or materials. The saccharified biomass is fermented in two steps to form two separate products. The second product can be a carboxylic acid which is reacted with an alcohol to form an ester. The alcohol used for the esterification may be obtained from the biomass. The ester is hydrogenated to alcohols with catalysts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2014
    Publication date: December 17, 2015
    Inventors: Marshall MEDOFF, Thomas Craig MASTERMAN, Michael W. FINN, Andrew PAPOULIS, Natalya A. KORYABKINA
  • Processing biomass
    Patent number: 9206413
    Abstract: Biomass (e.g., plant biomass, animal biomass, and municipal waste biomass) is processed for use in the production of useful products, such as fuels. For example, systems can use biomass materials, such as cellulosic and/or lignocellulosic materials, to enhance the production of a product, e.g., the production of ethanol and/or butanol by fermentation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: Xyleco, Inc.
    Inventors: Marshall Medoff, Thomas Craig Masterman, Harrison Medoff
  • PROCESSING BIOMASS
    Publication number: 20150329879
    Abstract: Biomass (e.g., plant biomass, animal biomass, and municipal waste biomass) is processed to produce useful products, such as fuels. For example, systems can use feedstock materials, such as cellulosic and/or lignocellulosic materials, to proceed ethanol and/or butanol, e.g., by fermentation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2015
    Publication date: November 19, 2015
    Inventors: Marshall Medoff, Thomas Craig Masterman
  • Processing biomass
    Patent number: 9181567
    Abstract: Biomass feedstocks (e.g., plant biomass, animal biomass, and municipal waste biomass) are processed to produce useful products, such as fuels. For example, systems are described that can use feedstock materials, such as cellulosic and/or lignocellulosic materials and/or starchy materials, to produce a product or intermediate, e.g., energy, a food, a fuel, or a material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: XYLECO, INC.
    Inventors: Marshall Medoff, Thomas Craig Masterman
  • PROCESSING BIOMASS
    Publication number: 20150308046
    Abstract: Methods of manufacturing fuels are provided. These methods use often difficult to process lignocellulosic materials, for example crop residues and grasses. The methods can be readily practiced on a commercial scale in an economically viable manner, in some cases using as feedstocks materials that would otherwise be discarded as waste.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2015
    Publication date: October 29, 2015
    Inventors: Marshall Medoff, Thomas Craig Masterman
  • Bioprocessing
    Patent number: 9169497
    Abstract: Functionalized substrate materials, for example inorganic particles and/or synthetic polymeric particles, are used to enhance bioprocesses such as saccharification and fermentation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: XYLECO, INC.
    Inventors: Marshall Medoff, Thomas Craig Masterman, Harrison Medoff
  • PROCESSING BIOMASS
    Publication number: 20150284755
    Abstract: Biomass feedstocks (e.g., plant biomass, animal biomass, and municipal waste biomass) are processed to produce useful products, such as fuels. For example, systems are described that can convert feedstock materials to a sugar solution, which can then be fermented to produce ethanol. Biomass feedstock is saccharified in a vessel by operation of a jet mixer, the vessel also containing a fluid medium and a saccharifying agent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2015
    Publication date: October 8, 2015
    Inventors: Marshall Medoff, Thomas Craig Masterman
  • PROCESSING PAPER FEEDSTOCKS
    Publication number: 20150284757
    Abstract: Methods of processing paper feedstocks are provided, as well as intermediates and products made using such methods. Certain types of paper feedstocks, in particular highly pigmented papers, and/or highly loaded papers such as paper that has been color printed, e.g., magazines, and high basis weight coated papers, e.g., magazine stock, are utilized to produce useful intermediates and products, such as energy, fuels, foods or materials.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2015
    Publication date: October 8, 2015
    Inventors: Marshall Medoff, Thomas Craig Masterman
  • PROCESSING MATERIALS
    Publication number: 20150284907
    Abstract: Biomass (e.g., plant biomass, animal biomass, and municipal waste biomass) is processed to produce useful intermediates and products, such as energy, fuels, foods or materials. For example, systems and methods are described that can be used to treat feedstock materials, such as cellulosic and/or lignocellulosic materials, while cooling equipment and the biomass to prevent overheating and possible distortion and/or degradation. The biomass is conveyed by a conveyor, which conveys the biomass under an electron beam from an electron beam accelerator. The conveyor can be cooled with cooling fluid. The conveyor can also vibrate to facilitate exposure to the electron beam. The conveyor can be configured as a trough that can be optionally cooled.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2013
    Publication date: October 8, 2015
    Inventors: Marshall Medoff, Thomas Craig Masterman, Robert Paradis
  • EQUIPMENT PROTECTING ENCLOSURES
    Publication number: 20150287487
    Abstract: Biomass (e.g., plant biomass, animal biomass, and municipal waste biomass) is processed to produce useful intermediates and products, such as energy, fuels, foods or materials. For example, systems and methods are described that can be used to treat feedstock materials, such as cellulosic and/or lignocellulosic materials, in a vault in which the equipment is protected from radiation and hazardous gases by equipment enclosures. The equipment enclosures may be purged with gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2013
    Publication date: October 8, 2015
    Inventors: Marshall Medoff, Thomas Craig Masterman, Robert Paradis
  • METHOD AND STRUCTURES FOR PROCESSING MATERIALS
    Publication number: 20150265999
    Abstract: Materials (e.g., plant biomass, animal biomass, and municipal waste biomass) are processed to produce useful intermediates and products, such as energy, fuels, foods or materials. For example, systems equipment, and methods are described that can be used to treat feedstock materials, such as cellulosic and/or lignocellulosic materials, where the feedstock is enclosed in a web.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2015
    Publication date: September 24, 2015
    Inventors: Marshall MEDOFF, Thomas Craig MASTERMAN
  • Saccharifying biomass
    Patent number: 9121075
    Abstract: Biomass feedstocks (e.g., plant biomass, animal biomass, and municipal waste biomass) are processed to produce useful products, such as fuels. For example, systems are described that can convert feedstock materials to a sugar solution, which can then be fermented to produce ethanol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Assignee: XYLECO, INC.
    Inventors: Marshall Medoff, Thomas Craig Masterman
  • Processing biomass
    Patent number: 9109241
    Abstract: Biomass (e.g., plant biomass, animal biomass, and municipal waste biomass) is processed to produce useful products, such as fuels. For example, systems can use feedstock materials, such as cellulosic and/or lignocellulosic materials, to proceed ethanol and/or butanol, e.g., by fermentation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Assignee: XYLECO, INC.
    Inventors: Marshall Medoff, Thomas Craig Masterman
  • PROCESSING BIOMASS
    Publication number: 20150184204
    Abstract: Biomass (e.g., plant biomass, animal biomass, and municipal waste biomass) is processed to produce useful intermediates and products, such as energy, fuels, foods or materials. For example, compositions and methods are described that can use feedstock materials, such as cellulosic and/or lignocellulosic materials, a cellulase and a second enzyme system including an amylase to produce an intermediate or product, e.g., by fermentation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2015
    Publication date: July 2, 2015
    Inventors: Marshall MEDOFF, Thomas Craig MASTERMAN, Seul-a BAE, Kelly WALLICK
  • PROCESSING BIOMASS
    Publication number: 20150050709
    Abstract: Some products such as solvents, e.g., butanol, are toxic to solvent-producing microorganisms, yet fructose metabolism can facilitate the increase of protective substrates such as triglycerides, which can protect the microorganism from the toxic effect of the product. Methods are provided for producing a product, e.g., a solvent from fructose derived from a cellulosic or lignocellulosic material. Using the methods herein, a fructose solution can be fermented to a solvent more rapidly, and with better yields, than a glucose solution.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2014
    Publication date: February 19, 2015
    Inventors: Marshall Medoff, Thomas Craig Masterman, Michael W. Finn
  • Processing biomass
    Patent number: 8951778
    Abstract: Biomass (e.g., plant biomass, animal biomass, and municipal waste biomass) is processed to produce useful products, such as fuels. For example, systems are described that can use feedstock materials, such as cellulosic and/or lignocellulosic materials and/or starchy materials, to produce ethanol and/or butanol, e.g., by fermentation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: Xyleco, Inc.
    Inventors: Marshall Medoff, Thomas Craig Masterman
  • SACCHARIFYING BIOMASS
    Publication number: 20150013669
    Abstract: Biomass feedstocks (e.g., plant biomass, animal biomass, and municipal waste biomass) are processed to produce useful products, such as fuels. For example, systems are described that can convert feedstock materials to a sugar solution, which can then be fermented to produce ethanol.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2014
    Publication date: January 15, 2015
    Inventors: Marshall Medoff, Thomas Craig Masterman
  • PROCESSING BIOMASS
    Publication number: 20150010967
    Abstract: Biomass feedstocks (e.g., plant biomass, animal biomass, and municipal waste biomass) are processed to produce useful products, such as fuels. For example, systems are described that can use feedstock materials, such as cellulosic and/or lignocellulosic materials and/or starchy materials, to produce a product or intermediate, e.g., energy, a food, a fuel, or a material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2014
    Publication date: January 8, 2015
    Inventors: Marshall Medoff, Thomas Craig Masterman
  • BIOPROCESSING
    Publication number: 20150010977
    Abstract: Functionalized substrate materials, for example inorganic particles and/or synthetic polymeric particles, are used to enhance bioprocesses such as saccharification and fermentation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2014
    Publication date: January 8, 2015
    Inventors: Marshall Medoff, Thomas Craig Masterman, Harrison Medoff