It is well known in the art to utilize various chemical and biological processes to convert biomass into useful industrial chemicals such as acetone, acetic acid, lactic acid, ethanol and n-butanol. Examples of such processes are disclosed in, for example, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0159569 to Medoff et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2011/0308240 to Haghighi et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 6,409,841 to Lumbard.
This document relates specifically to consolidated on-farm biomass processing to produce industrial chemicals utilizing (a) existing on-farm storage technology, such as bunkers and vertical silos for industrial chemical production, (b) in situ delignification, followed by (c) cellulase production, (d) simultaneous cellulolytic and solventogenic reactions and (e) online product removal. Advantageously, the process disclosed in this document integrates well into the existing agricultural paradigm and brings greater profitability to the farmers that grow the biomass material. Advantageously, the process also produces useful petrochemical replacements and creates jobs in rural areas.