# US 11,028,236 B2 · Method for processing dandelion plant components

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- Number: US 11,028,236 B2
- Document ID: US11028236B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/328,206
- Filed: 2017-08-09
- Published: 2019-08-01
- Granted: 2021-06-08
- Earliest claimed: 2016-08-26
- Assignees: GEA Mechanical Equipment GmbH
- Applicants: GEA Mechanical Equipment GmbH
- Inventors: Steffen Hruschka; Luis Peixoto; Alexander Rossmeisl; Frans Kappen; Richard Op Den Kamp
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11028236B2

## CPC

- C08H 8/00: Macromolecular compounds derived from lignocellulosic materials {(pretreatment thereof B27N)}
- C08B 37/0003: {General processes for their isolation or fractionation, e.g. purification or extraction from biomass}
- C08B 37/0054: {Inulin, i.e. beta-2,1-D-fructofuranan; Derivatives thereof}
- C08C 1/00: Treatment of rubber latex
- C08C 1/04: Purifying; Deproteinising
- C08C 1/075: Concentrating
- C08H: DERIVATIVES OF NATURAL MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS (polysaccharides C08B; natural rubber C08C; natural resins or their derivatives C09F; bituminous materials C10)
- C08B: POLYSACCHARIDES; DERIVATIVES THEREOF (polysaccharides containing less than six saccharide radicals attached to each other by glycosidic linkages C07H; fermentation or enzyme-using processes C12P19/00; sugar industry C13; production of cellulose D21)
- C08C: TREATMENT OR CHEMICAL MODIFICATION OF RUBBERS

## Abstract

The invention relates to a method for processing dandelion plant components, particularly dandelion plant components of the Taraxacum kok-saghyz variety, in which, according to the method, rubber is obtained as a first valuable product, said method being characterised by the following steps: A) grinding and/or squeezing the dandelion plant components, preferably while adding water to form a pulp; and B) first separation of the pulp into at least one phase 80 which is high in inulin and low in rubber and at least one phase 90 which is high in rubber and low in inulin, the phase 90 which is high in rubber and low in inulin forming the first valuable product or the first valuable product being obtained from the phase which is high in rubber and low in inulin.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for processing dandelion plant components (10), wherein obtaining of rubber as a first valuable product is achieved in the method and is characterized by the following steps:
A) comminution and/or squeezing of the dandelion plant components (10), wherein the dandelion plant components (10) are dried dandelion roots from the species Taraxacum kok-saghyz, preferably with addition of water (30), to form a slurry (60), in which slurry the dandelion plant components (10) are suspended in water with a mean diameter of between 2 to 10 mm;
wherein the comminution of the dandelion plant components (10) encompasses at least one precomminution (20) and a grinding and/or squashing (50),
wherein the water (30) is added to an extent of from 5 to 20 parts, based on the weight of the plant components, and wherein the water has a neutral pH or an acidic pH, and
wherein water is added before or after the precomminution (20) of the dandelion plant components (10), and the water is pressed out before the grinding and/or squashing to obtain an inulin syrup and/or inulin press water (340),
wherein the inulin syrup and/or inulin press water is removed, and
wherein the remaining solids after the press-out are re-suspended with addition of fresh water to form a slurry,
B) first separation (70) of the slurry (60) into at least one high-inulin low-rubber phase (80, 80′) and at least one high-rubber low-inulin phase (90, 90′),
wherein the first separation (70) is done by a two-phase decanter or separator,
wherein the high-rubber low-inulin phase (90, 90′) forms the first valuable product or the first valuable product is obtained from the high-rubber low-inulin phase (90, 90′),
wherein at least step A) is done at a temperature of less than 40° C., and
wherein steps A) and B) are done without enzyme addition.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, apart from the addition of water and salt, steps A) and B) are done solely by mechanical means.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that step A) and step B) are done at a temperature of less than 40° C.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises a step C), obtaining of sugar from the high-inulin low-rubber phase (80, 80′) from step B is done by heating (130) of the high-inulin low-rubber phase (80, 80′) to a temperature at which at least some inulin is converted into fructose.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that it further comprises a step a step D), conducting a second separation (140) of the high-inulin and/or -fructose low-rubber phase (80, 80′) according to step C) in claim 4 into a high-fructose phase (160) and into a low-fructose solid phase (150), wherein the high-fructose phase (160) is a second valuable product or a second valuable product is obtained from the high-fructose phase.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that the second valuable product is obtained from the high-fructose phase (160) by crystallization, wherein the second valuable product is inulin and/or fructose.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The method as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that the first separation (70) according to step B), the heating (130) according to step C), and the second separation (140) according to step D) are done within less than 50 minutes after step A) has been completed.

### Claim 8 (depends on 4)

The method as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that the first separation (70) according to step B) and the heating (130) according to step C) are done within less than 40 minutes after step A has been completed.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the comminution of the dandelion plant components (10) is done such that rubber particles are released from the dandelion plant components and that inulin overwhelmingly remains in the plant cells of the dandelion plant components (10).

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the dandelion plant components that are suspended in water have a mean diameter of between 3 to 6 mm.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein in the at least one precomminution (20), the dandelion plant components are comminuted to a mean diameter of between 10 to 50 mm.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the water (30) that is added in the grinding and/or squashing (50) and/or in the precomminution (20), pH of between pH=3 and 7.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the water (30) added comprises at least one sulfide compound and/or one monochloramine compound for the maintenance of a fermentation-free state.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, in the first separation (70) of the slurry (60), what is formed is an aqueous phase (100) which is removed
together with the high-inulin low-rubber phase (80);
together with the high-rubber low-inulin phase (90); or
or separately from the phases (80, 90).

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method as claimed in claim 14, characterized in that the first separation (70) of the slurry (60) encompasses a single or repeated centrifugal separation, preferably in a decanter or separator.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The method as claimed in claim 14, characterized in that, if the aqueous phase (100) is removed together with the high-rubber low-inulin phase (90) as aqueous high-rubber low-inulin phase (90′), a separation between the two phases 100, 90) is done by means of sieving (170), with the result that the aqueous phase (100) and the high-rubber low-inulin phase (90) are removed separately.

### Claim 17 (depends on 14)

The method as claimed in claim 14, characterized in that, if the aqueous phase (100) is removed together with the low-rubber high-inulin phase (80) as aqueous low-rubber high-inulin phase (80′), what is done to separate the two phases (100, 80) is a third separation (180), wherein said third separation (180) encompasses a single or repeated centrifugal separation, preferably in a separator, with the result that the aqueous phase (100) and the low-rubber high-inulin phase (80) are removed separately.

### Claim 18 (depends on 14)

The method as claimed in claim 14, characterized in that the separately removed aqueous phase (100) is recycled for addition to the dandelion plant components (10) in the comminution.

### Claim 19 (depends on 14)

The method as claimed in claim 14, characterized in that the aqueous phase (100) is reused.

### Claim 20 (depends on 14)

The method as claimed in claim 14, characterized in that the high-inulin low-rubber phase (80) is diluted with water (131) before or during a step C), obtaining of sugar from the high-inulin low-rubber phase (80, 80′) from step B, comprising heating (130) of the high-inulin low-rubber phase (80, 80′) to a temperature at which at least some inulin is converted into fructose.

### Claim 21 (depends on 14)

The method as claimed in claim 14, characterized in that the water phase (100) is treated with ozone or UV irradiation for the maintenance of a fermentation-free state.

### Claim 22 (depends on 14)

The method as claimed in claim 14, characterized in that the high-inulin low-rubber phase (80) is heated in a step C), obtaining of sugar from the high-inulin low-rubber phase (80, 80′) from step B, to a temperature of at least to 55° C.

### Claim 23 (depends on 1)

The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that one or more hammer mills and/or one or more ball mills are used for the precomminution (20) and/or grinding and/or squashing.

### Claim 24 (depends on 1)

The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the first valuable product is obtained as purified rubber (120) from the high-rubber low-inulin phase (90) by washing with water, with or without heating (110).

### Claim 25 (depends on 1)

The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the first separation (70) according to step B) is done within less than 30 minutes after step A) has been completed.

### Claim 26 (depends on 1)

The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, during the formation of the slurry according to step A) or after the formation of the slurry, but before the first separation (70), a salt is added as solid or solution for the agglomeration of rubber particles.