# US 11,306,332 B2 · Method for simultaneously producing lactic acid and alcohol or biogas from cereals

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- Number: US 11,306,332 B2
- Document ID: US11306332B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/605,168
- Filed: 2018-04-18
- Published: 2020-10-15
- Granted: 2022-04-19
- Earliest claimed: 2017-04-20
- Assignees: Futerro S.A.
- Applicants: Futerro S.A.
- Inventors: Frédéric Van Gansberghe; Philippe Coszach
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11306332B2

## CPC

- C12P 7/56: Lactic acid
- C12M 21/04: {for producing gas, e.g. biogas (digesters for manure with production of biogas A01C3/028, biological treatment of water, waste water or sewage C02F3/00, C02F11/02, preparation of natural gas or syngas C10L3/06, C10L3/10)}
- C12M 27/02: {Stirrer or mobile mixing elements}
- C12M 29/00: {Means for introduction, extraction or recirculation of materials, e.g. pumps (pumps per se F04B)}
- C12M 43/02: {Bioreactors or fermenters combined with devices for liquid fuel extraction; Biorefineries}
- C12P 7/06: Ethanol, i.e. non-beverage
- Y02E 50/10: Biofuels, e.g. bio-diesel
- Y02E 50/30: Fuel from waste, e.g. synthetic alcohol or diesel
- C12P: FERMENTATION OR ENZYME-USING PROCESSES TO SYNTHESISE A DESIRED CHEMICAL COMPOUND OR COMPOSITION OR TO SEPARATE OPTICAL ISOMERS FROM A RACEMIC MIXTURE {(brewing of beer C12C; producing vinegar C12J; producing specific peptides or proteins C07K; producing enzymes C12N9/00; DNA or RNA concerning genetic engineering, vectors, e.g. plasmids, or their isolation, preparation or purification C12N15/00; measuring or testing processes involving enzymes or microorganisms C12Q; measuring or testing processes involving nucleic acid amplification reactions C12Q1/6844; fermentation processes to form a food composition, A21 or A23; compounds in general, see the relevant compound class, e.g. C01, C07)}
- C12M: APPARATUS FOR ENZYMOLOGY OR MICROBIOLOGY; {APPARATUS FOR CULTURING MICROORGANISMS FOR PRODUCING BIOMASS, FOR GROWING CELLS OR FOR OBTAINING FERMENTATION OR METABOLIC PRODUCTS, i.e. BIOREACTORS OR FERMENTERS}
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

A process for the continuous production of lactic acid (a first fermentation product) and of a second fermentation product selected from the group consisting of alcohols and biogas, may include starting from the milling, necessarily carried out under dry conditions, of cereals and more particularly of corn. In the context of this process, a main flow and a flow of wastes which are difficult to ferment are recovered from the milling. These two flows are treated separately but simultaneously so as to produce, by fermentation, on the one hand, lactic acid and, on the other hand, an alcohol and/or biogas.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A continuous process for the simultaneous production of lactic acid and of a second fermentation product starting from cereals, the process comprising:
dry milling cereals using a mill to form a milled product;
recovering the milled product and mixing it in a mixer with a stream of water to create a slurry;
subjecting the slurry to a saccharification in a reactor and producing a crude dextrose stream;
separating, in a separator, the crude dextrose stream into a first flow comprising a liquid flow and a second flow comprising solid part;
removing an oil resulting from the milling and occurring in the liquid flow for subsequent treatment, and recovering a purified dextrose flow;
producing a fermentation product in the form of a lactic acid by subjecting the purified dextrose flow to a selective separation of sugars to recover a purified flow and a flow rich in oligosaccharides, before subjecting the purified flow to a fermentation in the presence of a microorganism appropriate for producing the lactic acid;
recovering the solid dextrose flow via a first pipe containing products which are difficult to ferment, and recovering the flow rich in oligosaccharides via a second pipe, to hydrolyze contents of the first and second pipes in a reactor under hydrolysis conditions and to convert the contents into a fermentable dextrose flow; and
subjecting the fermentable dextrose flow to a fermentation in a fermenter to produce a second fermentation product.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the selective separation of the sugars from the purified dextrose flow is carried out by chromatography.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the hydrolysis in the reactor is carried out in the presence of a strong acid at a temperature of between 140 and 180° C., for a period of 30 minutes to 2 hours.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second fermentation product is selected from the group consisting of an alcohol and a biogas.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The process as claimed in claim 4, wherein the alcohol is ethanol or butanol.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cereals are selected from the group consisting of corn kernels and cobs.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the microorganism is selected from the group consisting of Saccharomyces, Schizosaccharomyces, Zymomonas mobilis, Clostridia, Escherichia coli or Pseudomonasputida.

### Claim 8

A system for continuously producing, simultaneously, two dextrose streams starting from a dry milling of cereals, the system comprising:
a grain mill equipped for a dry milling;
a mixing vessel configured to prepare a slurry resulting from mixing of a milled product from the grain mill with a stream of water;
a saccharification reactor;
a first separator configured to produce two dextrose flows from the crude dextrose stream, a first flow containing a liquid matter, and a second flow containing a solid matter;
a second separator configured to remove oil from the first flow containing the liquid matter, and to recover a purified dextrose flow;
a system for separation by chromatography to remove oligosaccharides from the purified dextrose flow;
a first fermenter configured to produce lactic acid; and
a second fermenter configured to produce an alcohol or a biogas.