# US 2014/0155639 A1 · Recovery of co-products from fermentation stillage streams

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- Number: US 2014/0155639 A1
- Document ID: US20140155639A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/096,588
- Filed: 2013-12-04
- Published: 2014-06-05
- Earliest claimed: 2012-12-04
- Assignees: Flint Hills Resources, LP
- Applicants: Flint Hills Resources, L.P.
- Inventors: Michael John Sticklen; Gregory Joseph Faith
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140155639A1

## CPC

- C11B 13/00: Recovery of fats, fatty oils or fatty acids from waste materials
- Y02W 30/74: Recovery of fats, fatty oils, fatty acids or other fatty substances, e.g. lanolin or waxes
- C11B: PRODUCING, e.g. BY PRESSING RAW MATERIALS OR BY EXTRACTION FROM WASTE MATERIALS, REFINING OR PRESERVING FATS, FATTY SUBSTANCES, e.g. LANOLIN, FATTY OILS OR WAXES; ESSENTIAL OILS; PERFUMES (drying-oils C09F)
- Y02W: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO WASTEWATER TREATMENT OR WASTE MANAGEMENT

## Abstract

Processes and methods of recovering desired products from fermentation stillage are presented, including processes and methods of recovering lipids and aqueous materials.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of recovering oil from stillage, comprising:
mechanically separating a mixture comprising a light phase oil material stream having an oil-in-water emulsion from the stillage;
wherein the light phase oil material stream has a moisture content of greater than about 5% by weight;
adding at least one emulsion breaking additive to the light phase oil material stream to generate a chemically processed mixture;
wherein the emulsion breaking additive is not a polar protic solvent; and
recovering oil from the chemically processed mixture.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the emulsion breaking additive is present at a level of about 500 ppm to about 2000 ppm based on the weight of the light phase oil material.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the emulsion breaking additive does not substantially adjust the pH of the light phase oil material stream.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the emulsion breaking additive increases the surface tension of the oil in the oil-in-water emulsion.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the emulsion breaking additive comprises at least one polymeric material.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the emulsion breaking additive comprises at least one non-polymeric material.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the emulsion breaking additive is a polysorbate.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the emulsion breaking additive is an anionic copolymer comprising acrylic acid sodium salt, methacrylic acid sodium salt or 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid sodium salt.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the stillage is concentrated thin stillage.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein mechanically separating the light phase oil material comprises centrifugation.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the recovering oil from the chemically processed mixture comprises centrifugation.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein separating the light phase oil material from the stillage further comprises generating an aqueous phase mixture and a solids phase mixture in addition to the light phase oil material.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the mechanical separating step is performed on the stillage at a temperature of about 140° F. and about 212° F.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the chemically processed mixture is prepared at a temperature of about 100° F. and about 212° F.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the light phase oil material stream has a specific gravity as measured at room temperature of 0.90 to 0.98.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The product produced by the method of claim 1.

### Claim 17

A system for recovering oil from stillage, comprising:
a first mechanical separator capable of separating a mixture comprising a light phase oil material stream having an oil-in-water emulsion from the stillage;
a dispenser for adding at least one emulsion breaking additive to the light phase oil material stream to generate a chemically processed mixture; and
a second mechanical separator capable of recovering oil from the chemically processed mixture.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The system of claim 17, wherein the first mechanical separator is a centrifuge.

### Claim 19 (depends on 17)

The system of claim 17, wherein the dispenser is an injector.

### Claim 20 (depends on 17)

The system of claim 17, wherein the second mechanical separator is a centrifuge.