Method of increasing water soluble nutrient extraction from plant matter
AssigneeHealthPro Brands, Inc.
InventorTodd Wichmann
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Improved processes for extracting water soluble nutrients including sugars from plants and in particular sugar cane. The plants may be washed with a wash solution. After washing, water soluble nutrient containing liquid is extracted from the plants. A diluted wash solution may be added to the crushed plants to improve the extraction of the water soluble nutrients. The wash solution may be added to the liquid collected during the extraction to improve the separation of impurities from the nutrient containing liquid. The extracted liquid may demonstrate at least one of improved purity, improved clarity, improved filtration times, improved whiteness, and improved total recovered water soluble nutrients.
Claims23
A process for extracting one or more water soluble nutrients from a plant material, comprising:
- washing the plant material with a wash solution comprising a surface activating agent and a hydroxide solution;
- and
- extracting the one or more water soluble nutrients from the plant material.
A process for extracting one or more water soluble nutrients from a plant material, comprising:
- contacting ground stalks, bagasse, or both ground stalks and bagasse with a wash solution comprising a surface activating agent and a hydroxide solution;
- extracting the one or more water soluble nutrients from the plant material in a liquid;
- and
- collecting the extracted liquid.
-30. (canceled)
A process for separating impurities from a liquid containing water soluble nutrient collected from a plant comprising:
- mixing a wash solution to the liquid in amount sufficient to increase the separation of impurities from the liquid as compared to the separation of impurities that would occur in the absence of the wash solution, wherein the wash solution includes a surface activating agent and a hydroxide solution;
- storing the mixture of the wash solution and liquid in a vessel for a period of time sufficient to result in the settling of impurities from the liquid;
- and
- removing liquid from the settled impurities.
-41. (canceled)
A process for improving the whiteness of sugar crystals collected from a plant comprising:
- mixing a wash solution with a sugar containing liquid collected from a plant, wherein the wash solution is mixed with the liquid in amount sufficient to improve at least one of the whiteness or the size of sugar granules obtained from the liquid, wherein the wash solution includes a surface activating agent and a hydroxide solution;
- and
- removing excess water from the mixture.
-53. (canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.