US 2023/0380444 A1 · SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROTEIN RECOVERY

Abstract

The present disclosure provides systems and methods for the recovery of protein species from wet mill grain process streams. Systems and methods of the present disclosure may be integrated with a wet mill grain process to separate out protein species that may limit efficiency of the grain process and produce one or more product streams comprising these separated protein species. A feed stream may be fractionated by at least two membranes into retentate and permeate streams. Removing larger proteins through the membrane fractionation may allow previously soluble prolamin products in the permeate stream(s) to precipitate. The recovered protein species may include prolamin, such as zein from a corn grain feed.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method of recovering fine particulate or protein species from a feed from a wet mill grain process, said method comprising:

(a) subjecting the feed from the wet mill grain process to a first separation process utilizing a first membrane under conditions effective to provide a first retentate stream comprising one or more higher molecular weight proteins having an average molecular weight of greater than about 75 kilodalton and a first permeate stream comprising one or more lower molecular weight proteins having an average molecular weight of less than about 75 kilodalton;
and
(b) subjecting the first permeate stream to a second separation process utilizing a second membrane under conditions effective to provide a second retentate stream comprising glutens and a second permeate stream comprising prolamins.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Systems and methods for protein recovery

Life of this patent

Systems and methods for protein recovery

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20