High purity starch stream methods and systems
AssigneePOET Research, Inc.
InventorsSteven Redford, Todd Peterson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods and systems for isolating a high purity starch stream are provided. The methods provide an initial treatment step in advance of traditional grinding or fractionation operations (such as dry milling or wet milling operations) that facilitate separation of starch from other components of starch-based grains, for example facilitate separation of soft endosperm from other components of corn kernels including hard endosperm. The systems include a first treatment system for separating a high purity starch stream from other components of the grain stream, wherein the system can be configured as a bolt on for traditional milling operations such as wet milling and dry milling operations.
Claims17
A process, comprising:
- producing from a corn stream a first high-starch composition comprising soft endosperm and at least about 88% starch on a dry basis and a second feedstock composition comprising hard endosperm suitable for further processing in a corn dry mill or wet mill operation, wherein producing comprises processing corn kernels in the corn stream to facilitate separation of soft endosperm from hard endosperm and other corn kernel components.
A process, comprising:
- a. pretreating corn to produce a first stream which facilitates separation of at least a portion of soft endosperm from the corn;
- and,
- b. separating a second, high-starch stream comprising soft endosperm and at least about 88% starch on a dry basis from the first stream, resulting in a third stream suitable for use as feedstock in a dry mill or wet mill corn fermentation process.
A corn-to-ethanol fermentation system, comprising:
- c. a dry mill or wet mill ethanol fermentation system which produces beer from feedstock sugars derived from a hard endosperm stream;
- and,
- d. a bolt-on pretreatment system configured to produce the hard endosperm stream and a high purity starch stream derived from soft endosperm, wherein the high purity starch stream comprises at least about 90% starch on a dry weight basis.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.