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US 6,610,831 B1Granted
Methods and apparatus for recovering zein from corn
AssigneeLurgi PSI, Inc.
InventorsJerel McInnis, Qingnong Tang
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Abstract
Methods and apparatus for recovering zein from substrates are disclosed. The method includes extracting a zein-containing substrate such as whole corn with ethanol to yield a crude zein alcoholic dispersion and treating this dispersion with an adsorbent to remove at least one of starch, color or oil to yield a purified zein which is subsequently recovered or used in industrial applications. A preferred adsorbent is activated charcoal.
Claims2
A method of recovering zein protein from flaked corn comprising the steps of:
- (a) extracting flaked corn with a 60-80% aqueous ethanol solution by weight ethanol to separate zein protein from other solid components;
- (b) removing solid components to yield a crude zein-containing alcoholic dispersion;
- (c) contacting the crude zein dispersion with activated carbon for a time and under conditions effective to adsorb at least one of starch, color, oil and fatty acid;
- (d) removing the activated carbon from the crude zein dispersion along with adsorbed impurities to yield a purified zein dispersion;
- and
- (e) recovering the zein protein from the purified zein dispersion.
3 more elements
A method of recovering zein protein from flaked corn comprising the steps of:
- sequentially
- (a) extracting flaked corn with ethanol to separate zein protein from other solid components;
- (b) removing solid components to yield a crude zein alcoholic dispersion;
- (c) contacting the crude zein dispersion with activated carbon for a time and under conditions effective to adsorb at least one of starch, color, oil and fatty acid;
- (d) removing the activated carbon along with adsorbed impurities to yield a purified zein dispersion;
- and
- (e) spray drying the purified zein dispersion to yield the zein protein in dry form.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.