US 7,494,675 B2 · Process for the production of animal feed and ethanol and novel animal feed

Abstract

A method for the production of ethanol and a modified animal feed is provided. The method replaces the starch in known corn-based animal feed with biomass fiber treated to make it more digestible by animals. The process includes wherein the pericarp and germ are removed from the corn kernel and processed for by-products. The starch and protein are also removed and separated. The starch is then fermented and distilled to ethanol and stillage. The bioavailable modified animal feed comprises the pericarp and germ removed from corn kernels and optionally by-products of the pericarp and germ processing, and lignocellulosic materials. The modified animal feed may optionally include energy materials such as animal and vegetable fats, vegetable soapstocks, or glycerin, and combinations thereof.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A method for processing corn kernels comprising the steps of:

removing the pericarp from said corn kernels to obtain a pericarp enriched fraction;
contacting at least one of the pericarp enriched fraction and a lignocellulosic by-product of agricultural processing with a fiber hydrolyzing agent to at least partially hydrolyze lignocellulosic fibers and obtain a treated fiber fraction;
removing the germ from said corn kernels, resulting in a starch and a protein;
separating said protein from said starch;
liquefying and saccharifying and fermenting said starch to produce a fermented starch broth;
recovering ethanol and distillers dried grains from the fermented starch broth;
and
combining the treated fiber fraction with the distillers dried grains to form a modified distiller's dried grain product.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

11/405,724Filed 18 Apr 2006 · us provisional application

Priority

19 Apr 2005

Published

US 2006/0251764 A19 Nov 2006

Granted

24 Feb 2009

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification18 codes

B02B 1/08
Preparing grain for milling or like processes: conditioning grain with respect to temperature or water content
A23K 10/12
Obtained by microbiological or biochemical processes: by fermentation of natural products, e.g. of vegetable material, animal waste material or…
A23K 10/37
From material of plant origin, e.g. roots, seeds or hay; from material of fungal origin, e.g. mushrooms: from waste material
A23K 10/38
From waste material: from distillers' or brewers' waste

Process for the production of animal feed and ethanol and novel animal feed

Life of this patent

Process for the production of animal feed and ethanol and novel animal feed

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims14