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US 9,428,816 B2Granted
Method of treating ethanol production byproducts
AssigneeShell Oil Company
InventorsPamela Karen Tetarenko, Paul Richard Weider, Robert Lawrence Blackbourn
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of treating ethanol production byproduct is provided by treating wet distillers grain or stillage with a solution containing at least one α-hydroxysulfonic acid to produce at least one fermentable sugar containing product. Fermentable sugar useful for the production of biofuels or ethanol can be produced from such methods. The α-hydroxysulfonic acid can be easily removed from the product and recycled.
Claims27
A method of treating ethanol production byproduct comprising:
- (a) providing a wet distillers grain containing moisture;
- (b) contacting the wet distillers grain with a solution comprising at least one α-hydroxysulfonic acid thereby hydrolyzing the wet distillers grain to produce at least one fermentable sugar containing product;
- and (c) removing at least a portion of said α-hydroxysulfonic acid in its component form from said fermentable sugar containing product by a process consisting of heating and/or reducing pressure to produce an acid-removed product containing at least one fermentable sugar.
A method comprising:
- (a) providing grain;
- (b) grinding said grain to produce ground grain;
- (c) treating said ground grain to produce a fermentable sugar mixture;
- (d) fermenting the fermentable sugar mixture to produce a fermented product containing ethanol, solids and water;
- (e) separating said fermented product to produce ethanol and stillage containing water;
- (f) contacting at least a portion of said stillage containing water with a solution comprising at least one α-hydroxysulfonic acid thereby hydrolyzing said stillage to produce at least one fermentable sugar containing product;
- and (g) removing at least a portion of said α-hydroxysulfonic acid in its component form from said fermentable sugar containing product by a process consisting of heating and/or reducing pressure to produce an acid-removed product containing at least one fermentable sugar.
4 more elements
A method comprising:
- (a) providing grain;
- (b) grinding said grain to produce ground grain;
- (c) treating said ground grain to produce fermentable sugar mixture;
- (d) fermenting said fermentable sugar mixture to produce a fermented product containing ethanol, solids and water;
- (e) separating said fermented product to produce ethanol and stillage;
- (f) separating said stillage to produce thin stillage and wet distillers grain containing moisture;
- and (g) contacting at least a portion of said wet distillers grain containing moisture with a solution comprising at least one α-hydroxysulfonic acid thereby hydrolyzing said wet distillers grain to produce at least one fermentable sugar containing product;
- and (h) removing at least a portion of said α-hydroxysulfonic acid in its component form from said fermentable sugar containing product by a process consisting of heating and/or reducing pressure to produce an acid-removed product containing at least one fermentable sugar.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.