SYSTEM FOR MAKING PRODUCTS WITH IMPROVED PARTICLE MORPHOLOGY AND PARTICLE DISTRIBUTION AND PRODUCTS

• US 20090285935A1
• Filed: 01/18/2007
• Published: 11/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: James S. Brophy, Linda Brophy
• Original Assignee: James S. Brophy, Linda Brophy
• Inventors: Brophy, Linda, Brophy, James S.
• Application Number:
  US11/813,364
• Publication Number:
  US 20090285935A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 426/46
• CPC Class Codes: A23C 11/103 containing only proteins from pulses, oilseeds or nuts, e.g. nut milk
• CPC Class Codes: A23C 3/073 by sonic or ultrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 11/07 Soya beans, e.g. oil-extracted soya bean flakes A23L11/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 11/65 Soy drinks
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 5/32 using phonon wave energy, e.g. sound or ultrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 7/104 Fermentation of farinaceous cereal or cereal material; Addition of enzymes or microorganisms
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 7/197 Treatment of whole grains not provided for in groups A23L7/117 - A23L7/196 preservation A23B9/00
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 7/198 Dry unshaped finely divided cereal products, not provided for in groups A23L7/117 - A23L7/196 and A23L29/00, e.g. meal, flour, powder, dried cereal creams or extracts
• CPC Class Codes: A23P 30/10 Moulding
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/06 Ethanol, i.e. non-beverage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 50/10 Biofuels, e.g. bio-diesel
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2982 Particulate matter [e.g., sphere, flake, etc.]

Abstract

A method for improving the physical, functional and organoleptic properties of product particles is described for fiber, protein, carbohydrate and cellulosic materials. The method involves modifying the particles within the product to meet certain particle morphology parameters. Products themselves also are disclosed, and these include corn-originating products, specifically including products for producing ethanol soybean-originating products, and other products.

Claims

1. A method for improving the physical and functional properties of corn-originating particles, comprising:

providing a grain-originating material selected from the group consisting of grain carbohydrate, grain fiber, grain cellulosic material, and combinations thereof; and

processing the grain-originating material to modify one or more morphological properties of the material to provide corn-originating particles having solid or liquid characteristics, wherein said morphological properties of said particles that are modified are selected from the group consisting of sphericity, equivalent spherical diameter, shape, aspect ratio, and combinations thereof.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said sphericity property ranges between about 0.03 and about 0.75.

3. The method of claims 1 or 2, wherein said equivalent spherical diameter property ranges between about zero and about 8 microns.

4. The method of any of claims 1-3, wherein said shape property ranges between about 0.13 and about 0.5.

5. The method of any of claims 1-4, wherein said aspect ratio property ranges between about zero and about 0.75.

6. The method of any of claims 1-5, wherein the method further comprises determining a range of values for the morphological property, and processing the particles to increase a number of the particles within the range of values as compared to a control product.

7. The method of any of claims 1-6, wherein the method further comprises processing the particles to more uniformly distribute the particles within one or more of said ranges of property values as compared to control product.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said one or more of said ranges of property values is at least about 1% greater than the percentage of particles in each class for the control product.

9. The method of claim 7 or 8, wherein said one or more of said ranges of property values is up to about 100% greater than the percentage of particles in each class for the control product.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said one or more of said ranges of property values is between about 5% and about 75%, optionally between about 10% and about 60%, and optionally between about 20% and about 50% greater than the percentage of particles in each class for the control product.

11. A method for producing ethanol which includes improving the physical and functional properties of corn-originating particles made by the method of any of claims 1-10, comprising:

providing a corn-originating material selected from the group consisting of corn carbohydrate, corn fiber, corn cellulosic material, and combinations thereof;

processing the corn-originating material to modify one or more morphological properties of the material to provide corn-originating particles having solid or liquid characteristics, wherein said morphological properties of said particles are selected from the group consisting of sphericity, equivalent spherical diameter, shape, aspect ratio, and combinations thereof; and

fermenting said particles into ethanol.

34. The corn-originating particles produced in accordance with the method of any of claims 1-10.

36. Ethanol produced in accordance with the method of claim 11.

43. The method of claim 1, wherein said grain-based material is selected from the group consisting of corn, sorghum, wheat and combinations thereof.

12. A method for improving the physical and functional properties of soybean-originating particles, comprising:

providing a soybean-originating material selected from the group consisting of soybean fiber, soybean protein, and combinations thereof; and

processing the soybean-originating material to modify one or more morphological properties of the material to provide soybean-originating particles having solid or liquid characteristics, wherein said morphological properties of said particles that are modified are selected from the group consisting of sphericity, equivalent spherical diameter, shape, aspect ratio, and combinations thereof.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said sphericity property ranges between about 0.38 and about 1.

14. The method of claims 12 or 13, wherein said equivalent spherical diameter property ranges between about zero and about 10 microns.

15. The method of any of claims 12-14, wherein said shape property ranges between about 0.14 and about 0.5.

16. The method of any of claims 12-15, wherein said aspect ratio property ranges between about 0.38 and about 1.

17. The method of any of claims 12-16, wherein the method further comprises determining a range of values for the morphological property, and processing the particles to increase a number of the particles within the range of values as compared to a control product.

18. The method of any of claims 12-17, wherein the method further comprises processing the particles to more uniformly distribute the particles within one or more of said ranges of property values as compared to control product.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said one or more of said ranges of property values is at least about 1% greater than the percentage of particles in each class for the control product.

20. The method of claim 18 or 19, wherein said one or more of said ranges of property values is up to about 100% greater than the percentage of particles in each class for the control product.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said one or more of said ranges of property values is between about 5% and about 75%, optionally between about 10% and about 60%, and optionally between about 20% and about 50% greater than the percentage of particles in each class for the control product.

22. A method for producing soy-based products which includes improving the physical and functional properties of soybean-originating particles made by the method of any of claims 12-21, comprising:

providing a soybean-originating material selected from the group consisting of soybean protein, soybean fiber, and combinations thereof;

processing the soybean-originating material to modify one or more morphological properties of the material to provide soybean-originating particles having solid or liquid characteristics, wherein said morphological properties of said particles that are modified are selected from the group consisting of sphericity, equivalent spherical diameter, shape, aspect ratio, and combinations thereof; and

formulating said particles into a soy-based product.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein said soy-based product is soy milk.

37. The soybean-originating particles produced in accordance with the method of any of claims 12-21.

39. A soy-based product produced in accordance with the method of claim 22.

40. The soy-based product of claim 39, selected from the group consisting of yoghurt and yogurt-containing products, soy milk and soy milk-containing products, tofu, and combinations thereof.

42. The soy-based product of claim 40, said product being soy milk, said soy milk having a sphericity property ranging between about 0.47 and about 0.98, an equivalent spherical diameter property ranging between about zero and about 10 microns, a shape property ranging between about 0.188 and about 0.5, and an aspect ratio property ranging between about 0.53 and about 0.95.

24. A method for improving the physical and functional properties of a product containing particles having solid or liquid characteristics, comprising:

providing a material selected from the group consisting of fiber, protein, carbohydrate and cellulosic materials, and combinations thereof;

processing the particles to modify one or more morphological properties of the materials, wherein said morphological properties that are modified are selected from the group consisting of sphericity, equivalent spherical diameter, shape, aspect ratio, and combinations thereof.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein said sphericity property ranges between about 0.03 and about 1.0.

26. The method of claims 24 or 25, wherein said equivalent spherical diameter property ranges between about zero and about 10 microns.

27. The method of any of claims 24-26, wherein said shape property ranges between about 0.13 and about 0.5.

28. The method of any of claims 24-27, wherein said aspect ratio property ranges between about zero and about 1.0.

29. The method of any of claims 24-28, wherein the method further comprises determining a range of values for the morphological property, and processing the particles to increase a number of the particles within the range of values as compared to a control product.

30. The method of any of claims 24-29, wherein the method further comprises processing the particles to more uniformly distribute the particles within one or more of said ranges of property values as compared to control product.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein said one or more of said ranges of property values is at least about 1% greater than the percentage of particles in each class for the control product.

32. The method of claim 30 or 31, wherein said one or more of said ranges of property values is up to about 100% greater than the percentage of particles in each class for the control product.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein said one or more of said ranges of property values is between about 5% and about 75%, optionally between about 10% and about 60%, and optionally between about 20% and about 50% greater than the percentage of particles in each class for the control product.

41. The particles produced in accordance with the method of any of claims 24-33.

35. Corn-originating particles comprising particles having solid or liquid characteristics that are processed from corn, said corn-originating particles having a sphericity property ranging between about 0.03 and about 0.75, an equivalent spherical diameter property ranging between about zero and about 8 microns, a shape property ranging between about 0.13 and about 0.5, and an aspect ratio property ranging between about zero and about 0.75.

38. Soybean-originating particles comprising particles having solid or liquid characteristics that are processed from soybeans, said soybean-originating particles having a sphericity property ranging between about 0.38 and about 1, an equivalent spherical diameter property ranging between about zero and about 10 microns, a shape property ranging between about 0.14 and about 0.5, and an aspect ratio property ranging between about 0.38 and about 1.