Corn oil and protein extraction method
First Claim
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1. A corn product removal process, the process comprising steps of:
- extracting oils and proteins from corn by subjecting the corn to an ethanol solution to thereby produce and extraction solution containing oils, corn solids, and zein protein;
separating said corn solids from said extraction solution;
membrane filtering said extraction solution after said step of separating said corn solids to restrain zein concentrate from said mixture and pass an oil and ethanol mixture;
membrane filtering said oil and ethanol mixture to restrain oil concentrate and pass ethanol;
selecting at least one of zein concentrate or oil separated in said membrane filtering steps for an output corn product, wherein said step of membrane filtering said extraction solution uses at least one ultrafiltration membrane, wherein said step of membrane filtering said oil and ethanol mixture uses at least one nanofiltration membrane, and wherein said step of extraction uses an ethanol solution having an ethanol concentration of between 60-100%.
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Abstract
The invention is a corn product removal process that successfully extracts oil and zein from dry-milled corn. Oils and zein are extracted from corn using ethanol. Corn solids are separated from the ethanol, oil and zein mixture produced in the step of extracting. Thereafter, the ethanol, oil and zein mixture are membrane filtered to restrain zein from the mixture and pass an oil and ethanol mixture. At least one of zein or oil is then selected to be separated for an output corn product.
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13 Claims
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1. A corn product removal process, the process comprising steps of:
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extracting oils and proteins from corn by subjecting the corn to an ethanol solution to thereby produce and extraction solution containing oils, corn solids, and zein protein;
separating said corn solids from said extraction solution;
membrane filtering said extraction solution after said step of separating said corn solids to restrain zein concentrate from said mixture and pass an oil and ethanol mixture;
membrane filtering said oil and ethanol mixture to restrain oil concentrate and pass ethanol;
selecting at least one of zein concentrate or oil separated in said membrane filtering steps for an output corn product, wherein said step of membrane filtering said extraction solution uses at least one ultrafiltration membrane, wherein said step of membrane filtering said oil and ethanol mixture uses at least one nanofiltration membrane, and wherein said step of extraction uses an ethanol solution having an ethanol concentration of between 60-100%. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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8. The process 1, wherein said separating step comprises filtration.
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