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High efficiency process and high protein feed co-product

  • US 9,476,068 B2
  • Filed: 11/04/2010
  • Issued: 10/25/2016
  • Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2009
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A process for producing a modified feed co-product by ethanol fermentation of plant matter, the process comprising:

  • forming an acidic aqueous medium comprising said plant matter and having a pH from about 2 to about 6, said plant matter comprising starch and another polysaccharide selected from the group consisting of hemicellulose and cellulose;

    hydrolyzing at least a portion of the starch, said another polysaccharide, or both in said medium a temperature of at least 85°

    C.;

    contacting at least a portion of said starch in said acidic aqueous medium with α

    -amylase which catalyzes enzymatic hydrolysis of at least a portion of the starch to yield simple sugars having from one to three saccharide units;

    contacting said another polysaccharide in said acidic aqueous medium with a primary pre-conversion enzyme selected from the group consisting of xylanase, cellulase, hemicellulase, and combinations thereof, the primary pre-conversion enzyme catalyzing enzymatic hydrolysis of at least a portion of said another polysaccharide to yield a primary enzymatic hydrolyzate containing additional simple sugars having from one to four saccharide units;

    combining the primary enzymatic hydrolysate and a yeast to thereby form a primary fermentation mixture, wherein at least a portion of the simple sugars produced by hydrolysis of said starch and said another polysaccharide are converted by fermentation to produce ethanol;

    distilling the primary fermentation mixture to separate at least a portion of the ethanol thereby forming;

    (i) a primary distillate product comprising ethanol; and

    (ii) a primary feed co-product derived from the fermentation of the primary fermentation mixture, the primary feed co-product comprising at least a portion of said another polysaccharide selected from the group consisting of hemicellulose and cellulose remaining therein;

    forming an acidified primary feed co-product by adjusting the pH of the primary feed co-product to between about 2.5 and 5.0;

    forming a hydrolyzed primary feed co-product, the said forming comprising hydrolyzing at least a portion of the another polysaccharide remaining in said acidified primary feed co-product at a temperature of at least 85°

    C.;

    combining the hydrolyzed primary feed co-product, a secondary pre-conversion enzyme, and a pH adjusting agent to form a secondary enzymatic hydrolysate having a pH from about 4 to about 6.5, wherein the secondary pre-conversion enzyme is selected from the group consisting essentially of cellulase, hemicellulase, and combinations thereof, and wherein the secondary pre-conversion enzyme catalyzes enzymatic hydrolysis of at least a portion of the another polysaccharide remaining in said secondary enzymatic hydrolysate to produce a third crop of simple sugars having from one to four saccharide units;

    adding yeast to the secondary enzymatic hydrolysate to form a secondary fermentation mixture such that at least a portion of the simple sugars contained therein are converted by fermentation to produce ethanol; and

    distilling the secondary fermentation mixture to separate at least a portion of the ethanol thereby forming (i) the modified feed co-product and (ii) a secondary distillate product comprising ethanol.

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