High efficiency process and high protein feed co-product
First Claim
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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Accused Products
Abstract
A process is disclosed for producing a feed co-product by ethanol fermentation of plant matter comprising starch and another polysaccharide selected from the group consisting of hemicellulose and cellulose. The process comprises: (i) carrying out a primary fermentation process, distilling the primary fermentation mixture to form a primary feed co-product derived from the fermentation of the primary fermentation mixture and a primary distillate product comprising ethanol and (ii) carrying out a secondary fermentation process and distilling the secondary fermentation mixture to form the modified feed co-product and a secondary distillate product comprising ethanol.
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Citations
13 Claims
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1. A process for producing a modified feed co-product by ethanol fermentation of plant matter, the process comprising:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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Specification