University of Illinois

A E Staley Manufacturing Company

Munir Cheryan

Gin C Liaw

Roy O Elmore

Fangyi Zhu

Aniket V Kale

Philip L Shane

Eric H Lutz

Methods and apparatus for processing corn into one or more corn products. Oil is extracted from corn or corn products or by-products with a solvent. The corn-solvent mixture is separated into streams, one of which preferably includes an extract containing at least oil and solvent, and another containing de-oiled corn solids and adsorbed solvent. Zein is separated from the de-oiled corn solids. Solvent is then separated, and the de-oiled, de-zeined, desolventized corn solids are processed to provide one or more corn products.

Method and system for corn fractionation

Methods and apparatus for processing corn into one or more corn products. Zein is extracted from corn or corn products or by-products with a solvent. The corn-solvent mixture is separated into streams, one of which preferably includes an extract containing at least zein and solvent, and another that contains de-zeined corn solids and adsorbed solvent. The solvent is separated from the zein, and the de-zeined, desolventized corn solids are processed to provide one or more corn products.

Methods and systems for obtaining zein and/or xanthophylls in highly pure form. Zein is first extracted from corn using aqueous ethanol. Suspended corn solids are separated, and the resulting extract is purified in a single size-exclusion chromatography step to separate impurities and produce substantially purified zein. The chromatography step may simultaneously produce substantially purified xanthophylls.

Method and system for production of zein and/or xanthophylls using chromatography

A process for removing oil from an agricultural substrate, including a dry grind corn. An ethanol solution with a concentration in the range of from about 90% to about 100% ethanol is mixed with the dry grind corn in a ratio of from about 10:1 to about 1:1 to form an extraction solution including the ethanol solution, oil, and corn solids. The extraction solution is separated into the corn solids and a filtrate, the filtrate including the ethanol solution and oil. The filtrate is membrane filtered, including nanofiltration, to restrain an oil concentrate from the filtrate and pass a permeate of the ethanol solution. The oil contained within the oil concentrate is purified.

Method and system for extraction of oil from corn

Methods and apparatus for processing corn into one or more corn products. Oil is extracted from corn or corn products or by-products with a solvent. The corn-solvent mixture is separated into streams, one of which preferably includes an extract containing at least oil and solvent, and another containing de-oiled corn solids and adsorbed solvent. The solvent is separated from oil, and the de-oiled, desolventized corn solids are processed to provide one or more corn products.

Method and apparatus for processing corn into one or more corn products including dextrose. In a preferred process, corn is processed and treated with solvent(s) to extract oil. The oil can be subsequently recovered using membrane technology. Zein may also be produced if the solvent is an alcohol. Starch in the deoiled meal is converted to dextrose by liquefaction and saccharification with enzymes. The reaction mixture containing the dextrose and other components is subjected to one or more unit operations such as screening, filtration, and/or membrane technology to produce one or more of corn gluten, soluble protein, dextrose, and fiber.

Corn oil and dextrose extraction apparatus and method

A corn product removal process for removing zein and/or oil from dry-milled corn. Oils and/or zein are extracted from corn using ethanol. Corn solids are separated from the ethanol, oil and zein mixture produced by extracting. Thereafter, the ethanol, oil and zein mixture is membrane filtered to restrain zein from the mixture and pass an oil and ethanol mixture. The zein and/or oil may be concentrated and purified.

Method and system for extraction of zein from corn

An improved corn wet milling process is disclosed in which a first stream comprising water, starch, and protein (e.g., gluten) is generated by separating fiber from wet milled de-germed corn particles (e.g. fiber separation step). Membrane filtration (e.g. starch-protein stream thickening) is performed on the first stream, producing a first retentate and a first aqueous permeate. The first retentate (e.g. thickened starch-protein stream) is separated into a second stream and a third stream (e.g. primary starch separation step). The second stream comprises water and a majority of the starch present in the first retentate, and the third stream comprises water and a majority of the protein (e.g., gluten) present in the first retentate. This process provides an economical means of recovering a higher percentage of the available cornstarch for inclusion in high value products.

Membrane filtration for thickening and starch washing in corn wet milling

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.

Corn oil and protein extraction method

The method of the invention uses raw corn, or a corn by-product as a source. The source is mixed with an alcohol to produce an alcohol-corn slurry. Centrifugation or filtration produces a clear filtrate from the alcohol-corn slurry. A membrane filtration step is then used to separate purified xanthophylls. Other steps may be combined with the basic process to produce additional corn products, such as oil and zein.

Method for extracting xanthophylls from corn

An improved corn wet milling process is disclosed. In a process in which corn kernels are steeped in an aqueous solution and are milled to facilitate the separation of the components thereof, in which starch from the corn is separated from gluten, and in which at least one aqueous gluten-containing stream is generated, the improvement comprises membrane filtration of an aqueous gluten-containing stream, producing a gluten-enriched retentate, and removing water from the gluten-enriched retentate, thereby producing a substantially dry gluten product. This improved process provides an economical means of recovering a higher percentage of the available protein for inclusion in high value products.

Process for recovery of protein from aqueous media in corn wet milling

An improved corn wet milling process is disclosed, in which gluten is recovered from steepwater by membrane filtration and is incorporated in a corn gluten meal product. The process can include the steps of steeping corn kernels in an aqueous solution, thereby producing steep water which contains gluten protein; membrane filtration of the steep water, thereby producing a retentate which has a higher concentration of the gluten protein than the original steep water; reducing the water content of the retentate; and incorporating the remaining retentate into a corn gluten meal product.

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Urbana, IL, United States of America

Munir Cheryan