Corn Milling Process for High Purity Starch Production
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing dry and wet mill processes for producing starch face challenges in achieving high purity starch slurry, with high protein and oil content, which is not suitable for biotech processes, and inefficient separation of insoluble solids, leading to low-value by-products.
Innovation Solution
A novel wet mill process and improved dry mill processes that incorporate a degerm process, three-section paddle screen separation, and dual germ cyclone techniques to separate grit and fiber, achieving high purity starch slurry with reduced protein and oil content, suitable for biotech processes, and producing high-value by-products.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional dry mill or wet mill processes are used, then starch production is achieved, but the starch slurry contains high protein and oil content making it unsuitable for biotech processes
Solution Approach 1:
The corn processing is divided into separate streams: a wet mill process that extracts and purifies starch to less than 0.35% protein content, and a dry mill process that converts the remaining corn material (grit and fiber) to ethanol. This segmentation allows each process to optimize for its specific function, achieving high purity starch while utilizing all corn components.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts and removes protein and oil components from the starch slurry through multiple purification steps including centrifugation, filtration, and washing. This extraction process reduces protein content to less than 0.35% and removes most oil, making the starch suitable for biotech applications while separating these components for other uses.
2Productivity
If conventional milling processes are used, then corn is converted to starch, but insoluble solids are not efficiently separated leading to low-value by-products
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the physical and chemical parameters of the processing streams to optimize separation and value recovery. The wet mill process operates at controlled pH and temperature to maximize starch extraction, while the dry mill process uses optimized fermentation conditions to convert grit and fiber to ethanol, transforming low-value by-products into high-value products.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of discarding the grit and fiber as low-value by-products, the invention recovers and utilizes these materials in a dry mill ethanol process. The fiber is separated and purified, then fed to ethanol production, while the starch stream is purified for biotech use, thereby recovering value from all corn components.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a single mill process is used, then processing is simplified, but it cannot produce both high purity starch for biotech and efficient ethanol from by-products
Solution Approach 1:
The invention creates a multi-functional processing system where corn is simultaneously processed through wet mill and dry mill pathways. The wet mill produces high purity starch for biotech applications, while the dry mill converts the remaining material to ethanol and other by-products. This universal approach allows one corn feedstock to produce multiple high-value products through integrated processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention adds a dimensional separation to the processing system by creating distinct wet and dry processing streams. Rather than attempting to achieve multiple goals in a single process, the system uses parallel processing pathways that operate independently but are integrated through material flow, enabling simultaneous production of purified starch and ethanol from different corn components.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The processes achieve a starch slurry with less than 0.35% protein, enabling its use as a feedstock for biotech processes, and produce high-value animal feeds and organic oils, enhancing the efficiency and value of starch and by-product production.
Implementation Method 1
a cyclone separator to separate the insoluble solids from the slurry
Implementation Method 2
a three-section paddle screen filters to separate the insoluble solids from the liquid
Data Source
AI summary
A novel dry mill process for producing pure starch, which can be used as a feed stock for bio tech processes. Corn feedstock is sent through a particle size reduction device, such as a hammer mill, to produce corn flour. The corn flour is screened into a small particle portion (which mainly contains “free” starch from the floury endosperm) and a larger particle portion (which mainly comprises the horny endosperm, germ pericarp and tip cap). The small particle potion is sent to a liquefication and a saccharification process to produce high Be corn syrup. A mud phase (mixture of oil, germ, and any light solid) is centrifuged. The light phase is sent to precoat drum filtration to produce clean corn syrup. Further, a novel wet mill process to produce starch and alcohol is disclosed. A three-section paddle screen can be used to separate starch from grit and fiber.