Corn Oil Extraction via pH Adjustment in Dry-Milling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current corn-to-ethanol production processes, particularly dry-milling processes, face challenges in optimizing the yield of corn oil and extracting it at lower temperatures and various stages of the process.
Innovation Solution
A corn-to-ethanol production process that involves dry-milling corn kernels to form corn flour, combining it with water to create a mash, extracting corn oil before fermentation, and using alkanesulfonic acid to enhance oil extraction efficiency, including separating the mash into light and heavy phases and adding the acid to the light phase for centrifugation-based extraction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If corn oil is extracted from mash using conventional high-temperature processes, then extraction efficiency is improved, but energy consumption increases and oil quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the temperature parameter from conventional high-temperature extraction to low-temperature extraction (below 40°C), and introduces pH adjustment (adding acid to reach pH 3-4) as a new parameter to control oil extraction, thereby achieving efficient extraction without high energy consumption
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses acid (such as sulfuric acid or phosphoric acid) as an intermediary substance to adjust the pH of the mash, which facilitates oil extraction at low temperatures by changing the chemical environment, avoiding the need for high-temperature energy input
2Speed
If corn oil is extracted at high temperature, then extraction speed is improved, but oil quality and yield deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the temperature parameter to low temperature (below 40°C) and introduces pH parameter control (adjusting to pH 3-4 using acid), achieving fast extraction speed through chemical pH adjustment rather than thermal energy, thereby preserving oil quality and maximizing yield
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional extraction processes are used, then process simplicity is maintained, but corn oil yield per bushel is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces pH parameter adjustment (adding acid to reach pH 3-4) to the conventional process, which is a simple chemical modification that significantly increases corn oil yield from typical levels to over 0.5 pounds per bushel, while maintaining process simplicity through straightforward acid addition and centrifugation
4Productivity
If acid is added to adjust pH for oil extraction, then extraction efficiency at low temperature is improved, but process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses pH adjustment as a chemical parameter change that simplifies the extraction process by enabling low-temperature operation, and the acid addition step integrates with existing process stages (after centrifugation, before fermentation), so the actual increase in device complexity is minimal while extraction efficiency is dramatically improved
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
This process increases the total yield of corn oil per bushel of corn processed and allows for extraction at lower temperatures, improving the efficiency and quality of corn oil and co-products like DDGS.
Implementation Method 1
separating the mash to produce a light phase and a heavy phase
Implementation Method 2
adding an alkanesulfonic acid to the light phase
Implementation Method 3
extracting corn oil from the light phase
Implementation Method 4
fermenting the mash thereby producing beer and carbon dioxide
Implementation Method 5
distilling the beer to produce ethanol and whole stillage
Data Source
AI summary
A corn-to-ethanol production process is disclosed. The process includes the steps of dry-milling corn kernels to form a corn flour; combining the corn flour with water to form a mash; extracting corn oil from the mash; fermenting the mash thereby producing beer and carbon dioxide; distilling the beer to produce ethanol and whole stillage; and processing the whole stillage to produce wet distiller's grains with solubles (WDGS) and/or dried distiller's grains with solubles (DDGS). The step of extracting corn oil from the mash includes the sub steps of: optionally wet-milling the mash; separating the mash to produce a light phase and a heavy phase; adding an alkanesulfonic acid to the light phase; extracting corn oil from the light phase; and combining the light phase having the corn oil extracted therefrom with the heavy phase to reform the mash.