Corn Oil Recovery via pH Adjustment and Phase Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional processes for recovering corn oil from fermentation products in ethanol production are inefficient, expensive, and often result in oil with high free fatty acid content, which hampers biodiesel production and oil quality.
Innovation Solution
A method involving adjusting the pH of corn fermentation residue with an alkali spent wash solution to separate a corn oil layer from an aqueous layer, achieving a corn oil composition with less than 5% free fatty acid content and suitable for biodiesel production, while also reducing the fat content in distillers dried grains.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If conventional solvent extraction techniques are used to recover oil from fermentation product, then oil recovery is achieved, but the process becomes expensive and requires volatile organic compounds
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts oil from the fermentation product using the natural density difference between oil and aqueous phases, separating oil-rich phase from water-rich phase without requiring external solvents. This extraction method eliminates the need for volatile organic compounds like hexane while maintaining effective oil recovery.
Solution Approach 2:
The fermentation product itself serves as the extraction medium, utilizing its inherent properties (density, phase separation) to recover oil. The process leverages the natural characteristics of the material being processed rather than requiring additional extraction agents, thereby reducing cost and safety concerns.
2Quantity of substance
If high centrifugal force is applied to separate oil from fermentation product, then oil separation is attempted, but an emulsion forms that locks the valuable oil within
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary acidification to the fermentation product before centrifugal separation. This preliminary chemical treatment modifies the properties of the mixture, preventing emulsion formation during subsequent centrifugal separation and ensuring reliable oil recovery with high separation efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the pH parameter of the fermentation product from neutral/alkaline to acidic before separation. This parameter change fundamentally alters the interfacial properties and emulsion stability, allowing effective oil separation without forming locking emulsions.
3Quantity of substance
If conventional oil recovery processes are used, then oil is separated from fermentation product, but the oil contains high levels of free fatty acids that hamper biodiesel production
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary acidification of the fermentation product before oil separation. This preliminary action prevents the formation of free fatty acids during the separation process, ensuring that the recovered oil maintains high quality suitable for biodiesel production without requiring extensive post-processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the potentially harmful effect of acidification into a beneficial outcome. By applying acid treatment before separation, the process prevents free fatty acid formation (which would be harmful to biodiesel production) while simultaneously improving oil quality. The acid treatment transforms a potential problem into a solution.
4Manufacturing precision
If pH adjustment is applied to separate corn oil layer from aqueous layer, then free fatty acid content is reduced to less than 5%, but the process requires additional reagents
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the fermentation product's own spent wash solution (containing alkaline substances from the fermentation process) as the pH adjustment reagent. This self-service approach eliminates the need to introduce external acid or base reagents, reducing process complexity while achieving the desired free fatty acid reduction.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent recovers and reuses the spent wash solution from the fermentation process as the pH adjustment medium. Instead of discarding this waste stream, it is utilized to adjust the pH of the oil separation mixture, thereby reducing the need for additional reagents and simplifying the overall process.
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 approach effectively reduces free fatty acid content in corn oil, enhancing its quality and suitability for biodiesel production, and results in distillers dried grains with reduced fat content, improving overall ethanol production efficiency and product quality.
Implementation Method 1
adjusting the pH of the corn fermentation residue with an alkali spent wash solution to provide a corn oil layer and an aqueous layer
Implementation Method 2
separating the corn oil layer from the aqueous layer to provide the corn oil composition
Data Source
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AI summary
This invention relates to a corn oil composition comprising unrefined corn oil having a free fatty acid content of less than about 5 weight percent, and methods for producing the same.