PREVENTING PHYTATE SALT DEPOSITION IN POLAR SOLVENT SYSTEMS

US 20120093979A1
Filed: 10/14/2011
Published: 04/19/2012
Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2007
Status: Active Grant

First Claim

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1-20. -20. (canceled)

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Abstract

The present inventors have surprisingly discovered that phytic acid tenaciously precipitates with soluble metals in food or fuel ethanol-processing fluid, producing insoluble organometallic salt deposit or scale on the processing equipment that must be removed in order to facilitate further ethanol processing. The present invention relates to converting phytic acid salts or phytates to inorganic phosphates to improve metal solubility and reduce deposition within processing equipment.

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38 Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A method of reducing formation of insoluble phytic acid salts in equipment that contacts food or fuel ethanol-processing fluids, the method comprising:
- fermenting plant grains to produce thin stillage, backset, or mixture thereof containing phytic acid salts;
  
  adding phytase to the thin stillage, backset, or mixture thereof and converting the insoluble phytic acid salts to soluble products;
  
  thereby reducing the formation of deposits of insoluble phytic acid salts in the equipment that contacts the ethanol-processing fluids.
- View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 38)
- - 22. The method of claim 21, wherein converting comprises partial conversion of phytate to phosphate and inositol.
  - 23. The method of claim 22, wherein converting further comprises reacting the insoluble phytic acid salts in the presence of polar protic solvents.
  - 24. The method of claim 23, wherein reacting the insoluble phytic acid salts in the presence of polar protic solvents comprises reacting in the presence of ethanol and water.
  - 25. The method of claim 21, further comprising adding the phytase to fermentation slurry, beer, whole stillage, centrate, or mixture thereof.
  - 26. The method of claim 21, wherein adding comprises introducing the phytase into the thin stillage, backset, or mixture thereof at a temperature from about 20°
    - C. to about 80°
      
      C.
  - 27. The method of claim 21, wherein adding comprises introducing the phytase into the thin stillage, backset, or mixture thereof at a pH of about 4.0.
  - 28. The method of claim 21, wherein adding comprises introducing the phytase for a residence time sufficient for complete reaction of the phytase with the insoluble phytic acid salts.
  - 29. The method of claim 21, wherein adding comprises introducing the phytase for a residence time from about 2 minutes to about 1200 minutes.
  - 30. The method of claim 21, further comprising analyzing an insoluble deposit in the equipment.
  - 31. The method of claim 30, wherein analyzing comprises detecting phytic acid or phytate.
  - 32. The method of claim 31, wherein analyzing comprises detecting magnesium phytate.
  - 38. The method of claim 26, wherein adding comprises introducing the agent into the thin stillage, backset, or mixture thereof at a temperature from about 30°
    - C. to about 55°
      
      C.

33. A method of reducing formation of insoluble deposits of phytic acid or a salt of phytic acid in equipment that contacts food or fuel ethanol-processing fluids, the method comprising:
- adding an enzyme with phytase activity to thin stillage, backset, or mixture thereof after fermentation;
  
  converting the phytate to orthophosphate by action of the enzyme; and
  
  removing the soluble orthophosphate from the equipment.
- View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37)
- - 34. The method of claim 33, further comprising identifying the insoluble deposit in the ethanol-processing fluids as phytic acid or a salt of phytic acid.
  - 35. The method of claim 33, further comprising adding the enzyme to fermentation slurry, beer, whole stillage, centrate, or mixture thereof.
  - 36. The method of claim 33, wherein adding comprises introducing the enzyme into the thin stillage, backset, or mixture thereof at a temperature from about 20°
    - C. to about 80°
      
      C.
  - 37. The method of claim 33, wherein adding comprises introducing the enzyme into the thin stillage, backset, or mixture thereof at a pH of about 3.0 to 9.0.

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Current Assignee
Kurita America Inc. (Kurita Water Industries (Suzhou) Ltd.)
Original Assignee
Global Process Technologies Incorporated
Inventors
JOHNSON, Roy, YOUNG, Paul R.

Granted Patent

US 8,415,137 B2
Time in Patent Office

Days
Field of Search
US Class Current

426/12
CPC Class Codes

C12P 7/06   Ethanol, i.e. non-beverage

C12P 9/00   Preparation of organic comp...

Y02E 50/10   Biofuels, e.g. bio-diesel

PREVENTING PHYTATE SALT DEPOSITION IN POLAR SOLVENT SYSTEMS

First Claim

6 Assignments

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Abstract

Citations

38 Claims

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PREVENTING PHYTATE SALT DEPOSITION IN POLAR SOLVENT SYSTEMS

First Claim

6 Assignments

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0 Petitions

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Accused Products

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Abstract

Citations

38 Claims

Specification

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Solutions

Use Cases

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