Ethanol Yields Increased 20% by Soaking Corn First
by Derek Markham in Ethanol
Ethanol production has its detractors in those who point out the inefficiencies of the process and the use of agricultural land and water involved, but a new process may help to change some of that. Soaking the kernels of corn before grinding them in ethanol production results in more ethanol and usable co-products – about 20 percent more – says a new study published in Cereal Chemistry.
A team of researchers at the University of Illinois found that by using a wet fractionation process, which includes soaking the corn and then grinding into a slurry, the fermenter produces higher ethanol concentrations and better quality co-products than the dry fractionation method.
“The conventional ethanol production method has fewer steps, but other than distillers dried grains with soluble, it doesn’t have any other co-products. Whereas in both wet and dry fractionation processes, the result is ethanol, distillers dried grains with soluble, as well as germ and fiber. Corn fiber oil for example can be extracted from the fiber and used as heart-healthy additives in buttery spreads that can lower cholesterol.” -Esha Khullar, University of Illinois Agricultural Engineer
The wet fractionation process washes the germ of the corn, resulting in a cleaner separation due to less starch sticking to the germ, yielding an increased oil concentration. In the dry method, the corn kernels are crushed, which flattens the germ and leaves some starch attached to it, lowering the oil content, according to Khullar. With wet fractionation, after the corn is ground to a slurry, it is mixed with enzymes to raise the specific gravity, which causes the germ to float and can then be removed from the top.
Removing the germ and pericarp fiber prior to the fermentation process is more efficient because those components are not fermentable. The authors said that it’s preferable to remover them first in order to have more starch in the fermenter. According to the research, the new wet fractionation process does not require new equipment, simply a modification of the process already in place in the corn processing industry.
The research, Ethanol Production from Modified and Conventional Dry-Grind Processes Using Different Corn Types, was published in the journal Cereal Chemistry. The team included Erik D. Sall, Kent D. Rausch, M.E. Tumbleson, and Vijay Singh.
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Posted on Nov 16, 2009
Biofuels, Cereal Chemistry, corn, Ethanol, fermentation
About the Author
Derek Markham
Derek Markham is a father, writer, and social media butterfly based in New Mexico, with a passion for all things sustainable. For the last ten years, he's worked in the natural foods industry, most recently running a small co-operative grocery store. In his personal time, he loves to ride his bike (an 80s Trek singlespeed), go bouldering and slacklining, and he can usually be found in the middle of about ten different books. You can also find him on other sites including Twitter and Natural Papa.2 Responses to “Ethanol Yields Increased 20% by Soaking Corn First”
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Dec 18, 2009
Soak it or not! You will not support the “Status Quo” the “Cheap oil Era” has developed for us, and we must change! Diesel Engines for example offer a thermodynamic advantage due to high compression and yield, in the Euro-Diesel format a full 40 % advantage over the goddammit piss poor low compression spark ignition Bull Shiite Americans insist upon! Also: – Ethanol specific engines, two stroke diesel, Detroit Diesel style ethanol burning engines, fed up to 50 %% water once running, can be used with domestic ethanol to yield much better performance figures at half the engine weight – but Stupid Asshole Yankee Doodle insists on wasting this valued fuel by pissing gasoline into it, reducing its true potential, then burning it in his ass – backwards 1930’s spark engines – just because he is a pig-headed jerk that deserves to starve in the goddammit dark! As long as the Prozac, Pot, and alcohol holds out the rest of the world starves for this insufferable asshole! We need change, and the American Medical Cartel sees it too, and with the help of their actuaries they are trimming away more and more Yankee Doodle V-8 craving arseholes by refusing them even medical care in an attempt to kill them off faster! Good on them!
Frank
Dec 19, 2009
Thats great. But its still putting our food supply into gas tanks. Not really all that brilliant.