Additives and use thereof in corn fermentation process streams and other bioprocesses

Abstract

The present disclosure provides compositions and methods for enhancing oil recovery and protein recovery from a product from a corn fermentation process stream, such as corn syrup. Compositions generally include a product from a corn fermentation stream and an additive including at least one alkylphenol ethoxylate formaldehyde resin, at least one sodium alkyl sulfate, or a blend of at least one anionic surfactant with at least one non-ionic surfactant in a weight ratio of the at least one nonionic surfactant to the at least one anionic surfactant in a range from about 1:20 to about 20:1. Methods combine such an additive with the product from a corn fermentation stream to produce a mixture which is preferably heated and centrifuged to separate oil and protein from the product.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of increasing the amount of corn oil recovered from a product from a corn fermentation process stream comprising the steps of:
 contacting the product from the corn fermentation process stream with an additive selected from the group of alkylphenol ethoxylate formaldehyde resins, a blend of at least one anionic surfactant with at least one nonionic surfactant having a weight ratio of the at least one nonionic surfactant to the at least one anionic surfactant in an amount of about 1:20 to about 20:1, a blend of at least one alkylphenol ethoxylate formaldehyde resin and at least one anionic surfactant, a blend of at least one alkylphenol ethoxylate formaldehyde resin and at least one other nonionic resin, and any combination thereof to produce a mixture;   centrifuging the mixture; and   recovering corn oil from the mixture; wherein the amount of oil recovered from the mixture is greater than the amount of corn oil that would be recovered using the same process without inclusion of the additive.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the product from the corn fermentation process is selected from the group of beer, whole stillage, thin stillage, and corn syrup. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the additive is an alkylphenol ethoxylate formaldehyde resin and the alkylphenol ethoxylate formaldehyde resin is an alkoxylated butyl, amyl, octyl, or nonyl phenol formaldehyde resin. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the additive is an alkylphenol ethoxylate formaldehyde resin and the alkylphenol ethoxylate formaldehyde resin is selected from the group consisting of a butylphenol ethoxylate formaldehyde resin, an amylphenol ethoxylate formaldehyde resin, an octylphenol ethoxylate formaldehyde resin, and a nonylphenol ethoxylate formaldehyde resin. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the mixture further comprises silica particles. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the additive is present in an amount of between about 5 ppm to about 5000 ppm by weight, based on the weight of the mixture. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the additive is the blend of at least one anionic surfactant with at least one nonionic surfactant and the at least one anionic surfactant is selected from the group of alkylbenzene sulfonates, alkylphenol ether sulfates, alkyl sulfates, carboxylates, napthalene sulfonates, olefin sulfonates, petroleum sulfonates, phosphates, phospholipid, soap, soap substitute, sulfates, ethoxylated sulfates, sulfonates, and any combination thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the additive is the blend of at least one anionic surfactant with at least one nonionic surfactant and the at least one nonionic surfactant is selected from the group of alkyl phenol resins, alcohol alkoxylates, alkylpolyalkyleneoxides, alkylpolyglucosides, block copolymers of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide, block copolymers of ethylene oxide and butylene oxide, carboxylic amides, carboxylic esters, castor oil ethoxylates, fatty alcohols, glycol esters of fatty acids, monoalkanolamine condensates, polyethylene glycol esters, polyoxyethylenes, polyoxyethylene fatty acid amides, polyoxyethylene sorbitan esters, fatty esters of alkoxylated glycerols, alkoxylated plant oils, alkoxylated plant fats, alkoxylated animal oils, alkoxylated animal fats, and any combination thereof. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the mixture further comprises silica particles. 
     
     
         10 . A method of increasing the amount of protein separated and recovered in a coproduct from a product from a corn fermentation process stream comprising the steps of:
 contacting the product from the corn fermentation process stream with at least one additive selected from the group of alkylphenol ethoxylate formaldehyde resins, sodium alkyl sulfate, a blend of at least one anionic surfactant with at least one nonionic surfactant having a weight ratio of the at least one nonionic surfactant to the at least one anionic surfactant in a range from about 1:20 to about 20:1, a blend of at least one alkylphenol ethoxylate formaldehyde resin and at least one anionic surfactant, a blend of sodium alkyl sulfate and at least one nonionic surfactant, at least one nonionic surfactant, and any combination thereof to produce a mixture;   separating protein from the mixture; and   recovering a coproduct comprising the protein; wherein the amount of protein recovered in the coproduct is greater than the amount of protein that would be recovered using the same process without inclusion of the additive.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the product from the corn fermentation process is selected from the group of whole stillage, thin stillage, corn syrup and beer. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the additive is an alkylphenol ethoxylate formaldehyde resin and the alkylphenol ethoxylate formaldehyde resin is an alkoxylated butyl, amyl, octyl, or nonyl phenol formaldehyde resin. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the additive is an alkylphenol ethoxylate formaldehyde resin and the alkylphenol ethoxylate formaldehyde resin is selected from the group consisting of a butylphenol ethoxylate formaldehyde resin, an amylphenol ethoxylate formaldehyde resin, an octylphenol ethoxylate formaldehyde resin, and a nonylphenol ethoxylate formaldehyde resin. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the additive is sodium alkyl sulfate and the sodium alkyl sulfate is sodium octyl sulfate or sodium lauryl sulfate. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the mixture further comprises silica particles. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the additive is present in an amount of between about 5 ppm to about 5000 ppm by weight, based on the weight of the mixture. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the additive is the blend of at least one anionic surfactant with at least one nonionic surfactant and the at least one anionic surfactant is selected from the group of alkylbenzene sulfonates, alkylphenol ether sulfates, alkyl sulfates, carboxylates, napthalene sulfonates, olefin sulfonates, petroleum sulfonates, phosphates, phospholipid, soap, soap substitute, sulfates, ethoxylated sulfates, sulfonates, and any combination thereof. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the additive is the blend of at least one anionic surfactant with at least one nonionic surfactant and the at least one nonionic surfactant is selected from the group of alkyl phenol resins, alcohol alkoxylates, alkylpolyalkyleneoxides, alkylpolyglucosides, block copolymers of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide, block copolymers of ethylene oxide and butylene oxide, carboxylic amides, carboxylic esters, castor oil ethoxylates, fatty alcohols, glycol esters of fatty acids, monoalkanolamine condensates, polyethylene glycol esters, polyoxyethylenes, polyoxyethylene fatty acid amides, polyoxyethylene sorbitan esters, fatty esters of alkoxylated glycerols, alkoxylated plant oils, alkoxylated plant fats, alkoxylated animal oils, alkoxylated animal fats, and any combination thereof. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the additive is at least one nonionic surfactant and the at least one nonionic surfactant is selected from the group of alkyl phenol resins, alcohol alkoxylates, alkylpolyalkyleneoxides, alkylpolyglucosides, block copolymers of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide, block copolymers of ethylene oxide and butylene oxide, carboxylic amides, carboxylic esters, castor oil ethoxylates, fatty alcohols, glycol esters of fatty acids, monoalkanolamine condensates, polyethylene glycol esters, polyoxyethylenes, polyoxyethylene fatty acid amides, polyoxyethylene sorbitan esters, fatty esters of alkoxylated glycerols, alkoxylated plant oils, alkoxylated plant fats, alkoxylated animal oils, alkoxylated animal fats, and any combination thereof.