Oil recovery aid
View Patent ↗Compositions for increasing corn oil recovery and embodiments of methods for using the composition for corn oil separation are described. The composition(s) incorporate an admixture that includes a polymer selected from a polyglycol ester, a polyethyleneoxide-polypropyleneoxide block copolymer, a poloxamine, or a mixture thereof. The methods include admixing the compositions with a process stream for, for example, the extraction of oil from milled corn and residues from a fermentation step, including stillage (e.g., thin stillage or mid stillage), distiller's wet grain, distiller's dry grain and distiller's dry grains with solubles.
1. A method comprising:
adding an oil recovery aid that consists essentially of a polymer selected from a polyethyleneoxide-polypropyleneoxide block copolymer, a poloxamine, and a mixture or aqueous composition thereof to a corn-to-ethanol process stream,
wherein the oil recovery aid provides an Oil Separation Rating of 3 by Separation Testing at a polymer dosage of 150 ppm.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polymer includes a polyethyleneoxide-polypropyleneoxide block copolymer.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the polymer includes a mixture of polyethyleneoxide-polypropyleneoxide block copolymers.
4. A method comprising:
adding a polymer selected from a poloxamine and a mixture of the poloxamine and a polyethyleneoxide-polypropyleneoxide block copolymer to a corn-to-ethanol process stream,
wherein the polymer provides an Oil Separation Rating of at least 2 by Separation Testing via direct addition of a polymer dosage of 150 ppm to 350 ppm,
wherein the a poloxamine has a formula (R 1 ) 2 N[(CH 2 ) m NR 1 ] p R 1 , wherein each R 1 is, independently, selected from a hydrogen atom, a hydroxyethyl group, a hydroxypropyl group, a polyethyleneoxide group, a polypropyleneoxide group, a polyethyleneoxide-polypropyleneoxide group, a polypropyleneoxide-polyethyleneoxide group, a glycol, a glycol ester, a polyglycol, or a polyglycol ester; m ranges from 1 to 10; and p ranges from 1 to 10.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the polymer includes a mixture of poloxamines.
6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the polymer includes a poloxamine and a polyethyleneoxide-polypropyleneoxide block copolymer.