IP Library Granted Patent US 11,912,958
Granted Patent B2
US 11,912,958 · App. 18/153,852 · Granted Feb 27, 2024

Methods of refining a grain oil composition

Inventors: Shannon S. Urban (Valley Springs, SD); Cory J. Sarks (Sioux Falls, SD); Brett A. Flittie (Harrisburg, SD); Jacob A Milbrandt (Tyndall, SD); Steven T. Bly (Sioux Falls, SD); Alex T. Mccurdy (Sioux Falls, SD)
Assignee: POET RESEARCH, INC.
C11B13/00C11B1/04C11B1/14C11B1/16C11B3/008C11B3/12C11B3/16C11B7/0066
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,912,958
App. No.
18/153,852
Granted
Feb 27, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present disclosure relates methods and systems for refining grain oil compositions using water, and related compositions produced therefrom. The present disclosure also relates to methods of using said compositions. The present disclosure also relates to methods of using grain oil derived from a fermentation product in an anti-foam composition.

Claims (37)

1. A method of recovering a byproduct of a grain oil composition feedstock from distillers corn oil, the method comprising:

recovering whole stillage from distillation of a grain feedstock;

separating the whole stillage into wet cake and thin stillage;

processing the thin stillage in a separator to recover a grain oil composition feedstock;

cooling the grain oil composition feedstock to form a temperature adjusted grain oil composition feedstock including a grain oil product and a byproduct of the grain oil composition feedstock;

recovering the byproduct of the grain oil composition feedstock; and

wherein the byproduct of the grain oil composition feedstock is any fraction or phase separated from the temperature adjusted grain oil composition feedstock other than the grain oil product.

2. The method of recovering a byproduct of a grain oil composition feedstock from distillers corn oil of claim 1 , wherein the temperature adjusted grain oil composition feedstock is agitated to form the grain oil product and the byproduct of the grain oil composition feedstock.

3. The method of recovering a byproduct of a grain oil composition feedstock from distillers corn oil of claim 2 , wherein the cooling is before the agitation.

4. The method of recovering a byproduct of a grain oil composition feedstock from distillers corn oil of claim 1 , wherein the byproduct of the grain oil composition feedstock is a solid.

5. The method of recovering a byproduct of a grain oil composition feedstock from distillers corn oil of claim 1 , wherein the byproduct of the grain oil composition feedstock is combined with a liquid stillage stream.

6. A method of recovering a byproduct of a grain oil composition feedstock from distillers corn oil of claim 5 , wherein the liquid stillage stream is whole stillage.

7. The method of recovering a byproduct of a grain oil composition feedstock from distillers corn oil of claim 1 , wherein an amount of water is combined with the grain oil composition feedstock before the cooling.

8. The method of recovering a byproduct of a grain oil composition feedstock from distillers corn oil of claim 1 , wherein an amount of water is combined with the grain oil composition feedstock simultaneously with the cooling.

9. The method of recovering a byproduct of a grain oil composition feedstock from distillers corn oil of claim 1 , wherein an amount of water is combined with the grain oil composition feedstock before the agitation.

10. The method or recovering a byproduct of a grain oil composition feedstock from distillers corn oil of claim 9 , wherein the water is cooler than the grain oil composition feedstock.

11. The method of recovering a byproduct of a grain oil composition feedstock from distillers corn oil of claim 1 , wherein a level of impurities in the grain oil product is less than the level of impurities in the byproduct of the grain oil composition feedstock.

12. The method of recovering a byproduct of a grain oil composition feedstock from distillers corn oil, of claim 11 , wherein the impurities include one or more of the aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, calcium, chlorides, chromium, copper, iron, lead, magnesium, manganese, mercury, nitrogen, nickel, phosphorus, potassium, silicon, sodium, sulfur, vanadium, zinc, or combinations thereof.

13. The method of recovering a byproduct of a grain oil composition feedstock from distillers corn oil of claim 1 , wherein the grain oil composition feedstock includes free fatty acids generated during the distillation.

14. The method of recovering a byproduct of a grain oil composition feedstock from distillers corn oil of claim 13 , wherein the grain oil composition feedstock includes about 1 to about 15 percent of the free fatty acids.

15. The method of recovering a byproduct of a grain oil composition feedstock from distillers corn oil of claim 1 , wherein the byproduct of the grain oil composition feedstock is recovered by separating the byproduct of the grain oil composition feedstock from the grain oil product by using one or more of a settling tank, a cooled settling tank, decanting, a decanter centrifuge, a disk stack centrifuge, a cooled disk stage centrifuge, a screen centrifuge, a hydrocyclone, a filter press, a rotary drum filter, or combinations thereof.

16. A method of recovering a grain oil product low in impurities from distillers corn oil, the method comprising:

recovering whole stillage from distillation of a grain feedstock;

separating the whole stillage into wet cake and thin stillage;

processing the thin stillage in a separator to recover a grain oil composition feedstock;

cooling the grain oil composition feedstock to form a temperature adjusted grain oil composition feedstock including a grain oil product and a byproduct of the grain oil composition feedstock, wherein the byproduct of the grain oil composition feedstock is any fraction or phase separated from the temperature adjusted grain oil composition feedstock other than the grain oil product; and

recovering the grain oil product and wherein a level of impurities in the grain oil product is less than a level of impurities in the grain oil composition feedstock.

17. The method of recovering a grain oil product low in impurities from distillers corn oil of claim 16 , wherein the temperature adjusted grain oil composition feedstock is agitated to form the grain oil product and the byproduct of the grain oil composition feedstock.

18. The method of recovering a grain oil product low in impurities from distillers corn oil of claim 17 , wherein the cooling is before the agitation.

19. The method of recovering a grain oil product low in impurities from distillers corn oil of claim 16 , wherein an amount of water is combined with the grain oil composition feedstock before the cooling.

20. The method of recovering a grain oil product low in impurities from distillers corn oil of claim 16 , wherein an amount of water is combined with the grain oil composition feedstock simultaneously with the cooling.

21. The method of recovering a grain oil product low in impurities from distillers corn oil of claim 17 , wherein an amount of water is combined with the grain oil composition feedstock before the agitation.

22. The method of recovering a grain oil product low in impurities from distillers corn oil of claim 21 , wherein the water is cooler than the grain oil composition feedstock.

23. The method of recovering a grain oil product low in impurities from distillers corn oil of claim 16 , wherein the impurities include one or more of the aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, calcium, chlorides, chromium, copper, iron, lead, magnesium, manganese, mercury, nitrogen, nickel, phosphorus, potassium, silicon, sodium, sulfur, vanadium, zinc, or combinations thereof.

24. The method of recovering a grain oil product low in impurities from distillers corn oil of claim 16 , wherein the grain oil composition feedstock includes free fatty acids generated during the distillation.

25. The method of recovering a grain oil product low in impurities from distillers corn oil of claim 24 , wherein the grain oil composition feedstock includes about 1 to about 15 percent of the free fatty acids.

26. The method of recovering a grain oil product low in impurities from distillers corn oil of claim 16 , wherein the grain oil product is recovered by separating the grain oil product from a byproduct of the grain oil composition feedstock using one or more of a settling tank, a cooled settling tank, decanting, a decanter centrifuge, a disk stack centrifuge, a cooled disk stage centrifuge, a screen centrifuge, a hydrocyclone, a filter press, a rotary drum filter, or combinations thereof.

Assignments (3)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 19, 2025
From: POET RESEARCH, INC.
To: COBANK, ACB
Reel/Frame 072062/0409 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 15, 2025
From: POET RESEARCH, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 072489/0295 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 25, 2023
From: URBAN, SHANNON S.; SARKS, CORY J.; FLITTIE, BRETT A.; MILBRANDT, JACOB A.; BLY, STEVEN T.; MCCURDY, ALEX T.
To: POET RESEARCH, INC.
Reel/Frame 063760/0420 →