IP Library Granted Patent US 8,227,015
Granted Patent B2
US 8,227,015 · App. 12/442,934 · Granted Jul 24, 2012

Solvent extraction of oil from distillers dried grains and methods of using extraction products

View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,227,015
App. No.
12/442,934
Granted
Jul 24, 2012
Kind
B2
Abstract

A process for extraction of crude oil from DDGS and producing corn distillers meal that may be used as a livestock supplement is disclosed. For example, the corn distillers meal may be used as a crude protein supplement for use in a livestock feed diet or a poultry feed diet.

Claims (33)

1. A grain-based ethanol biorefinery at a single facility comprising:

a dry-grind ethanol facility configured to process grain and produce distillers dried grains with solubles;

a solvent extraction facility configured to extract crude corn oil from the distillers dried grains with solubles, thereby producing distillers meal,

wherein the solvent extraction facility is configured to extract crude corn oil from distillers dried grains with solubles using a hexane extraction process, thereby producing corn distillers meal comprising a crude protein content ranging from approximately 28% to approximately 35% by weight, a crude fat content ranging from approximately 1% to approximately 5% by weight, a neutral detergent fiber content ranging from approximately 25% to approximately 35% by weight, and an acid detergent fiber content ranging from approximately 11.5% to 13.5% by weight.

2. A grain-based ethanol biorefinery at a single facility comprising:

a dry-grind ethanol facility configured to process grain and produce distillers dried grains with solubles;

a solvent extraction facility configured to extract crude corn oil from the distillers dried grains with solubles, thereby producing distillers meal,

wherein the solvent extraction facility is configured to extract crude corn oil from corn distillers dried grains with solubles using a hexane extraction process, wherein the crude corn oil comprises approximately 10% to approximately 15% by weight free fatty acids, approximately 0.1% to approximately 0.4% by weight total nitrogen, and approximately 0.08% to approximately 0.15% by weight ash.

3. Distillers meal comprising: a crude protein content ranging from approximately 28% to approximately 35% by weight; a crude fat content ranging from approximately 1% to approximately 5% by weight; a neutral detergent fiber content ranging from approximately 25% to approximately 35% by weight; and an acid detergent fiber content ranging from approximately 11.5% to approximately 16.5% by weight.

4. The distillers meal of claim 3 , wherein the crude protein content is approximately 31% to approximately 33% by weight, the crude fat content is approximately 2% to approximately 4% by weight, the neutral detergent fiber content is approximately 28% to approximately 32% by weight, and the acid detergent fiber content is approximately 14% to approximately 15%.

5. The distillers meal of claim 3 , wherein the distillers meal is corn distillers meal produced by solvent extraction of corn distillers dried grains with solubles.

6. The distillers meal of claim 5 , wherein the corn distillers meal is produced by hexane extraction of corn distillers dried grains with solubles.

7. The distillers meal of claim 6 , wherein the hexane extracted corn distillers meal comprises approximately 28% to approximately 35% by weight crude protein, approximately 2% to approximately 4% by weight crude fat, approximately 28% to approximately 32% by weight neutral detergent fiber content, and approximately 14% to approximately 15% by weight acid detergent fiber.

8. The distillers meal of claim 3 , further comprising nutritional characteristics selected from the group consisting of approximately 0.80 Mcal/lb to approximately 0.85 Mcal/lb net energy lactation, approximately 0.85 Mcal/lb to approximately 0.89 Mcal/lb net energy maintenance, approximately 1200 kcal/lb to approximately 1250 kcal/lb of metabolizable energy, approximately 0.55 Mcal/lb to approximately 0.60 Mcal/lb of net energy gain, or any combinations thereof.

9. Crude plant oil extracted from distillers dried grains comprising: free fatty acids in an amount ranging from approximately 10% to approximately 15% by weight; nitrogen in an amount no more than approximately 0.5% by weight; and ash in an amount no more than approximately 0.2% by weight.

10. The crude plant oil of claim 9 , wherein the crude plaint oil is extracted from corn distillers dried grains with solubles using hexane extraction.

11. The crude plant oil of claim 10 , further comprising: crude protein in an amount ranging no more than about 1% by weight; phosphorus in an amount ranging from approximately 0.02% to approximately 0.04% by weight; potassium in an amount ranging from approximately 0.02% to approximately 0.04% by weight; sodium in an amount ranging from approximately 0.003% to approximately 0.004% by weight; and sulfur in an amount ranging from approximately 0.02% to approximately 0.04% by weight.

12. An animal feed comprising: distillers meal in an amount ranging from approximately 5% to approximately 50% by weight of the total feed on a dry matter basis.

13. The animal feed of claim 12 , wherein the distillers meal is corn distillers meal and comprises approximately 28% to approximately 35% by weight crude protein, approximately 2% to approximately 4% by weight crude fat, approximately 28% to approximately 32% by weight neutral detergent fiber content, and approximately 14% to approximately 15% by weight acid detergent fiber.

14. The animal feed of claim 13 , wherein the corn distillers meal further comprises comprising nutritional characteristics selected from the group consisting of approximately 0.80 Mcal/lb to approximately 0.85 Mcal/lb net energy lactation, approximately 0.85 Mcal/lb to approximately 0.89 Mcal/lb net energy maintenance, approximately 1200 kcal/lb to about 1250 kcal/lb of metabolizable energy, approximately 0.55 Mcal/lb to approximately 0.60 Mcal/lb of net energy gain, or any combinations thereof.

15. The animal feed of claim 14 , wherein the corn distillers meal comprises approximately 5% to approximately 30% by weight of the total feed on a dry matter basis.

16. The animal feed of claim 14 , wherein the corn distillers meal comprises approximately 5% to approximately 15% by weight of the total feed on a dry matter basis.

17. The animal feed of claim 16 , wherein the corn distillers meal comprises approximately 10% to approximately 15% by weight of the total feed on a dry matter basis.

18. A method of feeding animals, the method comprising: providing an animal feed to the animals; supplementing the animal feed with distillers meal in an amount ranging from approximately 5% to approximately 30% by weight of the total animal feed, on a dry matter basis; and wherein the distillers meal comprises a crude protein content ranging from approximately 28% to approximately 35% by weight.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the distillers meal is corn distillers meal and comprises a neutral detergent fiber content ranging from approximately 25% by weight to approximately 35% by weight, and wherein the corn distillers meal comprises a crude fat content ranging from approximately 0.5% by weight to approximately 6% by weight.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the distillers meal is corn distillers meal and providing an animal feed to the animals comprises providing the animal feed to cattle.

21. The method of claim 18 , wherein supplementing the animal feed with the corn distillers meal produces, in the cattle, a ratio of total pounds of feed per average daily gain, or F/G ratio, ranging from approximately 7 lbs. to approximately 3 lbs, or less.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein supplementing the animal feed with the corn distillers meal produces, in the cattle, a ratio of total pounds of feed per average daily gain, or F/G ratio, selected from an F/G ratio of 4.5 lbs. or less after 4 weeks of feeding, 5.0 lbs or less after 8 weeks of feeding, 6.5 lbs or less after 12 weeks of feeding, 7.0 lbs. or less after 16 weeks of feeding, and 6.5 lbs or less through 18 weeks of feeding.

23. The method of claim 18 , wherein supplementing animal feed with the corn distillers meal produces an average daily gain in the cattle selected from an average daily gain of 4.0 lbs or greater after 4 weeks of feeding, 4.5 lbs. or greater after 8 weeks of feeding, 3.5 lbs or greater after 12 weeks of feeding, 3.5 lbs. or greater through 16 weeks of feeding, 3.5 lbs or greater through 18 weeks of feeding, and 4.0 lbs or greater after 18 weeks of feeding.

24. The grain-based ethanol biorefinery of claim 1 , wherein the crude corn oil is further processed by transesterification to produce biodiesel and glycerin.

25. The grain-based ethanol biorefinery of claim 1 , wherein the crude corn oil is further processed by filtering and bleaching to produce food grade oil.

26. The grain-based ethanol biorefinery of claim 2 , wherein the crude corn oil is further processed by transesterification to produce biodiesel and glycerin.

27. The grain-based ethanol biorefinery of claim 2 , wherein the crude corn oil is further processed by filtering and bleaching to produce food grade oil.

Assignments (13)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 17, 2025
From: NOVITA NUTRITION, LLC
To: ING CAPITAL LLC
Reel/Frame 070869/0124 →
PATENT LICENSE SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 17, 2025
From: NOVITA AURORA, LLC
To: ING CAPITAL LLC
Reel/Frame 070883/0949 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 13, 2024
From: NOVITA NUTRITION, LLC
To: OPTUS BANK
Reel/Frame 069575/0851 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 13, 2024
From: NOVITA NUTRITION, LLC
To: OPTUS BANK
Reel/Frame 069575/0869 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 27, 2024
From: ING CAPITAL LLC
To: NOVITA AURORA, LLC; NOVITA NUTRITION, LLC
Reel/Frame 069423/0803 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 3, 2020
From: NOVITA NUTRITION, LLC
To: ING CAPITAL LLC, AS AGENT
Reel/Frame 052310/0143 →
PATENT LICENSE SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 20, 2016
From: NOVITA AURORA, LLC
To: ING CAPITAL LLC, AS AGENT
Reel/Frame 038488/0100 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jan 15, 2015
From: SAN MICHEL, LLC
To: NOVITA, LLC
Reel/Frame 034720/0500 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 7, 2015
From: NOVITA LLC
To: NOVITA NUTRITION, LLC
Reel/Frame 034650/0808 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 30, 2014
From: VERASUN ENERGY CORPROATION
To: VALERO RENEWABLE FUELS COMPANY, LLC
Reel/Frame 032790/0825 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 30, 2014
From: VALERO RENEWABLE FUELS COMPANY, LLC
To: NOVITA, LLC
Reel/Frame 032790/0963 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 30, 2014
From: NOVITA, LLC
To: SAN MICHEL, LLC
Reel/Frame 032791/0115 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 26, 2009
From: BRUINSMA, KEITH; ENDRES, DONALD L.
To: VERASUN ENERGY CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 022452/0839 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 60847188 · Sep 26, 2006
Related Publication 20100092603A1 · Apr 15, 2010