Method of dewatering post fermentation fluids
The present invention relates to a method of dewatering post fermentation fluids in a starch to ethanol process. More particularly the invention relates to use of a nuclease enzyme for separation of whole stillage into an insoluble fraction and a supernatant fraction. In a specific embodiment the present invention relates to a method of dewatering whole stillage comprising the steps of: i) subjecting whole stillage to one or more nuclease enzymes; ii) separating the material into an insoluble fraction and a supernatant fraction.
1. A method of dewatering whole stillage comprising the steps of:
i) subjecting whole stillage to one or more nuclease enzymes;
ii) separating the material into an insoluble fraction and a supernatant fraction.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein separation in step ii) is carried out by centrifugation.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein separation in step ii) is carried out by filtration.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the whole stillage is derived from a process of producing a fermentation product.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the whole stillage is derived from a process of producing a fermentation product from starch-containing material.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the starch-containing material is a cereal.
7. The method of claims 5 , wherein the starch-containing material is selected from the group consisting of corn, wheat, barley, cassava, sorghum, rye and potato, or any combination thereof.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the starch-containing material is corn.
9. The method of claim 4 , wherein the fermentation product is an alcohol.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nuclease enzyme(s) used in step i) is(are): (a) phosphodiesterase, (b) polynucleotidase or nucleodepolymerase, (c) endonuclease or exonuclease, or (d) DNAse or RNAse.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nuclease enzyme used in step i) is selected from the group consisting of members of EC 3.1.11.-, EC 3.1.12.-, EC 3.1.13.-, EC 3.1.14.-, EC 3.1.15.-, EC 3.1.16.-, EC 3.1.21.- (such as EC 3.1.21.1 to 4), EC 3.1.22.-, EC 3.1.25.-, EC 3.1.26.-, EC 3.1.27.-, EC 3.1.3.-, EC 3.1.30.-, EC 3.1.31.-, EC 3.1.4.- and EC 3.1.99.-, family, or a mixture thereof.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the nuclease enzyme is derived from a bacterium.
13. The method of claim 4 , wherein the fermentation product is ethanol.
14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the bacterium is a strain of Bacillus.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the strain is selected from the group consisting of B. subtilis and B licheniformis.
16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the fungus is a strain of Aspergillus.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the strain is A. oryzae.
18. The method of claim 12 , wherein the plant is mung bean.
19. The method of claim 12 , wherein the animal source is bovine spleen.