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 a polymer selected from a polyethyleneoxide-polypropyleneoxide block
copolymer, a poloxamine, and a mixture thereof to a corn-to-ethanol process stream,
wherein the polymer provides an Oil Separation Rating of at least 3 by Separation Testing via direct addition of the polymer 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. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polymer includes a poloxamine that has a formula (R1)2N[CH2)mNR1]pR1, wherein each R1 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.
7. A method comprising:
adding about 10 ppm to about 5000 ppm of a recovery aid to a corn-to-ethanol process stream, based on the weight of the process stream;
wherein the recovery aid comprises a polymer selected from a polyethyleneoxide-polypropyleneoxide block copolymer, a poloxamine, and a mixture thereof;
wherein the recovery aid provides an Oil Separation Rating of at least 3 at a polymer dosage of 150 ppm.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the polymer is a mixture of polyethyleneoxide-polypropyleneoxide block copolymers, poloxamines, or polyethyleneoxide-polypropyleneoxide block copolymer and poloxamine.
9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the polymer is a polyethyleneoxide-polypropyleneoxide block copolymer.
10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising adding a nucleant, the nucleant being a water insoluble particulate.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the nucleant and the polymer are premixed before adding to the corn-to-ethanol process stream.
12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the nucleant is silica.