Solvent based de-oiling for plant based protein extraction
A method provides for removing oil content from a source material and extracting protein from the source material prior to generating a protein concentrate, including decorticating the source material, the source material having a protein and an oil content therein, the decorticating to remove a cortex from the source material. The method includes creating a flour from the source material having the cortex removed therefrom, removing at least a portion of the oil content from the flour by generating a solvent mixture by mixing the flour with a solvent and extracting a de-oiled flour from the solvent mixture, including oil and sugars extracted from the flour. The solvent may include supercritical CO2, subcritical CO2, ethanol, or a combination thereof. The method includes drying the de-oiled flour using at least one dryer and extracting a protein concentrate from the de-oiled flour.
1. A method for removing oil content from a source material and extracting protein from the source material prior to generating a protein concentrate, the method comprising:
decorticating the source material, the source material having a protein and an oil content therein, the decorticating removing a cortex from the source material;
creating a flour from the source material having the cortex removed therefrom;
removing at least a portion of the oil content from the flour by generating a solvent mixture by mixing the flour with a first solvent including supercritical carbon dioxide;
extracting a de-oiled flour from the solvent mixture, including extracting at least a portion of the first solvent from the solvent mixture, the portion of the first solvent extracted from the solvent mixture including oil and sugars extracted from the flour;
drying the de-oiled flour using at least one dryer; and
extracting a protein concentrate from the de-oiled flour.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the removing the at least a portion of the oil content further comprises:
mixing the flour with a second solvent including an alcohol.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the removing the at least a portion of the oil content further comprises:
mixing the flour with the first solvent in a first phase and mixing the flour with the second solvent in a second phase.
4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the alcohol is ethanol.
5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
feeding the first solvent extracted from the solvent mixture, in combination with the extracted oil and sugars, to a solvent recycling unit.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the source material is at least one of: chickpeas and fava beans.
7. A method for removing oil content from a source material and extracting protein from the source material prior to generating a protein concentrate, the method comprising:
decorticating the source material, the source material having a protein and an oil content therein, the decorticating removing a cortex from the source material;
creating a flour from the source material having the cortex removed therefrom;
removing at least a portion of the oil content from the flour by generating a solvent mixture by mixing the flour with a first solvent including subcritical carbon dioxide;
extracting a de-oiled flour from the solvent mixture, including extracting at least a portion of the first solvent from the solvent mixture, the portion of the first solvent extracted from the solvent mixture including oil and sugars extracted from the flour;
drying the de-oiled flour using at least one dryer; and
extracting a protein concentrate from the de-oiled flour.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the removing the at least a portion of the oil content further comprises:
mixing the flour with a second solvent including an alcohol.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the removing the at least a portion of the oil content further comprises:
mixing the flour with the first solvent in a first phase and mixing the flour with the second solvent in a second phase.
10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the alcohol is ethanol.
11. The method of claim 7 further comprising:
feeding the first solvent extracted from the solvent mixture, in combination with the extracted oil and sugars, to a solvent recycling unit.
12. The method of claim 7 , wherein the source material is at least one of: chickpeas and fava beans.
13. A method for removing oil content from a source material and extracting protein from the source material prior to generating a protein concentrate, the method comprising:
decorticating the source material, the source material having a protein and an oil content therein, the decorticating removing a cortex from the source material;
creating a flour from the source material having the cortex removed therefrom;
removing at least a portion of the oil content from the flour by generating a solvent mixture by mixing the flour with a first solvent including carbon dioxide and mixing the flour with a second solvent including an alcohol;
extracting a de-oiled flour from the solvent mixture, including extracting at least a portion of the first solvent from the solvent mixture and at least a portion of the second solvent from the solvent mixture, including oil and sugars extracted from the flour;
drying the de-oiled flour using at least one dryer; and
extracting a protein concentrate from the de-oiled flour.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the removing the at least a portion of the oil content further comprises:
mixing the flour with the first solvent in a first phase and mixing the flour with the second solvent in a second phase.
15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the alcohol is ethanol and the carbon dioxide is at least one of: supercritical carbon dioxide and subcritical carbon dioxide.
16. The method of claim 13 further comprising:
feeding at least one of the first solvent and the second solvent extracted from the solvent mixture to a solvent recycling unit.
17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the source material is at least one of:
chickpeas and fava beans.
18. A method for removing oil content from a source material and extracting protein from the source material prior to generating a protein concentrate, the method comprising:
decorticating the source material, the source material having a protein and an oil content therein, the decorticating removing a cortex from the source material;
creating a flour from the source material having the cortex removed therefrom;
removing at least a portion of the oil content from the flour by generating a solvent mixture by mixing the flour with a solvent;
extracting a de-oiled flour from the solvent mixture, including extracting at least a portion of the solvent from the solvent mixture, the portion of the solvent extracted from the solvent mixture including oil and sugars extracted from the flour;
drying the de-oiled flour using at least one dryer; and
extracting a protein concentrate from the de-oiled flour.
19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the solvent includes a supercritical gas.
20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the solvent includes a subcritical gas.
21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the subcritical gas is subcritical carbon dioxide.
22. The method of claim 18 , wherein the solvent includes ethanol.
23. The method of claim 18 , wherein the solvent includes ethanol in water.
24. The method of claim 18 , wherein the solvent includes a combination of at least two of: supercritical carbon dioxide, subcritical carbon dioxide, a supercritical gas other than carbon dioxide, a subcritical gas other than carbon dioxide, ethanol, and water.