Process of extracting oil from thin stillage

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10597645-B2
Application number	US-201616062519-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 16, 2016
Priority date	Dec 22, 2015
Publication date	Mar 24, 2020
Grant date	Mar 24, 2020

Abstract

A process of recovering oil, comprising (a) converting a starch-containing material into dextrins with an alpha-amylase; (b) saccharifying the dextrins using a carbohydrate source generating enzyme to form a sugar; (c) fermenting the sugar in a fermentation medium into a fermentation product using a fermenting organism; (d) recovering the fermentation product to form a whole stillage; (e) separating the whole stillage into thin stillage and wet cake; (e′) optionally concentrating the thin stillage into syrup; (f) recovering oil from the thin stillage and/or optionally the syrup, wherein a protease and a phospholipase are present and/or added during steps (a) to (c). Use of a protease and a phospholipase for increasing oil recovery yields from thin stillage and/or syrup in a fermentation product production process.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A process of recovering oil, comprising
(a) converting a starch-containing material into dextrins with an alpha-amylase;
(b) saccharifying the dextrins using a carbohydrate source generating enzyme to form a sugar;
(c) fermenting the sugar in a fermentation medium into a fermentation product using a fermenting organism;
(d) recovering the fermentation product to form a whole stillage;
(e) separating the whole stillage into thin stillage and wet cake;
(e′) optionally concentrating the thin stillage into syrup;
(f) recovering oil from the thin stillage and/or optionally the syrup, wherein a protease and a phospholipase are present and/or added during steps (a) to (c), wherein the protease present and/or added in steps (a) to (c) is:
(i) a protease having the amino acid sequence set out in SEQ ID NO: 14 herein, or a protease which has at least 90% identity to SEQ ID NO: 14 having a protease activity; or
(ii) a protease having the amino acid sequence set out in SEQ ID NO: 3 herein, or a protease which has at least 90% identity to SEQ ID NO: 3 having a protease activity.

2. The process of claim 1 , wherein the protease and the phospholipase are present and/or added during steps (b) and/or (c).

3. The process of claim 1 wherein the phospholipase present and/or added in steps (a) to (c) is a phospholipase C.

4. The process of claim 1 , wherein the phospholipase, present and/or added in steps (a) to (c) has the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 15 herein; SEQ ID NO: 16 herein; or SEQ ID NO: 17 herein, preferably where the phospholipase has the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 16 herein.

5. The process of claim 1 , wherein the phospholipase present and/or added in steps (a) to (c) (i) the phospholipase shown in SEQ ID NO: 15 herein or one having a sequence identity thereto of at least 90% having a phospholipase activity; or (ii) the phospholipase shown in SEC) ID NO: 16 herein or one having a sequence identity thereto of at least 90% having a phospholipase activity; or (iii) the phospholipase shown in SEC) ID NO: 17 herein or one having a sequence identity thereto of at least 90% having a phospholipase activity.

6. The process of claim 1 , wherein the protease and the phospholipase are added sequentially or simultaneously.

7. The process of claim 1 , wherein the step (a) is performed at a temperature above the initial gelatinization temperature.

8. The process of claim 1 , wherein the temperature in step (a) is above the initial gelatinization temperature.

9. The process of claim 7 wherein a protease is added in step (a) carried out above the initial gelatinization temperature.

10. The process of claim 7 , wherein the protease further comprises the one shown in SEQ ID NO: 4 herein, or wherein the protease has at least 90% identity SEQ ID NO: 4 having a protease activity.

11. The process of claim 7 , wherein the protease, added in step (a) carried out at a temperature above the initial gelatinization temperature, has:
(i) a thermostability of more than 20%, more than 30%, more than 40%, more than 50%, more than 60%, more than 70%, more than 80%, more than 90%, more than 100%, more than 105%, more than 110%, more than 115%, or more than 120% determined as Relative Activity at 80° C./70° C.;
(ii) a thermostability between 50 and 115% determined as Relative Activity at 80° C./70° C.; or
(iii) a thermostability of more than 12%, more than 14%, more than 16%, more than 18%, more than 20%, more than 25%, more than 30%, more than 40%, more than 50%, more than 60%, more than 70%, more than 80%, more than 90%, more than 100%, or more than 110% determined as Relative Activity at 85° C./70° C.

12. The process of claim 7 , wherein the bacterial alpha-amylase is from the genus Bacillus.

13. The process of claim 1 , wherein the step (a) is performed at a temperature below the initial gelatinization temperature.

14. The process of claim 13 , wherein:
(i) saccharification step (b) and fermentation step (c) are carried out simultaneously or sequentially; or
(ii) steps (a), (b) and (c) are carried out simultaneously or sequentially at a temperature below the initial gelatinization temperature.

15. The process of claim 12 , wherein the alpha-amylase is a Bacillus stearothermophilus alpha-amylase.

16. The process of claim 12 , wherein the alpha-amylase is a variant of the Bacillus stearothermophilus alpha-amylase shown in SEQ ID NO: 1 herein having at least 80%, at least 85%, at least 90%, at least 95%, at least 96%, at least 97%, at least 98%, or at least 99% sequence identity thereto.

17. The process of claim 12 , wherein the alpha-amylase is truncated.

18. The process of claim 17 , wherein the alpha-amylase is truncated to have from 485-495 amino acids.

19. The process of claim 17 , wherein the alpha-amylase is truncated to have around 491 amino acids.

Assignees

• Novozymes As

Inventors

• Jump Joseph
• Kreel Nathaniel Edward
• Vidal Jr Bernardo
• Soong Chee-Leong
• Roberts Madison
• Hooss Melissa Carrie
• Shen Xinyu

Classifications

• C12Y302/01004

  Cellulase (3.2.1.4), i.e. endo-1,4-beta-glucanase · CPC title

• C12N9/2414

  Alpha-amylase (3.2.1.1.) · CPC title

• C12N9/20

  Triglyceride splitting, e.g. by means of lipase · CPC title

• C12Y301/04

  Phosphoric diester hydrolases (3.1.4) · CPC title

• C12Y302/01001

  Alpha-amylase (3.2.1.1) · CPC title