Processes for producing ethanol

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11499170-B2
Application number	US-202017072557-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 16, 2020
Priority date	Dec 22, 2010
Publication date	Nov 15, 2022
Grant date	Nov 15, 2022

Abstract

The present invention relates to processes for producing fermentation products from starch-containing material, wherein a thermostable alpha-amylase and optionally a thermostable protease are present and/or added during liquefaction. The invention also relates to a composition suitable for use in a process of the invention.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A process for producing a fermentation product from a starch-containing material comprising:
i) liquefying the starch-containing material at a temperature from 70°−95° C. using:
an alpha-amylase and
a protease having a thermostability value of more than 90% determined as Relative Activity at 80° C./70° C.;
ii) saccharifying the liquefied material obtained in step i) using a carbohydrate-source generating enzyme; and
iii) fermenting the saccharified material obtained in step (ii) using a fermenting organism to produce a fermentation product.

2. The process of claim 1 , wherein the alpha-amylase has a T½ (min) at pH 4.5, 85° C., 0.12 mM CaCl2)) of at least 30.

3. The process of claim 1 , wherein the alpha-amylase is a variant of a Bacillus alpha-amylase.

4. The process of claim 1 , wherein the protease is a serine protease.

5. The process of claim 1 , wherein the protease is from a strain of Pyrococcus.

6. The process of claim 1 , wherein a thermostable glucoamylase is present and/or added during liquefaction step i).

7. The process of claim 6 , wherein the glucoamylase has a heat stability at 85° C., pH 5.3, of at least 30%.

8. The process of claim 6 , wherein the glucoamylase is from a strain of the genus Penicillium.

9. The process of claim 1 , wherein the carbohydrate-source generating enzyme is a glucoamylase.

10. The process of claim 1 , wherein the fermentation product comprises fuel ethanol.

11. The process of claim 1 , wherein the starch-containing material comprises corn.

12. The process of claim 1 , wherein steps (ii) and (iii) are performed simultaneously.

13. The process of claim 1 , wherein the fermenting organism is yeast.

14. The process of claim 13 , wherein the yeast is a strain of Saccharomyces.

15. The process of claim 1 , wherein the pH during liquefying step (i) is from 4.5-5.0.

16. A process for producing a fermentation product from a starch-containing material comprising:
i) liquefying the starch-containing material at a temperature from 80°−90° C. using:
an alpha-amylase and
a protease having a thermostability value of more than 90% determined as Relative Activity at 80° C./70° C.;
ii) saccharifying the liquefied material obtained in step i) using a carbohydrate-source generating enzyme; and
iii) fermenting the saccharified material obtained in step (ii) using a fermenting organism.

17. The process of claim 16 , wherein the alpha-amylase has a T½ (min) at pH 4.5, 85° C., 0.12 mM CaCl2)) of at least 30.

18. The process of claim 16 , wherein the alpha-amylase is a variant of a Bacillus alpha-amylase.

19. The process of claim 16 , wherein the protease is a serine protease.

20. The process of claim 16 , wherein the protease is from a strain of Pyrococcus.

21. The process of claim 16 , wherein a thermostable glucoamylase is present and/or added during liquefaction step i).

22. The process of claim 21 , wherein the glucoamylase has a heat stability at 85° C., pH 5.3, of at least 30%.

23. The process of claim 21 , wherein the glucoamylase is from a strain of the genus Penicillium.

24. The process of claim 16 , wherein the carbohydrate-source generating enzyme is a glucoamylase.

25. The process of claim 16 , wherein the fermentation product comprises fuel ethanol.

26. The process of claim 16 , wherein the starch-containing material comprises corn.

27. The process of claim 16 , wherein steps (ii) and (iii) are performed simultaneously.

28. The process of claim 16 , wherein the fermenting organism is yeast.

29. The process of claim 28 , wherein the yeast is a strain of Saccharomyces.

30. The process of claim 16 , wherein the pH during liquefying step i) is from 4.5-5.0.

31. A process for producing a fermentation product from a starch-containing material comprising:
i) liquefying the starch-containing material at a temperature above the initial gelatinization temperature of the starch-containing material using:
an alpha-amylase and
a protease having a thermostability value of more than 100% determined as Relative Activity at 80° C./70° C.;
ii) saccharifying the liquefied material obtained in step i) using a carbohydrate-source generating enzyme; and
iii) fermenting the saccharified material obtained in step (ii) using a fermenting organism.

32. The process of claim 31 , wherein the alpha-amylase has a T½ (min) at pH 4.5, 85° C., 0.12 mM CaCl2)) of at least 30.

33. The process of claim 31 , wherein the alpha-amylase is a variant of a Bacillus alpha-amylase.

34. The process of claim 31 , wherein the protease is a serine protease.

35. The process of claim 31 , wherein the protease is from a strain of Pyrococcus.

36. The process of claim 31 , wherein a thermostable glucoamylase is present and/or added during liquefaction step i).

37. The process of claim 36 , wherein the glucoamylase has a heat stability at 85° C., pH 5.3, of at least 30%.

38. The process of claim 36 , wherein the glucoamylase is from a strain of the genus Penicillium.

39. The process of claim 31 , wherein the carbohydrate-source generating enzyme is a glucoamylase.

40. The process of claim 31 , wherein the fermentation product comprises fuel ethanol.

41. The process of claim 31 , wherein the starch-containing material comprises corn.

42. The process of claim 31 , wherein steps (ii) and (iii) are performed simultaneously.

43. The process of claim 31 , wherein the fermenting organism is yeast.

44. The process of claim 43 , wherein the yeast is a strain of Saccharomyces.

45. The process of claim 31 , wherein the pH during liquefying step i) is from 4.5-5.0.

Assignees

• Novozymes As

Inventors

• Deinhammer Randy
• Clark Suzanne
• Quiros Mauricio
• Matthews John
• Hjulmand Anne Glud
• Soong Chee Leong
• Matsui Tomoko
• Takagi Shinobu

Classifications

• Y02E50/10

  Biofuels, e.g. bio-diesel · CPC title

• C12P19/20

  produced by the action of an exo-1,4 alpha-glucosidase, e.g. dextrose · CPC title

• C12P7/06 Primary

  Ethanol, i.e. non-beverage · CPC title

• C12P19/14

  produced by the action of a carbohydrase {(EC 3.2.x)}, e.g. by alpha-amylase {, e.g. by cellulase, hemicellulase} · CPC title

• C12Y302/01003

  Glucan 1,4-alpha-glucosidase (3.2.1.3), i.e. glucoamylase · CPC title