Solids Removal in Corn Ethanol Processing using EPT EOX
Ground Effects removed greater than 90% of remaining solids in process fluid, gaining valuable produced protein as well as allowing the water to be available for reuse in production processes.
The Situation
Corn ethanol is ethanol produced from corn that is used as a biomass. The process is either a dry milling or wet milling of the corn. The process of wet milling takes the corn grain and steeps it in a dilute fluid solution in order to separate the grain into many components. The slurry mix then goes through a series of grinders to separate out the corn germ. Corn oil is a by-product of this process and is extracted and sold.
The remaining components of fiber, gluten and starch are segregated out using a variety of technologies. The greater percentage of components removed from the fluid, the more value added to the end product, a high protein cake used as animal feed stock. With the traditional separation technologies, as much as 30% of the valuable protein remains in the fluid, leaving behind potential saleable product, but also rendering the fluid unsuitable for reuse within the milling process.
The Solution
Ground Effects successfully separated and removed the remaining solids from ethanol processing fluid, gaining valuable high protein material that can be
sold as feedstock, as well as making the water available for reuse within the ethanol production process itself, effectively reducing production costs
and the use of fresh water resources. The EPT EOX treatment created multiple value added benefits to the fully production process.
The Results
