Progress 02/06/02 to 09/30/04
Outputs
1. What major problem or issue is being resolved and how are you resolving it (summarize project aims and objectives)? How serious is the problem? What does it matter? The major problem we were trying to solve was "to develop new, alternative, cost-effective and environmentally sustainable methods for the processing of corn into ethanol, starch, oil, protein and other co- products, providing additional income for rural growers and processors and to make the U.S. more energy independent." The proposed research is aimed at resolving this problem by a) developing modified dry grind processes to produce ethanol using enzyme based processing techniques and other environmentally sustainable processes that maximize yields and value of all co-products, and b) develop alternative methods for corn wet- milling and fractionation that maximize yield of starch for biobased product production and value of all co-products while eliminating hazardous processing aids, such as
sulfites, and c) adapt new alternative processing technologies to reduce overall costs for starch to facilitate it's use in biobased products. The proposed research in this ARS project on enzyme based processes could make a significant contribution to the areas of bioenergy and bio-based products from corn by developing more efficient and cost-effective ethanol production processes and could increase the value and type of co-products generated. The increased use of ethanol as an oxygenate in gasoline is creating a significant demand for additional production capabilities. Many new fuel ethanol plants are being constructed to meet this demand and many existing facilities are expanding their production capacity. The dry grind process currently used for ethanol production, while efficient, suffers from a number of limitations. The most significant limitation is that it produces only one co-product (other than ethanol) and this is only used as low value animal feed with limited
markets. The wet milling process currently used produces a number of co-products in addition to ethanol; however, they are limited as well in their markets due in part to the chemical processing aids used in steeping. Developing new technologies and processes that help to expand the number of co-products or their available markets could prove vital to the long-term success and survival of the industry. This work responds directly to the goals of National Program 307, Bioenergy and Energy Alternatives (specifically its component on ethanol) -by developing new, alternative, cost-effective and environmentally sustainable methods for the production of ethanol from corn and by maximizing yields and value of all co-products. The project also responds directly to National Program 306: New Processes, New Uses, and Value-Added Biobased Products. Specifically, it responds to NP306's goals: "This research will result in new uses of agricultural products and co-products. Innovative new
processes will be created and existing ones adapted for the extraction and purification, or manufacture, of superior products from agricultural commodities. Application of these innovative technologies will expand the range and value of agricultural products and reduce the cost of their production, making processed goods from the United States more competitive." 2. List the milestones (indicators of progress) from your Project Plan. This was a project initiated by a budget increase in FY 2002 and did not undergo OSQR review. The milestones for the project included: FY 2002 Test commercially available enzymes preparations to determine if they can be used in the enzymatic wet milling process. Demonstrate that proteases (other than bromelain) can be used in the enzymatic wet milling process. Begin working on process and economic models of a 100,000 bu per day conventional wet milling facility. FY 2003 Work on adapting the enzymatic milling process for use in the dry grind ethanol
process in order to recover additional high value co-products. Develop bench scale procedures for fractionation of co-products using modified dry grind processing strategies. Finish development of the conventional wet milling process and economic models. FY 2004 Begin development of a process and economic model for a 100,000 bu per day enzymatic wet milling facility for comparison to the conventional wet milling model. Evaluate the effects of lactic acid addition on co-products during the enzymatic milling process. 3. Milestones: Work on development of a process and economic model for a 100,000 bu per day enzymatic wet milling facility has begun and should be completed by the end of FY 2004 or early into FY 2005. The development and validation of the Conventional Wet-Milling model has been completed. This model has proven to be very useful in a number of "what if" studies undertaken at ERRC and a decision was made to make it useable by a broader range of researchers and industry
persons. Currently work on expanding the accessibility of the model is being undertaken by using the model as a basis for development of a new model in a more "user friendly" software program. This new model will also be made publicly available once complete. Studies to evaluate the effect of lactic acid addition on wet milling co- products have been completed and analysis of the data generated will be finished during this FY. A manuscript documenting the findings of this study is currently being prepared. b. List the milestones (from the list in Question #2) that you expect to address over the next 3 years (FY 2005, 2006 & 2007). What do you expect to accomplish, year by year, over the next 3 years under each milestone? The milestones listed in question 2 only cover those for the project terminating in FY 2004. The milestones listed here are those from the project plan that is currently going through the final approval stage of the OSQR process. FY 2005 Begin Screening of new
enzymes for use in enzymatic milling Begin testing of potential sources for protease activity Begin testing of sonication on conventional corn wet milling. Begin evaluation of lactic acid on E-Milling co-product yields. Begin evaluation of co-product composition from E-Milling using lactic acid addition. Develop and validate process and cost models for a conventional wet- milling facility. Begin development of fiber removal and fermentation protocols. Begin evaluation of yields and compositions of products and co-products from the fiber removal and fermentation protocols. Conduct a sensitivity analysis for the co-production of Astaxanthin using modified dry grind processes. Begin development of cost sensitivity analysis for mixed or multi-step fermentations for co-production of multiple products. Begin production of Corn Fiber Gum from milling fractions. Begin linkage and compositional analysis of polysaccharide starting materials for modifying carbohydrate rich fractions from the
enzymatic milling processes. FY 2006 Begin determination of milling yields for new enzymes found to be potentially useful in the enzymatic milling processes. Begin evaluation of co-product composition from new commercial enzymes. Finish testing of potential sources for protease activity. Begin production and isolation of enzymes for milling tests. Finish testing of sonication on conventional corn wet milling. Begin testing of sonication on enzymatic corn wet milling. Finish evaluation of lactic acid on E-Milling co-product yields. Finish evaluation of co-product composition from E-Milling using lactic acid addition. Characterize proteins in co-products from E-Milling using lactic acid addition Develop and validate process and cost models for an enzymatic wet- milling facility. Continue development of fiber removal and fermentation protocols. Continue evaluation of yields and compositions of products and co- products from the fiber removal and fermentation protocols. Begin development
of alternative heating protocol for mashing to minimize peak viscosity using the RVA. Begin studies on the production of Astaxanthin and ethanol in a defined media. Begin analysis of co-products from co-production of Astaxanthin and ethanol. Finish development of cost sensitivity analysis for mixed or multi-step fermentations for co-production of multiple products. Continue production of Corn Fiber Gum from milling fractions. Begin studies treating Corn Fiber Gum with L-arabinofuranosidases on a small scale to produce polysaccharides having new functional properties. Isolate Corn Fiber Gum from commercial wet milling fiber for treatment and characterization studies. Finish linkage and compositional analysis of polysaccharide starting materials for modifying carbohydrate rich fractions from the enzymatic milling processes. Begin development of enzymatic modification strategies for modifying the carbohydrate rich fractions from the enzymatic milling processes. FY 2007 Finish Screening
of new enzymes for use in enzymatic milling Finish testing of sonication on enzymatic corn wet milling. Begin testing of new chemical treatments and corresponding co-product composition. Compare conventional and E-Milling models and what if studies Finish development of fiber removal and fermentation protocols. Finish evaluation of yields and compositions of products and co-products from the fiber removal and fermentation protocols. Finish development of alternative heating protocol for mashing to minimize peak viscosity using the RVA. Begin evaluation of alternative enzyme treatments during mashing using modified protocols using the RVA. Begin evaluation of the effects of the modified mashing protocols on co- products. Finish studies on the production of Astaxanthin and ethanol in a defined media. Continue analysis of co-products from co-production of Astaxanthin and ethanol. Begin development and validation of modified dry grind process and cost models. Finish production of Corn
Fiber Gum from milling fractions. Finish studies treating Corn Fiber Gum with L-arabinofuranosidases on a small scale to produce polysaccharides having new functional properties. Treat the isolated Corn Fiber Gum from commercial wet milling fiber with xylanases and isolate modified material. Finish development of enzymatic modification strategies for modifying the carbohydrate rich fractions from the enzymatic milling processes. Begin production of enzyme modified carbohydrate polymers. 4. What were the most significant accomplishments this past year? A. Single most significant accomplishmeent during FY 2004: The use of proteases to reduce or eliminate the need for sulfur dioxide (a hazardous processing agent) in corn wet milling has been successfully demonstrated by scientists from the Crop Conversion Science and Engineering research unit. In order to minimize the amount of enzyme (currently the biggest hurdle to commercialization) scientists from the Crop Conversion Science and
Engineering research unit have optimized the milling process and the associated enzyme application steps. These efforts have resulted in a 10 fold reduction in the amount of enzyme required to obtain starch yields equivalent to the conventional wet milling process. Additional efforts indicate that the enzyme requirement could be further reduced when applied to a continuous operation. B. Other Significant Accomplishments(s): The importance of lactic acid in the conventional wet milling process to improve starch yields has been reported. In conventional wet milling laboratory experiments, the removal of lactic acid during steeping causes a significant reduction in the amount of recovered starch. In the enzymatic wet milling process, developed at the Eastern Regional Research Center, the need for lactic acid to obtain high starch yields is not required; however, the effects on the composition of other co-products was unknown. To assess and compare the effects of lactic acid on the
enzymatic wet milling fraction yields, a study was designed to measure the effects of lactic acid concentration on the enzymatic wet milling fraction yields and the resulting fraction protein content. The results showed that presence of lactic acid had a beneficial effect on the protein content of the corn gluten fraction (an important co-product) and further improved the starch recovery. C. Significant Activities that Support Special Target Populations: Our work on development of new processes for dry grind ethanol from corn supports small farms by creating a higher demand for corn and thereby increasing profits to small farms. D. Progress Report: During this reporting period, research was also conducted under a subordinate CRIS, 1935-41000-059-01S "Modified Corn Milling Technologies". This work was conducted under a specific cooperative agreement between ARS and the University of Illinois, which was initiated on 09/25/02 and will terminate on 09/01/05. This research project was
developed with Vijay Singh (Univ. of Illinois) to pursue the common goal of improving the dry grind ethanol process through the use of "Modified Corn Milling Technologies". A Ph.D. student began working in the Department of Agricultural Engineering at the University of Illinois in the fall 2003 Semester. This student will be doing his doctoral studies on bioprocess control and process simulation and will spend several months at the Eastern Regional Research Center. During FY 2003, we reported the development of a new a process to recover corn endosperm fiber in addition to the germ and coarse (pericarp) fiber. During this FY, several dry grind ethanol experiments were conducted using the new process and a detailed comparison of yields and co-product compositions were made with the conventional dry grind ethanol process. Fermentation and co-product composition data were evaluated and a manuscript documenting the results is being submitted to Cereal Chemistry for peer review. The
graduate student, working under this agreement, is currently conducting research on two studies related to the dry grind ethanol process. 1. A comparing of the wet and dry process of germ and coarse fiber removal in dry grind ethanol processes. 2. Evaluation of the effects of endosperm hardness of corn hybrids on final ethanol yield. Comparison of wet and dry degerm and defiber processes Using standard corn grown at the University of Illinois experiment station several tests have been done to compare wet and dry degerm and defiber technologies at the beginning of dry grind ethanol process prior to fermentation. Fermentation characteristics of the slurry after degerm and defiber process have also been evaluated. Currently, compositional analysis of germ and fiber is underway at the ERRC. Effect of endosperm hardness on ethanol yields Several commercial corn hybrids with varying degree of endosperm hardness have been evaluated for final ethanol yields. Data has been analyzed and a
manuscript is being prepared for submission to a Journal. During this reporting period, research was also conducted under subordinate CRIS projects, 1935-41000-059-03S (SCA with U of I) and 1935- 41000-059-02T (ARS In house project), "Enzymatic Corn Wet milling process". This work was conducted under a specific cooperative agreement between ARS and the University of Illinois, which was initiated on 09/25/00 and will terminate on 09/24/04. This cooperative agreement is the result of a successful grant proposal submitted by David Johnston (ERRC) and Vijay Singh (University of Illinois) to the USDA-CSREES Initiative for Future Agriculture and Food Systems. The work being done under this agreement is a joint effort to lower the overall processing costs for wet milling and improve the economics of fuel ethanol through the development of enzymatic processing technology. During this FY, a number of accomplishments were made under this agreement. 1. Optimization of lactic acid addition in
the enzymatic corn wet milling process. 2. Effects of hybrid variability on product yields using the enzymatic corn wet milling process. 3. Preparation of conventional and enzymatic wet milling of samples for microbial control studies. 4. Production of fine and coarse fiber from the enzymatic dry grind ethanol process for compositional analysis and conversion studies. 5. Production of DDGS from the conventional and enzymatic dry grind processes for recovery of zein as a value added co-product. 6. Two manuscripts have been prepared: a. Advances in Food and nutrition Research (peer reviewed). b. Corn Utilization and Technology Conference proceedings (CUTC) paper (non peer reviewed). 7. Three presentations were made for work done under this agreement. a. CRA update meeting in SIU, Edwardsville, IL b. Starch Convention, Detmold, Germany c. 2004 CUTC poster presentation, Indianapolis, IN Currently two additional manuscripts are being prepared based on data generated for the
microbial control study and on the fermentation of the converted coarse and fine fiber from the enzymatic dry grind ethanol process During this reporting period, a Memorandum of Understanding, 1935-41000- 059-04M, was developed between the Eastern Regional Research Center, the Corn Refiners Association and the University of Illinois. The agreement was designed to formally establish and strengthen the research relationship between the parties, which has until now been operating under an informal agreement. The parties all share common research interest involving corn processing and this agreement will nourish this interest and improve collaboration benefiting everyone involved. The agreement was initiated on April 6, 2004 and will run until 2009 unless extended. In March 2004 a meeting was held in at the National Corn-To-Ethanol Research Center (NCERC) at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. During this meeting the MOU was formally signed by the participating parties.
Research presentations related to corn wet milling were given and ideas and information were exchanged. 5. Describe the major accomplishments over the life of the project, including their predicted or actual impact. Dry grind corn processing is currently used exclusively for ethanol production and as currently practiced is limited to the production of only two low value co-products, distillers dried grains with solubles and carbon dioxide. To increase the number of co-products and improve the efficiency of the process, scientists at the Eastern Regional Research Center in the Crop Conversion Science and engineering research unit, are adapting the use of enzymatic milling to the dry grind ethanol process for the recovery of additional high value co-products. Bench scale procedures for fractionation have been developed and a patent application related to this technology was approved by the patent committee, developed with OTT and submitted to the USPTO. Interactions with major enzyme
companies have resulted in receiving large numbers of enzyme samples for testing in the process and should result in identification of numerous commercial enzymes that will work in the process. This accomplishment is linked to our CRIS Project Plan FY 2003 Milestone "Develop bench scale procedures for fractionation of co-products, using modified dry grind processing strategies." and to NP 307 Action Plan Long- Term Outcome. "New technologies that integrate feedstock pretreatment, biological conversion and product recovery processes, as well as fundamental knowledge regarding fermentation, milling and membrane separations, will result in a reduction in capital and processing costs associated with biofuel production." Researchers working on advanced corn wet-milling research at ERRC and elsewhere have no validated and publicly available wet mill process and cost model with which to understand the operations of current wet mills and to understand how proposed changes in technology
might affect existing process. Unit researchers from the Crop Conversion Science and Engineering research unit, in conjunction with SUPER Group process and cost engineers, developed an ASPEN+ process and cost model, using data gleaned from public information and industry contacts. The model has now been validated by most of the major wet millers in the US, including ADM, Tate and Lyle, Cargill, and Penford. This model will be of exceptional value to CCS&E's Enzymatic Milling Program which aims to use enzymes to remove toxic sulfites from wet milling and will also be of major value to all researchers over the world doing work in this area. This accomplishment is linked to our CRIS Project Plan FY 2004 Milestone "Begin development of a process and economic model for a 100,000 bu per day conventional wet milling facility." and to NP 306 Action Plan Objective to "Develop improved and new techniques and technologies to convert agricultural products into value-added biobased products."
6. What science and/or technologies have been transferred and to whom? When is the science and/or technology likely to become available to the end- user (industry, farmer, other scientists)? What are the constraints, if known, to the adoption and durability of the technology products? One patent and a patent application have been developed under this project. There has been a license application filed for the patent, and significant interest has been generated. It is believed that some aspect of the technologies being developed will be implemented in a commercial facility in the next 3-5 years. Detailed research information on enzymatic milling and engineering process modeling work done under this CRIS project was presented at a special meeting with members of the wet milling industry. During this meeting the most current information available on the enzymatic wet milling process was shared with the industry. The first publicly available 100,000 bushel per day corn wet milling
engineering process and cost models were made available from work done under this CRIS project. These models were developed with information taken from literature as well as industry. The availability and information needed to obtain copies of the model was announced to thousands at two different research conferences as well as members of the wet milling industry. Presentations were given to enzyme companies and to design engineering firms about the use and requirements of enzymes in corn processing. These companies can use the information provided to tailor new enzyme preparations or new processes for the corn processing industry. 7. List your most important publications in the popular press and presentations to organizations and articles written about your work. Presentation on the use of enzymatic methods for processing corn to obtain new value added co-products. Diversa in San Diego, CA. October 2003. Presentation to the Corn Refiners Association on Enzymatic Milling at
Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville, IL, March 17, 2004. An article was published in the ARS magazine in July 2004 titled "New Milling Methods Improve Corn Ethanol Production" and discussed the conventional wet milling model and additional research accomplishments from the CRIS project.
Impacts
(N/A)
Publications
- Johnston, D., Thomas, J.L. The effects of processing chemicals on corn starch pasting properties. Proceedings of the Corn Utilization & Technology Conference, Indianapolis, IN., June 7-9, 2004. Poster Presentation CD Rom.
- Johnston, D., Yee, W.C., Singh, V., Mcaloon, A.J. Convention corn wet milling process and cost models. Proceedings of the Corn Utilization & Technology Conference. Indianapolis, IN., June 7-9, 2004. Poster Presentation CD Rom.
- Patent issued 05/20/2003. 115's not required at time patent application was done. Patent #6,566,125 B2.
- Murthy, G.S., Johnston, D., Singh, V. Comparison of dry and wet milling degerm and defiber processes for ethanol production. Proceedings of the Corn Utilization & Technology Conference, Indianapolis, IN. June 7-9, 2004, Poster CD.
- Murthy, G.S., Rausch, K.D., Johnston, D., Tumbleson, M.E., Singh, V. Effect of effect of endosperm hardness on sugar profiles and ethanol yields in dry grind ethanol process. Proceedings of the Corn Utilization & Technology Conference, Indianapolis, IN. June 7-9, 2004. Poster CD.
- Singh, V., Johnston, D., Rausch, K.D. Enzymatic maize milling process for dry grind ethanol. Meeting Abstract. 55th Annual Starch Conference, Detmold Germany, April 20-24, 2004. Paper #3.6.
- Johnston, D., Singh, V. Starch production from an enzymatic maize wet milling process: enzyme and process optimization. Meeting Abstract.55th Annual Starch Conference, Detmold Germany, April 20-24, 2004. Paper #3.1.
- Singh, V., Johnston, D., Naidu, K., Rausch, K.D., Belyea, R.L., Tumbleson, M.E. Effect of modified dry grind corn processes on fermentation characteristics and ddgs composition. Proceedings of the Corn Utilization & Technology Conference, Indianapolis, IN. June 7-9, 2004. Poster Presentation CD Rom.
- Naidu, K., Rausch, K.D., Johnston, D., Tumbleson, M.E., Singh, V. A two- liter dry grind laboratory procedure to measure sugar profile and ethanol yields. Proceedings of the Corn Utilization & Technology Conference, Indianapolis, IN., June 7-9, 2004. Poster Presentation CD Rom.
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Progress 10/01/02 to 09/30/03
Outputs
1. What major problem or issue is being resolved and how are you resolving it? The major problem we were asked to address was "to develop new, alternative, cost-effective and environmentally sustainable methods for the processing of corn into ethanol, starch, oil, protein and other coproducts, providing additional income for rural growers and processors and to make the U.S. more energy independent." The proposed research is aimed at resolving this problem by a) developing modified dry grind processes to produce ethanol using enzyme based processing techniques and other environmentally sustainable processes that maximize yields and value of all co-products, and b) develop alternative methods for corn wet- milling and fractionation that maximize yield of starch for biobased product production and value of all co-products while eliminating hazardous processing aids, such as sulfites, and c) adapt new alternative processing technologies to reduce overall costs for starch
to facilitate its use in biobased products. The proposed research in this ARS project on enzyme based processes could make a significant contribution to the areas of bioenergy and bio-based products from corn by developing more efficient and cost-effective ethanol production processes and could increase the value and type of coproducts generated. 2. How serious is the problem? Why does it matter? The increased use of ethanol as an oxygenate in gasoline is creating a significant demand for additional production capabilities. Many new fuel ethanol plants are being constructed to meet this demand and many existing facilities are expanding their production capacity. The dry grind process currently used for ethanol production, while efficient, suffers from a number of limitations. The most significant limitation is that it produces only one coproduct (other than ethanol) and this is only used as low value animal feed with limited markets. The wet milling process currently used
produces a number of coproducts in addition to ethanol; however, they are limited as well in their markets due in part to the toxic chemical processing aids used in steeping. Developing new technologies and processes that help to expand the number of coproducts or their available markets could prove vital to the long-term success and survival of the industry. 3. How does it relate to the National Program(s) and National Program Component(s) to which it has been assigned? This work responds directly to the goals of National Program 307, Bioenergy and Energy Alternatives (specifically its component on ethanol) -by developing new, alternative, cost-effective and environmentally sustainable methods for the production of ethanol from corn and by maximizing yields and value of all co-products. The project also responds directly to National Program 306: New Processes, New Uses, and Value-Added Biobased Products. Specifically, it responds to NP306's goals: "This research will result in new
uses of agricultural products and co-products. Innovative new processes will be created and existing ones adapted for the extraction and purification, or manufacture, of superior products from agricultural commodities. Application of these innovative technologies will expand the range and value of agricultural products and reduce the cost of their production, making processed goods from the United States more competitive." 4. What were the most significant accomplishments this past year? A. Single Most Significant Accomplishment during FY 2003: Dry grind corn processing is currently used exclusively for ethanol production and as currently practiced is limited to the production of only two low value coproducts, distillers dried grains with solubles and carbon dioxide. To increase the number of coproducts and improve the efficiency of the process, scientists at the Eastern Regional Research Center in the Crop Conversion Science and Engineering Research Unit, are adapting the use of
enzymatic milling to the dry grind ethanol process for the recovery of additional high value coproducts. Bench scale procedures for fractionation have been developed and a patent application related to this technology was approved by the patent committee, and submitted to the United States Patent Trademark Office. Interactions with major enzyme companies have resulted in receiving large numbers of enzyme samples for testing in the process and should result in identification of numerous commercial enzymes that will work in the process. B. Other Significant Accomplishment(s): Non-fermentable components, especially fiber, dilute the fermentable components, increase the solids content in the fermentation vessel and lower the feed value of post fermentation coproducts. Through the adaptation of the previously developed enzymatic milling process and the incorporation of unit operations from corn wet milling, a new process was developed. The process recovers the non-fermentable
components prior to fermentation as a new high fiber coproduct rich in oil. The removal of the majority of the fiber prior to fermentation, increases throughput in fermentation, decreases the solids content during fermentation and the fiber content of the residual material, resulting in an improved coproduct protein content and added value. Researchers working on advanced corn wet-milling research at ERRC and elsewhere have no validated and publicly available wet mill process and cost model with which to understand the operations of current wet mills and to understand how proposed changes in technology might affect existing processes. Unit researchers from the Crop Conversion Science and Engineering Research Unit, in conjunction with process and cost engineers, developed an ASPEN+ process and cost model, using data gleaned from public information and industry contacts. The model has now been validated by most of the major wet millers in the US. This model will be of exceptional
value to CCSE's Enzymatic Milling Program which aims to use enzymes to remove toxic sulfites from wet milling and will also be of major value to all researchers over the world doing work in this area. C. Significant Activities that Support Special Target Populations: Our work on development of new processes for dry grind ethanol from corn supports small farms and farmer coops likely to use this technology. It also creates a higher demand for corn thereby, potentially increasing profits to small farms and coops. 5. Describe the major accomplishments over the life of the project, including their predicted or actual impact. This was a new or bridge project in FY2002. Major accomplishments over the life of the project are those currently listed in 4a and 4b. 6. What do you expect to accomplish, year by year, over the next 3 years? During FY 2004, we plan to finish the E-Milling process and economic model and begin validation using a pilot scale operation. Research will continue on
the development of enzyme based processing strategies. We will also begin detailed coproduct characterization and evaluation of potential new uses. During this time, the project will undergo OSQR reiew and a new 5-year research plan will be developed. 7. What science and/or technologies have been transferred and to whom? When is the science and/or technology likely to become available to the end- user (industry, farmer, other scientists)? What are the constraints, if known, to the adoption and durability of the technology products? Currently no technologies have been transferred. The technologies and processes being developed are receiving significant interests from production companies and, through confidentiality agreements, details about the process have been transferred to almost every wet milling company in the U.S. It is likely that some aspect of the technologies being developed will be implemented in a commercial facility in the next 3-5 years. The adoption of these
technologies will require extensive validation and testing as well as an economic advantage. The industry currently has functional technology and a significant capital investment, and when making changes the potential risk needs to be minimized. Recently, details of the processes were transferred to Genencor, a major enzyme company. These interactions are critical for lowering the enzymes cost for the process. 8. List your most important publications in the popular press and presentations to organizations and articles written about your work. (NOTE: This does not replace your peer-reviewed publications listed below). 1. Johnston, D.B. Enzymatic Corn Wet Milling. Corn Products International Asia Africa planning meeting. Westchester, Illinois. 2002. 2. Johnston, D.B., Singh, V. Product Yield Comparison Using Enzymatic Milling with Reduced Levels of Bromelain and Varying Levels of Sulfur Dioxide. Proceedings International Starch Technology Conference, Urbana, Illinois. 2003.
p.128. 3. Rausch, K, Singh, V., Johnston, D., Clevenger, T., Tumbleson, M., Belyea, R. Emerging Technologies for Dry Grind Ethanol Processes: Nutrient recovery from dry grind corn processing. Proceedings of the Fuel Ethanol Workshop, Sioux Falls, South Dakota. 2003. p.2. 4. Singh, V., Johnston, D., Rausch, K., Tumbleson, M. Nutrient recovery from dry grind corn processing. Emerging Technologies for Dry Grind Ethanol Processes: The Enzymatic Modified Dry Grind Process. Proceedings of the Fuel Ethanol Workshop, Sioux Falls, South Dakota. 2003. p.5.
Impacts
(N/A)
Publications
- Singh, V., Johnston, D.B., Moreau, R.A., Hicks, K.B., Dien, B.S., Bothast, R.J. Pretreatment of Wet-Milled Corn Fiber to Improve Recovery of Corn Fiber Oil and Phytosterols. Cereal Chemistry. 2003. v.80(1) p.118-122.
- Johnston, D. Methodologies for assaying the hydrolysis of cellulose by cellulases. Book Chapter in Handbook of Food Enzymology. Eds. Whitaker/voragen/wong. Chapter 61:p.761-770. 2003.
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Progress 10/01/01 to 09/30/02
Outputs
1. What major problem or issue is being resolved and how are you resolving it? The major problem we were asked to address was "to develop new, alternative, cost-effective and environmentally sustainable methods for the processing of corn into ethanol, starch, oil, protein and other coproducts, providing additional income for rural growers and processors and to make the U.S. more energy independent." The proposed research is aimed at resolving this problem by a) developing modified dry grind processes to produce ethanol using enzyme based processing techniques and other environmentally sustainable processes that maximize yields and value of all co-products, and b) develop alternative methods for corn wet- milling and fractionation that maximize yield of starch for biobased product production and value of all co-products while eliminating hazardous processing aids, such as sulfites, and c) adapt new alternative processing technologies to reduce overall costs for starch
to facilitate it's use in biobased products. The proposed research in this ARS project on enzyme based processes could make a significant contribution to the areas of bioenergy and bio-based products from corn by developing more efficient and cost-effective ethanol production processes and could increase the value and type of coproducts generated. 2. How serious is the problem? Why does it matter? The increased use of ethanol as an oxygenate in gasoline is creating a significant demand for additional production capabilities. Many new fuel ethanol plants are being constructed to meet this demand and many existing facilities are expanding their production capacity. The dry grind process currently used for ethanol production, while efficient, suffers from a number of limitations. The most significant limitation is that it produces only one coproduct (other than ethanol), DDGS, and this is only used as low value animal feed with markets that are rapidly becoming saturated. The wet
milling process currently produces a number of coproducts in addition to ethanol; however, they are limited as well in their markets due in part to the chemical processing aids used in steeping. Developing new technologies and processes that help to expand the number of coproducts or their available markets could prove vital to the long-term success and survival of both the wet milling and the dry- grind industries. 3. How does it relate to the national Program(s) and National Program Component(s) to which it has been assigned? The project responds directly to National Program 306: New Processes, New Uses, and Value-Added Biobased Products. Specifically, it responds to NP306's goals: "This research will result in new uses of agricultural products and co-products. Innovative new processes will be created and existing ones adapted for the extraction and purification, or manufacture, of superior products from agricultural commodities. This work responds directly to the goals of
National Program 307, Bioenergy and Energy Alternatives (specifically its component on ethanol) -by developing new alternative, cost-effective and environmentally sustainable methods for the production of ethanol from corn and by maximizing yields and value of all co-products. Application of these innovative technologies will expand the range and value of agricultural products and reduce the cost of their production, making processed goods from the United States more competitive." 4. What was your most significant accomplishment this past year? A. Single Most Significant Accomplishment during FY 2002: We had previously demonstrated on the bushel-scale, that the sulfites used in wet milling could be replaced by the use of a protease in a modified process; however, the enzyme was not available in sufficient quantities for use in a commercial process. In collaboration with commercial enzyme suppliers and the University of Illinois, we tested a large number of proteases in our new
process, called the E-Milling process. We demonstrated that this process could use a number of different proteases that are currently available commercially for use in other applications. This demonstration makes the adoption of this new environmentally friendly process one step closer to meeting the stringent requirements of the corn refining industry. B. Other Significant Accomplishments(s): None. C. Significant Activities that Support Special Target Populations: Our work on development of new processes for dry grind ethanol from corn supports small farms by creating a higher demand for corn and thereby increasing profits to small farms. 5. Describe your major accomplishments over the life of the project, including their predicted or actual impact? This is a new project for FY2002. This project began as part of related CRIS 1935-41000-040-OOD. Because of the importance of the work, new program increases were received in FY 2002 with instructions from NPS to create a new
project. Dr. David Johnston is the new LS for the project and two new SYs are being recruited. 6. What do you expect to accomplish, year by year, over the next 3 years? During FY 2003, we plan to finish development and begin validation of a process and economic model for conventional wet milling. This will help establish the "base case" for our planned enzymatic modifications of the process. Utilizing this model will help determine the potential cost savings and additional factors that may need consideration when making process modification. We will begin development of a process model for enzymatic wet milling (E-Milling). Research will also begin to evaluate processes and enzymes for implementation of E-Milling into a modified dry grind ethanol process. During FY 2004, we plan to finish the E-Milling process and economic model and begin validation using a pilot scale operation. Research will continue on the development of enzyme based processing strategies. We will also
begin detailed coproduct characterization and evaluation of potential new uses. During FY 2005, the process and economic comparison between conventional wet milling and the E-Milling processes will be complete and validated. The analysis of coproducts, including an extensive nutritional analysis, from the newly developed processes will be completed. The potential new food and industrial application for the coproducts will be explored. 7. What technologies have been transferred and to whom? When is the technology likely to become available to the end user (industry, farmer other scientist)? What are the constraints, if known, to the adoption durability of the technology? Two significant workshops have been held with the Corn Refiner's Association (CRA) in order to provide information, under confidentiality, to the entire wet milling industry and to seek their feedback and critical input on specific technological challenges for implementing this process in industry. An MOU with
ERRC and the CRA is currently under development. The technologies and processes being developed are receiving significant interest from many companies. It is likely that some aspect of the technologies being developed will be implemented in a commercial facility in the next 3-5 years. The adoption of these technologies will require extensive validation and testing as well as an economic advantage. The industry currently has functional technology and a significant capital investment, and when making changes the potential risk needs to be minimized. Until June 2002, this work was carried out in CRIS 1935-41000-040-00D but since that time, work has continued under this (-059) new CRIS. 8. List your most important publications and presentations, and articles written about your work (NOTE: this does not replace your review publications which are listed below) 1. Jim Core. New Starch Removal Process Could Change Corn Wet Milling. ARS Press Release. February 21, 2002. 2. Tim P.
Lundeen. Enzyme Corn Refining. Feedstuffs. March 2002. Miller Publishing Company. p.31 3. Gerald Parkinson. Enzymes Make Fast Work of Processing Corn. Chemical Engineering. March 2002. 4. Anonymous. Enzyme Treatment Could Change Corn Wet Milling. Industrial Bioprocessing Alert. March 8, 2002. Frost and Sullivan. 5. Jill Schildhouse. New Refining Technology. Food Product Design. May 2002. p. 127. 6. Anonymous. New corn wet milling process uses less sulfur dioxide. IFT weekly report. February 27, 2002. 7. Johnston, D.B. Enzymatic Milling: A New Process for Old Products. 2002. Food Science and Technology Department, the University of California, Davis, Davis, California.
Impacts
(N/A)
Publications
- Singh, V., Johnston, D.B. Pasting properties and surface characteristics of starch obtained from an enzymatic corn wet milling process. Cereal Chemistry 2002. v. 79(4). p. 523-527.
- Johnston, D.B., Rausch, K., Wang, P.,Singh, V. Enzymatic milling of corn: Optimization of enzyme addition and first grind parameters. Corn Utilization Conference. 2002. Abstract p. 181.
- Templin, T.L., Singh, V., Johnston, D.B., Tumbleson, M.E., Rausch, K.D. Membrane filtration of E-milling process streams. Corn Utilization and Technology Conference. 2002. Abstract p. 215.
- Singh, V., Johnston, D.B. Enzymatic milling process. Proceedings of the Corn Utilization Conference. 2002. p. 59-61.
- Johnston, D.B., Singh, V. Enzymatic processes for dry grind ethanol. Proceedings of the Fuel Ethanol Workshop. 2002. p. 1.1-9.
- Singh, V., Dien, B.S., Bothast, R.J., Moreau, R.A., Johnston, D.B., Hicks, K.B. Conversion of quick fiber to ethanol. Proceedings of the Fuel Ethanol Workshop. 2002. p. 2.1-13.
- Rausch, K.D., Belyea, R., Singh, V., Johnston, D.B., Shapori, H., Tumbleson, M. Coproduct characterization for enhanced value. Proceedings of the Fuel Ethanol Workshop. 2002. p. 3.1-10.
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