Remediation Of Toxins In Biorefinery Process Streams
Patent No. US11076621 (titled "Remediation Of Toxins In Biorefinery Process Streams") was filed by Cobank Acb on Jul 31, 2018.
What is this patent about?
’621 is related to the field of biorefineries, specifically addressing the problem of mycotoxin contamination in feedstocks used for producing ethanol and other co-products. Cereal grains, a common feedstock, can be infected with pathogens that produce mycotoxins, which negatively impact the value of nutritional co-products like animal feed. The presence and severity of these toxins vary depending on growing conditions, creating a need for effective and economical remediation methods.
The underlying idea behind ’621 is to introduce a toxin mitigant into the biorefinery process stream to react with the mycotoxins and render them less toxic or non-toxic. This involves adding a treatment compound, such as a sulfur-containing compound, to one or more process streams during or between process steps. The treatment compound reacts with the toxin, forming a less harmful compound, thereby reducing the overall toxicity of the final co-product.
The claims of ’621 focus on a process for remediating mycotoxins in biorefinery process streams. Specifically, claim 1 covers introducing one or more treatment compounds, comprising sulfur-containing compounds, into at least one biorefinery process stream selected from thin stillage, syrup, and combinations thereof . The treatment compounds react with mycotoxins present in the stream to form a treated biorefinery process stream that is less toxic than the original stream.
In practice, the invention involves injecting a solution of a sulfur-containing compound, such as sodium bisulfite, into a process stream like thin stillage or syrup. The sulfur compound reacts with the mycotoxins , such as deoxynivalenol (DON), to form sulfonated derivatives, which are less toxic. The reaction is enhanced by mixing in an aqueous environment and at elevated temperatures. The treated stream then proceeds through the remaining biorefinery processes, resulting in a co-product with reduced mycotoxin levels.
This approach differs from prior solutions by directly addressing the toxin contamination within the biorefinery process itself, rather than focusing solely on pre-treatment of the feedstock. By targeting specific process streams where toxins are concentrated, such as thin stillage or syrup, the invention minimizes the amount of treatment compound required and avoids potential interference with other processes like fermentation or distillation. The system can be implemented as a skid-mounted unit that can be easily integrated into existing biorefinery operations.
How does this patent fit in bigger picture?
Technical landscape at the time
In the late 2010s when ’621 was filed, biorefineries commonly relied on fermentation processes to convert cereal grains into target chemicals, at a time when the separation of these chemicals from the fermentation product often resulted in co-products contaminated with mycotoxins. At that time, the need for economical methods to reduce or eliminate these toxins to improve the value of nutritional co-products was recognized.
Novelty and Inventive Step
The examiner approved the application because the prior art of record does not teach or suggest adding sulfur-containing compounds to biorefinery process stream, thin stillage or syrup wherein mycotoxins is less in a treated biorefinery process stream.
Claims
This patent contains 18 claims, with claim 1 being the only independent claim. The independent claim focuses on a process for remediating mycotoxins in biorefinery process streams using sulfur-containing compounds. The dependent claims generally elaborate on specific aspects of the process, such as the type of biorefinery process stream, the treatment compounds used, reaction conditions, and the resulting reduction in mycotoxin levels.
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US11076621
- Application Number
- US16050681
- Filing Date
- Jul 31, 2018
- Status
- Granted
- Expiry Date
- Jan 5, 2039
- External Links
- Slate, USPTO, Google Patents