Remediation Of Toxins In Biorefinery Process Streams

What is this patent about?

’884 is related to the field of biorefineries, specifically addressing the problem of mycotoxin contamination in feedstock used for producing ethanol and other co-products like animal feed. Cereal grains, a common feedstock, can be infected with fungi that produce toxins such as deoxynivalenol (DON), which negatively impacts the value and safety of the resulting co-products. The invention aims to remediate these toxins within the biorefinery process.

The underlying idea behind ’884 is to introduce a toxin mitigant into the biorefinery process stream to react with and neutralize the mycotoxins. This involves adding a treatment compound, such as a sulfur-containing compound, to one or more process streams at various stages of the ethanol production process. The treatment compound reacts with the toxin, converting it into a less toxic or non-toxic form, thereby improving the quality of the co-products.

The claims of ’884 focus on a process for remediating deoxynivalenol (DON). The process involves first determining if DON is present in the incoming grain or biorefinery process compositions by measuring its concentration. If DON is detected, one or more treatment compounds are introduced into at least one post-distillation biorefinery process composition (whole stillage, thin stillage, or syrup). The treatment compounds react with the DON to form reaction products, reducing the DON concentration.

In practice, the treatment compound, often a sulfite or bisulfite solution, is added to the process stream after distillation, preferably to the thin stillage or syrup where the toxins are concentrated. The reaction is facilitated by the aqueous environment and elevated temperatures present in these streams. The treated stream is then allowed a certain dwell time for the reaction to occur before further processing, such as drying to produce DDGS (dried distillers grains with solubles).

This approach differs from prior methods by targeting the toxin remediation within the existing biorefinery process, rather than pre-treating the feedstock or employing separate detoxification steps. By introducing the treatment compound at specific points in the process, particularly after distillation, the invention minimizes interference with fermentation and distillation while maximizing the effectiveness of the toxin mitigation. The system can also be automated, using sensors to monitor toxin levels and adjust the dosage of the treatment compound accordingly, optimizing the process and reducing costs.