Process for Separating High Purity Germ and Bran from Corn

摘要

A semi-wet process for refining corn to make a feedstock for ethanol production. Corn is tempered at a moisture content from about 20-25% by weight for a very short time followed by grinding. The ground corn is not dried and cooled before further processing. It is graded and then ground and sifted to make an endosperm fraction and a high purity fraction of germ and bran. The fraction of germ and bran can be separated in a one or two stage dry separation process or in a wet separation process. In the wet separation process, the fraction of germ and bran is enzymatically steeped, dewatered and then separated in hydrocyclones to produce a germ fraction and a bran fraction.