Process for the production of animal feed and ethanol and novel animal feed

摘要

Disclosed herein is a method for the production of ethanol and a modified animal feed. The method replaces the starch in known corn-based animal feed with biomass fiber treated to make it more digestible by animals. The process involves removing the pericarp from corn kernels to obtain a pericarp enriched fraction; contacting at least one of the pericarp enriched fraction and a lignocellulosic by-product of agricultural processing with a fiber hydrolyzing agent to at least partially hydrolyze lignocellulosic fibres and obtain a treated fiber fraction; removing the germ from said corn kernels, resulting in a starch and a protein; separating said protein from said starch; liquefying and saccharifying and fermenting said starch to produce a fermented starch broth; recovering ethanol and distillers dried grains from the fermented starch broth; and combining the treated fiber fraction with the distillers dried grains to form a modified distiller's dried grain product. The modified animal feed may optionally include energy materials such as animal and vegetable fats, vegetable soapstocks, or glycerin, and combinations thereof.