DCO Extraction Optimization Adapts to Changing Properties of Stillage

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April 24, 2017

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by Jennifer Aurandt (Valicor/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Centrifugal separation of corn oil from stillage is the accepted method for distillers corn oil (DCO) recovery throughout the ethanol industry. While plant operating parameters influence a plant’s oil yield and performance, the efficiency is fundamentally governed by a simple Nobel Prize-winning formula: Stokes’ Law. Understanding how normal process variables in the plant impact the factors of this equation ensures oil extraction efficiency.

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Corn oil extraction started around 2005 with a simple observation regarding the corn oil present at the top of whole and thin stillage tanks. The oil presented a potential problem because it could build up in the tank or, worse yet, find its way into the evaporators and cause an imbalance in steam usage. At the time, new coproducts were being sought for the animal feed market, indicating a market for corn oil, if plants could isolate it. A number of players in the marketplace, such as ICM, GreenShift and Valicor, developed technologies to separate DCO from stillage.

Two technologies emerged, both based upon the same separation principal of centrifugation: the decanter centrifuge and the high-speed disc stack centrifuge.

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The DCO feed market expanded through trial and error into biodiesel and poultry feeding. Biodiesel facilities modified their process used for soy oil to include acid esterification to convert the high level of free fatty acids in DCO to methyl esters. Biodiesel producers also worked to reduce gums, waxes and color in DCO-based biodiesel to make a final product comparable to soy-based biodiesel. Besides the generally lower price, the new DCO feedstock scored lower on carbon intensity in life-cycle modeling, earning it financially attractive carbon credits. The two financial incentives allowed for investments in the process modifications needed to accommodate the different qualities of DCO. The poultry market expanded as feed producers started to appreciate the red color in corn oil and the benefits of the lutein and zeaxanthin content that enhance the yellow color of broiler products and egg yolks, while providing a high-energy fat source.

As the market adapted and extraction technology became commonplace, the demand for enhanced corn oil extraction efficiency increased and chemical additives were introduced. READ MORE / MORE and MORE (Credence Research)

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