title: Fermentation of "Quick Fiber" produced from a modified corn-milling process into ethanol and recovery of corn fiber.
abstract: Approximately 9% of the 9.7 billion bushels of corn harvested in the United States was used for fuel ethanol production in 2002, half of which was prepared for fermentation by dry grinding. The University of Illinois has developed a modified dry grind process that allows recovery of the fiber fractions prior to fermentation. We report here on conversion of this fiber (Quick Fiber [QF]) to ethanol. QF was analyzed and found to contain 32%wt glucans and 65%wt total carbohydrates. QF was pretreated with dilute acid and converted into ethanol using either ethanologenic Escherichia coli strain FBR5 or Saccharomyces cerevisiae. For the bacterial fermentation the liquid fraction was fermented, and for the yeast fermentation both liquid and solids were fermented. For the bacterial fermentation, the final ethanol concentration was 30 g/L, a yield of 0.44 g ethanol/g of sugar(s) initially present in the hydrolysate, which is 85% of the theoretical yield. The ethanol yield with yeast was 0.096 gal/bu of processed corn assuming a QF yield of 3.04 lb/bu. The residuals from the fermentations were also evaluated as a source of corn fiber oil, which has value as a nutraceutical. Corn fiber oil yields were 8.28%wt for solids recovered following pretreatment.
authors.affiliation: National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, USDA, Agricultural Research Service, 1815 North University Street, Peoria, IL 61604, USA. dienb@ncaur.usda.gov
authors.forename: Bruce S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Dien
authors.forename: Nick
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nagle
authors.forename: Kevin B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Hicks
authors.forename: Vijay
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Robert A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Moreau
authors.forename: Melvin P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Tucker
authors.forename: Nancy N
authors.initials: NN
authors.lastname: Nichols
authors.forename: David B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Johnston
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Cotta
authors.forename: Quang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.forename: Rodney J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Bothast
mesh_terms: D018533:Biomass; D001709:Biotechnology / Q000379:methods*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000378:metabolism; D000431:Ethanol / Q000737:chemistry*; D005285:Fermentation; D006868:Hydrolysis; D010429:Pentoses / Q000737:chemistry; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000737:chemistry*; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors; D003313:Zea mays / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D010429:Pentoses; D010938:Plant Oils; D000431:Ethanol