Corn Ethanol Producer POET Enters Green Chemical Sector with New Zein Co-Product
15 October 2009
Leading corn ethanol producer POET has introduced a new ethanol co-product, “Inviz” targeted at replacing petroleum-based ingredients in household products ranging from pill coatings to plastic packaging. Inviz is POET’s brand of zein, a biodegradable, low-nutrient protein found in corn.
Zein is a class of prolamine proteins that has a number of unique characteristics and functionalities. Pure zein is colorless, odorless, tasteless, hard, water-insoluble, edible and biodegradable. Zein has also achieved Generally Regarded As Safe (GRAS) status from the FDA. Inviz zein can be used as a gum base or in films, packaging, adhesives, coatings and glazes.
Inviz is zein extracted from POET’s Dakota Gold HP distiller’s grains. This high-protein feed is a result of POET’s patent-pending technologies, BFRAC and BPX. BFRAC separates the corn into three fractions: fiber, germ and endosperm. The endosperm is fermented to created ethanol, while the remaining fractions are converted into value-added co-products such as Dakota Gold HP. BPX, POET’s raw starch hydrolysis process, converts starch to sugar and ferments to ethanol with the use of enzymes rather than heat (a “no-cook” process).
Inviz differs from other zein products because POET’s production process fractionates the corn kernel and ferments ethanol without using heat. For that reason, Inviz is a more pure corn protein than other zein products, which are typically exposed to sulfur dioxide in the wet-milling process, according to the company.
POET’s research into zein started in 2004 through collaboration with the National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research (NCAUR) in Peoria, Ill. Those efforts ramped up considerably 2.5 years ago with the hiring of Senior Scientist John Lawton, a leader in zein research, from the NCAUR. Lawton was intrigued by the potential for zein in POET’s no-cook ethanol production.
| John Lawton on zein and the advantages of Inviz. |
POET CEO Jeff Broin sees a lot of unrealized potential in the zein market, and he expects Inviz to open up many new uses for corn.
The corn kernel has so much untapped potential. With Inviz, we are still providing fuel and high-protein feed to the world while using the least nutritional part of the kernel to replace even more petroleum-based products.
—Jeff Broin
POET is the largest ethanol producer in the world. The 22-year-old company produces more than 1.54 billion gallons of ethanol annually from 26 production facilities nationwide. POET recently started up a pilot-scale cellulosic ethanol plant, which uses corn cobs as feedstock, and will commercialize the process in Emmetsburg, Iowa.
Resources
John Lawton (2002) Zein: A History of Processing and Use. Cereal Chem. 79(1):1–18
I wonder how digestable this protein is...I'm sure the vitamin supplement market would be interested in it if it turns out to be better than anything else out there...they are always looking for the latest / greatest protein powder to market to athletes, bodybuilders, etc.
Posted by: ejj | 15 October 2009 at 10:57 AM
Where can I get a a recipie book?
Posted by: arnold | 15 October 2009 at 03:17 PM
POET has done good work with using corn cobs and other alternative feed stocks. If they can make polymers, so we use less oil for that, then great. 30% of the oil goes to non transportation related activities like plastics and chemicals. If we can find alternatives, that would reduce oil imports, which is THE main goal as far as I am concerned, that would be just fine with me.
Posted by: SJC | 17 October 2009 at 08:47 AM
SJC:
I agree with you. Most chemicals can be made from forest, agriculture and other wastes. A Universty of Sherbrooke group is making and selling printers ink made with soy extracts. The unused proteins and fibers are used for animal feeds. The price is competitive with ink made with fossil fuel products.
Posted by: HarveyD | 18 October 2009 at 08:01 AM