Valicor Inc. has announced that it has completed the acquisition of a patent that covers the extraction of protein from corn ethanol stillage and is designed to help ethanol producers maximize their coproduct recovery and value.

The patent for invention number 7,829,680 is for a system and method that isolates gluten (protein) as a coproduct of the ethanol production. The protein product can be dried to produce a high-value, high-protein meal.

“This latest patent complements our VFRAC Stillage Optimization Platform. Working together, these technologies transform protein product so it’s easier to recover and has higher digestibility ratios and enhanced flow characteristics,” said Phil Schoof, senior vice president of separation technologies at Valicor. “This IP is a cornerstone patent on protein extraction from corn ethanol stillage, it has the earliest priority date of any technologies in the space, and the technology has been proven on commercial scale,” he said.

With this patent and its patented VFRAC Stillage Optimization Platform, Valicor moves aggressively into an early adopter role in the development of backend, post distillation coproduct recovery technologies.  These technologies are the first of their kind and are designed to optimize the overall plant efficiency, productivity and profitability through high value coproduct diversification.

This latest patent builds on Valicor’s reputation as an established supplier of separation equipment and services to the ethanol industry, with over 60 installed corn oil separation systems that deliver over $125 million in annual revenues to our customers.