Journal
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
Volume 151, Issue -, Pages 284-290Publisher
ELSEVIER SCI LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2013.10.080
Keywords
Thin stillage; Fungal process; Animal feed; Water reuse; Ethanol
Funding
- Grow Iowa Values Fund Grant Program
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Rhizopus oligosporus was cultivated on thin stillage from a dry-grind corn ethanol plant. The aim of the research was to develop a process to replace the current energy-intensive flash evaporation and make use of this nutrient-rich stream to create a new co-product in the form of protein-rich biomass. Batch experiments in 5- and 50-L stirred bioreactors showed prolific fungal growth under non-sterile conditions. COD, suspended solids, glycerol, and organic acids removals, critical for in-plant water reuse, reached ca. 80%, 98%, 100% and 100%, respectively, within 5 d of fungal inoculation, enabling effluent recycle as process water. R. oligosporus contains 2% lysine, good levels of other essential amino acids, and 43% crude protein - a highly nutritious livestock feed. Avoiding water evaporation from thin stillage would furthermore save substantial energy inputs on corn ethanol plants. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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