New Corn-to-Ethanol Process Promises Lower Costs, Environmental Benefits

[jpak]

http://www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/news/story?id=46035

West Lafayette, Indiana Purdue University scientists have developed an environmentally friendly, cost-effective method for creating ethanol from corn. Using a machine originally designed to make plastics, the new Chen-Xu Method grinds the corn kernels and then liquefies the starch with high temperatures.

The process produces about 2.85 gallons of ethanol for every bushel of corn processed. That output is slightly higher than current methods, but the same process that creates the ethanol also creates other marketable products. The team that developed the technology was led by professor Li-fu Chen and research assistant Qin Xu, both from the Purdue food science department.

"Our process, which we are calling the Chen-Xu Method, not only makes ethanol, but products that are fit for human consumption," said Chen. "This process also produces corn oil, corn fiber, gluten and zein, which is a protein that can be used in the manufacture of plastics so that the containers are good for the environment because they are biodegradable and easily decompose. The containers would actually be edible, although there probably wouldn't be much market for that."

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With the Chen-Xu Method, the water input required by wet milling is reduced by 90%, wastewater output is cut by 95%, and electricity use is reduced by 47%. It also meets federal Clean Air Act standards, eliminating costs that other methods incur in meeting environmental regulations, said Chen.

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[JohnWxy]

1. GREAT news. This shows what can happen when scientists, engineers

and technicians set there minds to a improveing a new (or relatively undeveloped) technology (making ehtanol on an indusrial scale is a new technical challenge which affords opportunities for efficiencies that small scale ethanol production (e.g. making booze) never could offer.) leading to boosted output and reduced costs. This is not unexpected, but very hard to forecast and quantify as too degree of gains in efficiency and output or reduced costs.


especially important is:

"With the Chen-Xu Method, the water input required by wet milling is reduced by 90%, wastewater output is cut by 95%, and electricity use is reduced by 47%. It also meets federal Clean Air Act standards, eliminating costs that other methods incur in meeting environmental regulations, said Chen.

These huge reductions in wastewater and electricity use will reduce OPERATING costs too - not just the initial investment in equipment.

also from the article:

"The total operating cost of a Chen-Xu Method ethanol plant should be much less than that of a wet-milling plant, and total equipment investment is less than half," said Chen.


This is an important development. (suggestion: go to congress.org and make the MSM aware of this. IT MIGHT EVEN LEAD TO IT BEING REPORTED ON - {like, maybe on a Saturday}!)