This invention describes the equipment and a method to recover starch from a dilute starch stream produced by manufacturing facilities which process the starch-containing materials, such as potato and corn. The process comprises feeding a dilute aqueous slurry of less than about 5% by weight starch to a classifier to concentrate the slurry by a factor of at least 5 and produce a concentrated slurry, wherein the classifier has at least one overflow exit and at least one underflow exit; drawing off the overflow and underflow from the classifier; feeding the concentrated slurry from the underflow exit of the classifier into a settling tank having at least one underflow exit and at least one overflow exit to produce an underflow layer of starch with a concentration of at least 40% starch proximate to the underflow exit and an aqueous overflow with a concentration of less than about 5% by weight starch proximate to the overflow exit; drawing off the overflow from the tank; and opening a orifice at the underflow exit of the tank to allow the distal most fraction of the underflow to exit the tank.

This invention describes the equipment and a method to recover starch from a dilute starch stream produced by manufacturing facilities which process the starch-containing materials, such as potato and corn. The process comprises feeding a dilute aqueous slurry of less than about 5% by weight starch to a classifier to concentrate the slurry by a factor of at least 5 and produce a concentrated slurry, wherein the classifier has at least one overflow exit and at least one underflow exit; drawing off the overflow and underflow from the classifier; feeding the concentrated slurry from the underflow exit of the classifier into a settling tank having at least one underflow exit and at least one overflow exit to produce an underflow layer of starch with a concentration of at least 40% starch proximate to the underflow exit and an aqueous overflow with a concentration of less than about 5% by weight starch proximate to the overflow exit; drawing off the overflow from the tank; and opening a orifice at the underflow exit of the tank to allow the distal most fraction of the underflow to exit the tank.

The present invention provides for a method for separating starch from processing solutions containing starch containing plants or roots such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, wheat, corn, tapioca, yams, cassaya, sago, rice, pea, broad bean, horse bean, sorghum, konjac, rye, buckwheat and barley to provide commercially acceptable starch while reducing disposal of solid or liquid waste matter into landfills or water treatment facilities.

The present invention provides for a method for separating starch from processing solutions containing starch containing plants or roots such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, wheat, corn, tapioca, yams, cassaya, sago, rice, pea, broad bean, horse bean, sorghum, konjac, rye, buckwheat and barley to provide commercially acceptable starch while reducing disposal of solid or liquid waste matter into landfills or water treatment facilities.

A process for preparing a starch dispersion may include combining a feed starch and an aqueous liquid to form a starch slurry. The starch slurry may be subjected to a first degradation treatment to form a first mixture. A temperature of the starch slurry during the first degradation treatment may be less than a gelation temperature. The first mixture may be heated to a temperature between the gelation temperature and a solubilization temperature. The heated first mixture may be subjected to a second degradation treatment to form a second mixture. The second mixture may be sheared to form the starch dispersion.

A process for preparing a starch dispersion may include combining a feed starch and an aqueous liquid to form a starch slurry. The starch slurry may be subjected to a first degradation treatment to form a first mixture. A temperature of the starch slurry during the first degradation treatment may be less than a gelation temperature. The first mixture may be heated to a temperature between the gelation temperature and a solubilization temperature. The heated first mixture may be subjected to a second degradation treatment to form a second mixture. The second mixture may be sheared to form the starch dispersion.

System for and method of producing a pure starch slurry and alcohol by using combined corn wet and dry milling processes. A simple and lower cost process to obtain starch inside floury endosperm is provided. The starch can be highly purified to meet green technology process needs. The remaining starch inside the corn kernels can be used as feedstock for alcohol production and to produce valuable co-products such as oil and various animal feeds.

System for and method of producing a pure starch slurry and alcohol by using combined corn wet and dry milling processes. A simple and lower cost process to obtain starch inside floury endosperm is provided. The starch can be highly purified to meet green technology process needs. The remaining starch inside the corn kernels can be used as feedstock for alcohol production and to produce valuable co-products such as oil and various animal feeds.

In one or more embodiments, the present disclosure provides for a process for preparing a dispersion of starch particles in an aqueous liquid. In one or more embodiments, the process includes introducing a feed starch and the aqueous liquid into a rotor stator mixer, maintaining the feed starch and the aqueous liquid in the rotor stator mixer at a temperature ranging from a gelation temperature to less than a solubilization temperature, and shearing the feed starch into starch particles with the rotor stator mixer to form the dispersion of starch particles in the aqueous liquid. In one or more embodiments, the starch particles produced by this process have an average particle size diameter of no larger than 2 micrometers and the dispersion has 20 to 65 weight percent of the starch particles based on a total weight of the dispersion.

In one or more embodiments, the present disclosure provides for a process for preparing a dispersion of starch particles in an aqueous liquid. In one or more embodiments, the process includes introducing a feed starch and the aqueous liquid into a rotor stator mixer, maintaining the feed starch and the aqueous liquid in the rotor stator mixer at a temperature ranging from a gelation temperature to less than a solubilization temperature, and shearing the feed starch into starch particles with the rotor stator mixer to form the dispersion of starch particles in the aqueous liquid. In one or more embodiments, the starch particles produced by this process have an average particle size diameter of no larger than 2 micrometers and the dispersion has 20 to 65 weight percent of the starch particles based on a total weight of the dispersion.