Corn processing

Abstract

A commercial-scale method for processing corn grain includes the steps of flaking corn grain having a total oil content of at least about 8% and extracting a corn oil from the flaked corn grain. Such a method can be effectuated by processing the high oil corn grain using methods and equipment typically used to process soybeans and other similar oilseed types. In this way, processing plants that flake oilseeds can be used to extract corn oil from corn.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method for processing corn grain comprising the steps of: 
 a) flaking corn grain; and    b) extracting an oil from said flaked corn grain, said corn grain having a total oil content of at least about 8%.    
     
     
         2 . The method of    claim 1    wherein said corn grain is whole corn grain.  
     
     
         3 . The method of    claim 2    wherein said corn grain is a cracked corn grain.  
     
     
         4 . The method of    claim 1    wherein said corn grain has a total oil content of at least about 14%.  
     
     
         5 . The method of    claim 1    wherein said corn grain has a total oil content of at least about 12%.  
     
     
         6 . The method of    claim 1    wherein said corn grain has a total oil content of at least about 10%.  
     
     
         7 . The method of    claim 1    wherein said corn grain has a total oil content from about 12% to about 30%.  
     
     
         8 . The method of    claim 1    wherein said extracting step comprises pressing said flaked corn grain.  
     
     
         9 . The method of    claim 1    wherein said extracting step comprises solvent-based oil extraction of said flaked corn grain.  
     
     
         10 . The method of    claim 9    wherein said solvent is selected from the group consisting of hexane, n-hexane, isopropyl alcohol, and supercritical carbon dioxide.  
     
     
         11 . The method of    claim 9    wherein said solvent comprises n-hexane.  
     
     
         12 . The method of    claim 9    wherein said extracting step produces a miscella and a corn meal.  
     
     
         13 . The method of    claim 12    wherein said corn meal comprises a fiber content of about 3%, a starch content of about 65%, and a protein content of about 14%, at a moisture content of about 10%.  
     
     
         14 . The method of    claim 12    wherein said corn meal comprises a fiber content of about 3%, and a protein content of about 14%, at a moisture content of about 10%.  
     
     
         15 . The method of    claim 12    wherein said corn meal comprises a fiber content of at least about 3%, at a moisture content of about 10%.  
     
     
         16 . The method of    claim 12    further comprising the step of desolventizing said miscella to produce a corn oil.  
     
     
         17 . The method of    claim 16    wherein said corn oil has a phosphorous content of less than about 500 parts per million.  
     
     
         18 . The method of    claim 16    wherein said corn oil has a free fatty acid content of less than about 0.3%.  
     
     
         19 . The method of    claim 1    wherein said corn oil has a neutral oil loss of less than about 2%.  
     
     
         20 . The method of    claim 1    wherein said corn oil has a light yellow color.  
     
     
         21 . The method of    claim 16    wherein said corn oil has a yellow color value ranging from about 60 to about 70 and a red color value ranging from about 7 to about 10, as determined by American Oil and Chemical Society method Cc 13b-93.  
     
     
         22 . The method of    claim 1    wherein said method is effective for processing at least about 100 tons of corn per day.  
     
     
         23 . The method of    claim 1    wherein said method is effective for processing from about 100 tons of corn per day to about 3,000 tons of corn per day.  
     
     
         24 . A method of selling corn seed comprising the steps of: 
 a) offering corn seed for sale, said corn seed effective for producing corn grain having a total oil content of at least about 8%; and    b) advertising that said corn grain may be processed by flaking said corn grain.    
     
     
         25 . The method of    claim 24    wherein step (b) further comprises advertising that said flaking of said corn grain is effective for producing a corn oil.  
     
     
         26 . An article of manufacture comprising packaging material a label accompanying said packaging material and seed corn contained within said packaging material, wherein said seed corn is effective for producing grain having a total oil content of at least about 8% and wherein said label indicates that said grain can be processed by flaking said grain and extracting an oil therefrom.