The invention refers to the development of a fractionation process for the recovery and valorization of the major components of brewers’ spent grain (BSG), which is the main byproduct in the beer production. The BSG production worldwide is ~40 million tons/year, ~8 million tons/year of which are produced in EU, and 240.000 tons/year in Italy. The reuse of BSG is attractive for brewing industry. In fact, the by-product selling markedly reduces the need for their disposal, while providing a source of income for companies.
Patent Status
PENDING
Priority Number
102021000021299
Priority Date
05/08/2021
License
ITALY
Market
Key entry areas for the invention:
The implementation of the process aimed at valorising around 5,000 tons/year of grains otherwise destined for landfill (corresponding to a beer production of 250,000 hl), leading to the production of around 4,000 tons/year of formulations for bioplastic packaging.
Problem
The annual global production of BSG is massive, i.e. ~40 million tons. In the European Union, production is ~8 million tons, of which ~240,000 tons are produced in Italy. About 70% of BSG is destined for low-value is used as low-value animal feed (~35 Eur/ton), but their high moisture content and microbial load mean they have a short shelf life (8-10 days). Approximately 20% of the BSG is landfilled (with 513 kg of CO2 equivalent/tonne of BSG released) and approximately 10% is used to produce biogas. It is therefore urgent to develop alternative uses of BSG that allow for their efficient valorisation, in the context of sustainability and the circular economy. The reuse of BSG is particularly attractive to the brewing industry from the economic point of view. In fact, selling by-products eliminates (or, in any case, markedly reduces) the need for their disposal, simultaneously providing a source of income for companies. The management of by-products, or waste, is also motivated by their secondary market value.
Current Technology Limits
Several studies have been carried out to develop techniques for the valorisation of BSG through the separation and isolation of its precious components; however, most of them focus only on the extraction of proteins from BSG, and little attention has been paid to the recovery of both the fibrous part, which represents the main constituent, and its structural components (hemicellulose, cellulose, lignin). None of these technologies have been implemented on an industrial scale, due to limitations that include the high drying costs of the BSG, which come from the beer production process with a high percentage of moisture (~80%). Further limitations are represented by the use of deep eutectic solvents (DES) or ionic liquids (IL) as extraction solvents, which are expensive and are also associated to toxicity issues.
Killer Application
Our Technology and Solution
This process uses wet BSG and is carried out in aqueous alkaline environment, using a discontinuous, semi-continuous or continuous reactor, maintained at T< 90°C and operating at atmospheric pressure.
The process allows the separation of the protein component of BSG, but also the efficient separation of cellulose, lignin and, through a so-called «reactive extraction» step, promoted by the addition of a safe organic compound, the extraction, and the simultaneous functionalization of the hemicellulose.
Advantages
The invention enables the complete and efficient recovery of all the main components of the BSG in high quality, thus making it possible to valorise this by-product through its reuse in other processes and the consequent re-introduction in a productive cycle. In addition, the process uses wet BSG, i.e., without pre-treatment by dehydration, desiccation, and drying processes, which are expensive both from an energy and an economic point of view.
It includes a reactive extraction step, which allows to simultaneously extract and functionalize the hemicellulose, thus increasing its value for biorefineries.
It can be performed semi-continuously or continuously, which is also considered a benefit from the point of view of safety.
It can also be applied to other lignocellulosic agro-food waste (olive pomace left over from the oil extraction process, cereal threshing residues, etc.)
Roadmap
The current TRL of the technology is 3 and studies are being carried out for the laboratory validation of the process (TRL 4). Interaction with companies operating in the bioplastics production sector is required for the scale-up and validation of the process in a relevant environment (TRL 5-6). This would also allow to explore the numerous and different applications of the materials that can be obtained via the process itself.
Further optimization studies of formulations for bioplastics are also planned, with particular attention to the creation of materials with antimicrobial activity.
TRL
Team
