Aug 7, Minneapolis – Corn fiber-to-cellulosic ethanol technology provider, D3MAX, has become the Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association’s (MN Biofuels) latest member.

Formed by BBI International in 2015, D3MAX’ corn fiber-to-cellulosic ethanol technology converts the fiber and residual starch in wet cake (wet distillers grains) into cellulosic ethanol.

“We have had a long working relationship with BBI International and we are excited to have D3MAX as a member. D3MAX offers a fully-integrated technology that can be used in 190 dry mill ethanol plants in the US and Canada,” said Tim Rudnicki, executive director of MN Biofuels.

D3MAX’ technology increases the amount of cellulosic ethanol produced from wet cake by as much as 10 percent in comparison to other methods. Overall, its technology increases an ethanol plant’s production by 7 percent (2.9 gallons of ethanol per bushel to 3.1 gallons of ethanol per bushel) with no increase in corn grind.

“D3MAX is excited to become a member of the Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association. D3MAX is looking to partner with the association’s members and help corn dry mill ethanol facilities produce higher yields from corn fiber at lower costs,” said Mark Yancey, CTO at D3MAX.

With the D3MAX process, pretreatment is run at high solids loading with very low temperature and pressure in the pretreatment reactor because the fiber in the wet cake has been cooked in an ethanol plant.

This, Yancey said, significantly reduces the capital and operating costs for the D3MAX process.

Picture Caption: Pre-treated wet cake produced at a D3MAX pilot plant

He said converting the fiber and residual starch in wet cake reduces the volume of dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS) by 25 percent but increases the protein concentration in DDGS to over 45 percent and reduces dryer energy use by 20 percent.

“This low fiber, high protein DDGS is suitable for feed for monogastric animals including swine and poultry, in addition to use as a feed for cattle and dairy cows,” Yancey said, adding the process also increases corn oil for recovery from 1 lbs a bushel to 1.5 lbs a bushel.

ACE Ethanol in Stanley, Wis. will be the first ethanol plant to integrate D3MAX’ technology on a commercial scale with construction scheduled to begin in September.

“The projected payback to an ethanol plant that installs the D3MAX process is about one year or less,” Yancey said. 

Picture caption: D3MAX pilot system installed at ACE Ethanol in Stanley, Wis.

Picture Caption: D3MAX pilot system installed at ACE Ethanol in Stanley, Wis. 

Learn more about D3MAX here.