IFF unveils OPTIMASH enzyme solutions to boost corn oil recovery by 15%

IFF, an industry leader in food, beverage, health, biosciences, and scent, announced the launch of its OPTIMASH F200 and OPTIMASH AX enzyme solutions in combination to maximize corn oil recovery at fuel ethanol plants. New IFF in-plant data shows that this combination can deliver up to 15 percent additional corn oil recovery, helping to meet the growing demand in the biodiesel, renewable diesel, and animal feed industries. Additionally, IFF has developed a proprietary oil mapping calculator to help ethanol producers optimize dosing for maximum recovery. These solutions also enable ethanol producers to sell ethanol into low-carbon intensity (low-CI) markets.

"Every ethanol plant has unique requirements for maximizing value," said Dawn Overby, North America marketing director, Grain Processing, IFF. "By working side-by-side with ethanol producers to offer an optimized combination of OPTIMASH F200 and OPTIMASH AX, it can make all the difference to their bottom line. Our expert team is on-hand every step of the way to help them get the most out of their plants — both from a corn oil recovery and low-CI ethanol point of view."

Increasing distillers corn oil (DCO) yield is crucial for extracting the highest value from corn. In the U.S., the average recovery rate is only 50-60 percent of the theoretical yield due to the extremely complex interactions between starch, fiber and protein in corn cell walls, preventing oil release. Without disrupting these interactions, a significant fraction of oil remains unrecovered and lost to the wet cake.

Improving corn oil and low-CI ethanol yields

New in-plant data shows that using OPTIMASH AX alongside OPTIMASH F200 directs more oil into thin stillage, increasing the potential for more oil recovery. The combination of both enzyme solutions has been found to boost corn oil yield by 15.7 percent, from 0.89 lb/bu to 1.03 lb/bu.

This enzyme duo also allows ethanol producers to enter low-CI markets by breaking down corn kernel fiber into glucose, which yeast then converts to ethanol. This process results in a lower CI score compared to ethanol from starch, generating increased revenue as a D3 RIN renewable biofuel and potentially qualifying for substantial tax credits. This ethanol is also more valuable for state programs such as the California Low Carbon Fuel Standard.

Optimizing plant efficiencies with technical support

IFF offers comprehensive technical support to ethanol producers from trial stage and beyond. This service includes baseline and trial oil mapping, as well as data analyses to guide custom dosing recommendations for OPTIMASH F200 and OPTIMASH AX, increasing oil recovery without affecting downstream processability. IFF experts also collaborate with individual plants to help reduce energy consumption through fiber dewatering enabled by these enzyme solutions.