US3928121A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Process for the obtention of fermentable powdered syrup and alphacellulose from xerophyte plants
Assignee: Individual
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Filing: 1974-10-23
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Granted: 1975-12-23
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Expires: 1994-10-23
Abstract
Abstract A process for the obtention of fermentable powdered syrup and alpha-cellulose from xerophyte plants, particularly of the genus Amarillidaceae, such as Agave, comprises separately removing the plant material consisting of the leaf portions and the core portions of the plant; admixing and washing with water said plant material; chopping the washed plant material to form small pieces separating the plant material from its juices; subjecting the chopped material to an extraction process with an aqueous liquor expressing the residual solid plant material to expel the remaining enriched extractant therefrom; hydrolyzing the plant material from the expression step with water; further expressing said plant material to expel a hydrolysis liquor; admixing the plant juice and enriched extractant to obtain a mixed juice; settling and clarifying said mixed juices; heating the clarified mixed juices; concentrating the heated juice by evaporation; and spray drying the concentrated juice or syrup to obtain a fermentable powdered syrup suitable for further fermentation and distillation to manufacture alcoholic liquors such as ''''tequila''''; and digesting the plant material from said further expression to obtain a pulp; washing and bleaching the thus obtained cellulose pulp; and again washing, expressing, drying and screening the pulp to obtain an alpha-cellulose.
Inventors
- 👤 Enrique Zepeda-Castillo
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 22:12
CPC Classifications
C; C13; C13B; C13B10/00; C12; C12H; C12H6/00; C12H6/02; D; D21; D21C; D21C5/00; Y; Y02; Y02P; Y02P20/00; Y02P20/50; Y02P20/582
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
222 words
A PROCESS FOR THE OBTENTION OF FERMENTABLE POWDERED SYRUP AND ALPHA-CELLULOSE FROM XEROPHYTE PLANTS WHICH COMPRISES: WASHING THE MIXED LEAF AND CORE MATERIAL OF SAID PLANTS; CHOPPING THE WASHED PLANT MATERIAL TO FORM PIECES OF A RELATIVELY SMALL SIZE AND A RELATIVELY SMALL AMOUNT OF PLANT JUICE; SEPARATING THE CHOPPED PLANT MATERIAL FROM THE PLANT JUICE; EXTRACTING THE CHOPPED MATERIAL WITH AN AQUEOUS EXTRACTANT AT A TEMPERATURE OF BETWEEN 85* AND 92*C. TO PRODUCE AN ENRICHED EXTRACTANT; EXPRESSING THE EXTRACTED RESIDUAL SOLID PLANT MATERIAL TO EXPEL THE REMAINING ENRICHED EXTRACTANT: HYDROLYZING SAID RESIDUAL SOLID PLANT MATERIAL BY TREATMENT WITH WATER AT A TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT 100*C. TO 120*C.; EXPRESSING THE HYDROLYZED PLANT MATERIAL TO EXPEL A HYDROLYSIS LIQUOR TO BE INCORPORATED INTO SAID AQUEOUS EXTRACTANT; ADMIXING SAID PLANT JUICE AND SAID ENRICHED EXTRACTANT IN ORDER TO OBTAIN A MIXED JUICE AND SUBJECTING THE RESIDUAL SOLID PLANT MATERIAL TO DIGESTION, BLEACHING, WASHING, DRYING AND SIFTING TO OBTAIN ALPHACELLULOSE; SETTLING, CLARIFYING AND FILTERING SAID MIXED JUICE TO REMOVE THE IMPURIFYING SOLIDS; HEATING THE JUICE TO A TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT 100*C.; CONCENTRATING SAID JUICE BY EVAPORATION TO PRODUCE A JUICE HAVING A BRIX DEGREE OF ABOUT 80, WHEREBY A HIGHLY CONCENTRATED SYRUP IS OBTAINED; AND DRYING SAID SYRUP TO OBTAIN A FERMENTABLE POWDERED SYRUP WHICH IS HYGROSCOPIC, BUT HIGHLY STABLE WHEN PACKED IN AIR-PROOF RESERVOIRS.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
222 words
A PROCESS FOR THE OBTENTION OF FERMENTABLE POWDERED SYRUP AND ALPHA-CELLULOSE FROM XEROPHYTE PLANTS WHICH COMPRISES: WASHING THE MIXED LEAF AND CORE MATERIAL OF SAID PLANTS; CHOPPING THE WASHED PLANT MATERIAL TO FORM PIECES OF A RELATIVELY SMALL SIZE AND A RELATIVELY SMALL AMOUNT OF PLANT JUICE; SEPARATING THE CHOPPED PLANT MATERIAL FROM THE PLANT JUICE; EXTRACTING THE CHOPPED MATERIAL WITH AN AQUEOUS EXTRACTANT AT A TEMPERATURE OF BETWEEN 85* AND 92*C. TO PRODUCE AN ENRICHED EXTRACTANT; EXPRESSING THE EXTRACTED RESIDUAL SOLID PLANT MATERIAL TO EXPEL THE REMAINING ENRICHED EXTRACTANT: HYDROLYZING SAID RESIDUAL SOLID PLANT MATERIAL BY TREATMENT WITH WATER AT A TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT 100*C. TO 120*C.; EXPRESSING THE HYDROLYZED PLANT MATERIAL TO EXPEL A HYDROLYSIS LIQUOR TO BE INCORPORATED INTO SAID AQUEOUS EXTRACTANT; ADMIXING SAID PLANT JUICE AND SAID ENRICHED EXTRACTANT IN ORDER TO OBTAIN A MIXED JUICE AND SUBJECTING THE RESIDUAL SOLID PLANT MATERIAL TO DIGESTION, BLEACHING, WASHING, DRYING AND SIFTING TO OBTAIN ALPHACELLULOSE; SETTLING, CLARIFYING AND FILTERING SAID MIXED JUICE TO REMOVE THE IMPURIFYING SOLIDS; HEATING THE JUICE TO A TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT 100*C.; CONCENTRATING SAID JUICE BY EVAPORATION TO PRODUCE A JUICE HAVING A BRIX DEGREE OF ABOUT 80, WHEREBY A HIGHLY CONCENTRATED SYRUP IS OBTAINED; AND DRYING SAID SYRUP TO OBTAIN A FERMENTABLE POWDERED SYRUP WHICH IS HYGROSCOPIC, BUT HIGHLY STABLE WHEN PACKED IN AIR-PROOF RESERVOIRS.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
48 words
A process according to claim 1 wherein said washed plant material is chopped to obtain particles having approximate dimensions of from 1 to 3 cm long, 0.5 to 1.5 cm wide and 0.3 to 0.8 cm thick preferably of dimensions of about 2 X 1 X 0.5 cm.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
132 words
A process for the obtention of fermentable powdered syrup and alpha-cellulose from xerophyte plants according to claim 2 wherein said chopped plant material is extracted by a method comprising the steps of: feeding said chopped plant material into one end of an extraction zone; feeding an aqueous liquor through the opposite end of said extraction zone; continuously moving the chopped material in contact with said aqueous liquor; recycling said aqueous liquor upon passage thereof through at least a portion of the chopped material to the intermediate region of said extraction zone; again recycling said aqueous liquor to the zone adjacent said one end of the extraction zone; and discharging the enriched aqueous liquor through said one end, while the spent chopped material is discharged through said opposite end of the extraction zone.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
32 words
A process according to claim 3 wherein said aqueous liquor used in the extraction zone is selected from the group consisting of fresh water, liquor from said hydrolysis step and mixtures thereof.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
60 words
A process according to claim 1 wherein the expression of said extracted residual plant material is effected in two stages, namely, a first expression stage to recover the enriched extractant retained by the fiber and a second expression stage wherein water is used to dissolve and extract the soluble solid materials retained in the fibrous matrix of the plant mateRial.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
32 words
A process according to claim 5 wherein the water introduced to said second expression stage for the partially expressed plant material is fed at a temperature of from about 80* to 85*C.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
41 words
A process according to claim 1 wherein said hydrolysis of said residual solid plant material is effected under a superatmospheric pressure and with continuous stirring of the plant material for a period of time of from about 1.5 to 3 hours.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
99 words
A process according to claim 1 wherein the digestion of said spent cellulosic material is effected in two stages, namely, a first energetic digestion step for a period of time of about 4 hours in the presence of a solution of sodium hydroxide, sodium sulfite and sodium carbonate and a second moderate digestion step for a period of time of about 2 hours in the presence of a solution of sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfite, both digestion steps effected at a temperature of from about 170* to 180*C. and under a pressure of from about 7 to 8 kg/cm2.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
57 words
A process according to claim 8 wherein said first digestion step is effected in the presence of an aqueous solution of about 6% sodium hydroxide, aabout 18% sodium sulfite and about 1% sodium carbonate, said second digestion step being effected in the presence of an aqueous solution of about 2% sodium hydroxide and about 10% sodium sulfite.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
78 words
A process according to claim 1 wherein the bleaching of said digested cellulosic material is effected in three stages, namely, a first bleaching stage by treatment with chlorine gas and chlorine water for a period of time of about 1 hour, a second bleaching stage by treatment with sodium hydroxide for a period of time of about 1 hour and a third bleaching stage by treatment with calcium hypochlorite for a period of time of about 3 hours.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-12-22 | 1979-06-23 | 1979-12-23 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-12-22 | 1983-06-23 | 1983-12-23 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-12-22 | 1987-06-23 | 1987-12-23 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |