New process could increase ethanol production

An Iowa State University professor is developing a process that he says will yield more ethanol from corn while producing valuable by-products. LarryJohnson says the new process, “sequential extraction,” uses alcohol instead of water and sulfur dioxide to separate the corn. He says it produces protein, feed ingredients and a gum arabic substitute. Gum arabic comes from the Sudan. This substitute would have a worldwide market at a time when the U.S. State Department urges businesses to find alternate sources forgum arabic because of the investment of terrorists in the gum arabic industry. Johnson says this new technology is in the works, but it will taketwice the capital to get it going. The next step for Johnson is to test the process.