Patent ID: 7858140
Filing Date: 2010-12-28
Classification: A23L,B02B,B02C,C12P,Y02E

Abstract:
1. A method of separating portions of a plant seed from one another wherein the plant seed comprises a seed coat, germ, and an endosperm comprising a floury endosperm and a horny endosperm, the method comprising: (i) soaking a plant seed in liquid which does not contain added sulfur compounds; (ii) grinding the seed at least once, such that the soaking and grinding produces at least four types of particles comprising (1) seed coat particles, (2) germ, (3) horny endosperm particles and(4) floury endosperm particles, wherein (iii) producing a liquid slurry of the seed coat, horny endosperm and floury endosperm particles in which specific gravity of the seed coat flakes is lower than the specific gravity of the slurry as a result of density of the flakes not being increased; (iv) causing movement of the slurry to produce hydraulic lift such that the seed coat particle flakes rise in the slurry as a result of movement of the liquid and the lower specific gravity of the seed coat flakes and the horny endosperm particles sink downward or outward in the slurry; and (v) separating the seed coat particle flakes from the horny endosperm particles.