Starch or Glucose.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Feb., 1887.
Specification Accepted, 18th Mar., 1887
Starch or Glucose.
We, HENRY LIVINGSTONE SULMAN, and, EDWARD ELHANAN BERRY, both of
76 George Street, Euston Road, in the County of Middlesex, Consulting Chemists do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
Our invention has for its object an improved method of macerating or steeping rice,
wheat, or other cereal, either whole or ground, preparatory to its conversion into
starch or glucose.
This is generally effected by means of a solution of caustic soda or other caustic
alkali at the ordinary atmospheric temperature.
Our process consists in the maceration of the rice, or other grain, with a solution of
calcium hydrate (lime-water) together with an excess of solid calcium hydrate (slaked
lime,) at a temperature considerably above that of the atmosphere.
We are aware that the use of lime-water has already been patented, but if this alone
be used, owing to the very slight solubility of lime in water and the rapidity with
which the grain ferments, the alkaline solution is very soon neutralised by the acid
products of fermentation, or carbonated by the carbonic acid of the atmosphere, and
it's power of dissolving the albumenoid matters of the grain is thereby destroyed.
Secondly a large loss of starch takes place, as soon as the lime is neutralised, by
reason of the diastatic action of the soluble albumenoids still existing in the grain,
(the starch being converted into dextrines and sugars,) which action cannot take place
in an alkaline solution.
Further, on account of the slight solubility of the lime and the low temperature
ordinarily employed, the alkaline solution acts very slowly, several days being necessary
to effect satisfactory disintegration of the grain.
In our process all these serious objections to the use of lime are overcome.
Firstly owing to the excess of solid calcium hydrate, the macerating solution is
kept constantly saturated with lime and a larger proportion of the albumenous matters
is extracted from the grain than when no such excess is present.

page_text: Secondly the maceration being effected at the highest possible temperature to
which the grain can be heated without danger of loss of starch through rupture
of the starch cells, (that is, about 60 degrees centigrade) the disintegration of
the grain is effected in a comparatively short time, namely, less than two days.
By thus combining the use of an excess of lime with the employment of a high
temperature, not only is the time required for maceration very greatly diminished, but
the amount of albumenoid matters extracted by the lime is about four times as large
as that which has hitherto been extracted by any process in which lime is used, as
shewn by our own experiments on the subject.
The maceration may take place in any suitable apparatus, but we prefer to use a
tank provided with a false bottom, beneath which are placed closed steam pipes for
heating the solution together with the excess of slaked lime, the rice being placed upon
the false bottom; we thus avoid the actual contact of the rice or other grain with the
solid lime and also ensure constant circulation of the calcium hydrate solution.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we claim is :-
The process of macerating grain at a high temperature by means of a solution of
calcium hydrate which is kept constantly saturated by the presence of an excess
of solid calcium hydrate.