Patent ID: 7497955

Claim:
A method of removing suspended solids, fats, oils and grease from the thin stillage liquid stream from a dewatering device for stillage of a dry grind ethanol process stream comprising: (i) Adding to the thin stillage liquid stream from a dewatering device for stillage of a dry grind ethanol process stream an effective flocculating amount of one or more anionic polymers, the anionic polymers comprising one or more anionic monomers selected from acrylic acid sodium salt, 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid sodium salt and methacrylic acid sodium salt and optionally one or more acrylamide monomers to form a mixture of water and flocculated solids, wherein the anionic polymer has a reduced specific viscosity of about 10 to about 60 dl/g; and (ii) separating the water from the flocculated solids using a solids/liquids separation device.