A technology designed to control mineral-deposit scaling in ethanol production, dubbed pHytOUT by its manufacturer, earned further patent protection.

A third U.S. patent was issued to U.S. Water for the deposit-control technology. It reduces back-end fouling and reduces sulfuric acid use, says the company. In addition to being safe for animal feed, pHytOUT also provides clean heat transfer surfaces and extends the time between required cleaning.

“The technology described in our three patents, 8,039,244, 8,415,137 and 8,609,399, allows ethanol distillation at its higher pH and reduces the need for sulfuric acid. This improves ethanol quality, reduces acid costs and enhances plant safety,” said Allan Bly, U.S. Water’s CEO.