INFORMATION
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COMPANY
Alphatech helps efficient and eco-friendly use of
starch/cellulose with low-energy and simple
gelatinization/amorphization technologiesAlphatech was founded in 2018 as a spin-off from Yamagata University, where Prof. Nishioka in the Graduate School of Organic Materials Science and his colleagues first developed “Temp-Controlled Milling”: a starch gelatinization technology which didn’t need any additional water. This low-energy and simple gelatinization can be applied to any starch-usage scenario including feed and food. Furthermore, Temp-Controlled Milling can also be applied to cellulose amorphization as a low-cost and eco-friendly pre-treatment for lignocellulosic biomass up-cycling.
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Technology
We do R&D on Temp-Controlled Milling, its industrialization, and its application. Some parts are done as collaborative research with outside partners.
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Business
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FEED
Temp-Controlled Milling is a simple and low-energy gelatinization technology. It gelatinizes starch in the feed ingredient grains instantly without water. Temp-Controlled Milling can be an alternative to conventional gelatinization processes in feed manufacturing, which comprises multiple systems with high-energy consumption and yet has an insufficient gelatinization rate.
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FOOD
The grain powders made by Temp-Controlled Milling can be applied to various kinds of food. The grain powders have such features as helping bread rise, being easy to prepare, keeping a gelatinized state for a long time, and becoming viscous with water, so, there are many applications for them including gluten-free bread/noodles, rations, care-food, and clean-label food.
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BIOMASS
Temp-Controlled Milling also amorphizes cellulose in a way that is no less simple and low-energy consumption than starch gelatinization. The high-energy cost and/or toxicity of the substance used in the current cellulose amorphization methods have been a problem for biomass usage. Low-energy and eco-friendly Temp-Controlled Milling will be the solution and will accelerate lingocellulosic biomass up-cycling around the world.