EP0124309A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Extraction process
Assignee: Imperial Chemical Industries Ltd
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Filing: 1984-04-12
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2004-04-12
Abstract
Abstract A continuous process for the extraction of 3-hydroxybutyrate polymers from micro-organism cells wherein a non-solvent is added to the extracted syrup to permit separation of the polymer and, by distillation, the bulk of the extraction liquid, which may be a solvent/non-solvent mixture, is recovered for re-use. Preferably the non-solvent added to the syrup is also recovered in the distillation.
Inventors
- 👤 John Frederick Stageman
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 13:09
CPC Classifications
C; C12; C12P; C12P7/00; C12P7/62; C12P7/625; C08; C08G; C08G63/00; C08G63/88; C08G63/89; C08G85/00
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
269 words
A continuous, or cyclic batch, process for the extraction of a 3-hydroxybutyrate (HB) polymer from dried, solvent permeable HB-polymer containing micro-organism cells comprising: (a) contacting said cells with an extraction liquid to form a syrup containing HB polymer dissolved in the extraction liquid, said extraction liquid containing sufficient of a solvent for said HB polymer that said extraction liquid dissolves said polymer under the extraction conditions, (b) separating said syrup from the dissolved cell residue, (c) treating said syrup by adding thereto a sufficient quantity of a liquid composition, that is miscible with said syrup and that has a lower content of said solvent than said extraction liquid and comprises an organic, non-solvent, liquid, or a mixture thereof with said solvent, that said syrup is converted to a composition that can be mechanically separated into a solid polymer phase and a liquid phase, and effecting said mechanical separation, (d) distilling at least a proportion of said separated liquid phase to recover therefrom a first component consisting of said solvent or a mixture of said solvent and said non-solvent that is richer in said solvent than said liquid phase, and a second component consisting of said non-solvent or a mixture of said non-solvent and said solvent that is richer in said non-solvent than said liquid phase, and (e) recycling at least a proportion of said recovered first component to the syrup forming stage, the proportion of said liquid phase that is subjected to distillation and of said first component that is recycled being such that at least 80% by weight of said extraction liquid consists of said recycled first component"
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
269 words
A continuous, or cyclic batch, process for the extraction of a 3-hydroxybutyrate (HB) polymer from dried, solvent permeable HB-polymer containing micro-organism cells comprising: (a) contacting said cells with an extraction liquid to form a syrup containing HB polymer dissolved in the extraction liquid, said extraction liquid containing sufficient of a solvent for said HB polymer that said extraction liquid dissolves said polymer under the extraction conditions, (b) separating said syrup from the dissolved cell residue, (c) treating said syrup by adding thereto a sufficient quantity of a liquid composition, that is miscible with said syrup and that has a lower content of said solvent than said extraction liquid and comprises an organic, non-solvent, liquid, or a mixture thereof with said solvent, that said syrup is converted to a composition that can be mechanically separated into a solid polymer phase and a liquid phase, and effecting said mechanical separation, (d) distilling at least a proportion of said separated liquid phase to recover therefrom a first component consisting of said solvent or a mixture of said solvent and said non-solvent that is richer in said solvent than said liquid phase, and a second component consisting of said non-solvent or a mixture of said non-solvent and said solvent that is richer in said non-solvent than said liquid phase, and (e) recycling at least a proportion of said recovered first component to the syrup forming stage, the proportion of said liquid phase that is subjected to distillation and of said first component that is recycled being such that at least 80% by weight of said extraction liquid consists of said recycled first component"
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
20 words
A process according to claim 1 wherein the first component obtained by distillation of the liquid phase is the distillate.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
23 words
A process according to claim 2 wherein all of the first component is recycled to form at least part of the extraction liquid.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
53 words
40 A process according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein at least part of the second component obtained by distillation of the liquid phase is recycled, directly or indirectly, for use as at least part of the liquid of lower solvent content than said extraction liquid added to the syrup.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
29 words
A process according to any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein all of the separated liquid phase is subjected to the distillation producing the first and second components.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
35 words
A process according to claim 5 wherein lipids are co-extracted from the micro-organism cells with the HB polymer and part of the residue obtained by distillation of the liquid phase is discarded as a purge.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
55 words
A process according to claim 6 wherein at least part of the residue obtained by distillation of the liquid phase is subjected to a further distillation to form a lipid-free distillate and a lipid-containing residue and said lipid-containing residue is the portion of said residue obtained by distillation of the liquid phase that is discarded.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
61 words
A process according to any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein the separated polymer phase is subjected to a washing step with a liquid rich in said non-solvent, and the wash liquid separated from the washed polymer is recycled for use as at least part of the liquid of lower solvent content than the extraction liquid added to the syrup.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
44 words
9 o A process according to claim 8 wherein at least part of the second component obtained by distillation of the liquid phase is recycled and the liquid used to wash the separated polymer phase comprises at least part of that recycled second component.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
63 words
A process according to claim 9 wherein the first component obtained by distillation of the liquid phase is the distillate, at least part of the second component is subjected to a further distillation, and at least part of the distillate obtained from said further distillation is used as that part of the recycled second component in the liquid used to wash the polymer.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
25 words
A process according to any one of claims 1 to 10 wherein the extraction liquid consists of a mixture of the solvent and the non-solvent.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
21 words
12 o A process according to claim 11 wherein the extraction liquid contains at least 60% by weight of the solvent.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
29 words
13 o A process according to any one of claims 1 to 12 wherein the extraction liquid has a boiling point, or boiling range, at atmospheric pressure, below 125°C.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
16 words
A process according to claim 13 wherein the solvent is selected from dichloromethane, chloroform, and 1,2-dichloroethane.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
25 words
A process according to any one of claims 1 to 14 wherein the non-solvent is selected from methanol, ethanol, acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, and hexane.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
54 words
A process according to any one of claims 1 to 16 wherein the amount of the liquid of lower solvent content than the extraction liquid that is added to the syrup is such that the mixture of that lower solvent content liquid and the syrup contains at least 60% by weight of the non-solvent.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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