Process for the recovery of hydrocarbon fermentation poroducts

Claim 1

THE PROCESS OF PRODUCING HYDROCARBON FERMENTATION PRODUCTS SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ACIDS, ALCOHOLS, KETONES, ESTERS AND ALDEHYDES WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF: MIXING HYDROCARBON UTILIZING MICROORGANISMS SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF YEASTS, MOLDS, ALGAE AND BACTERIA WITH AN AQUEOUS MINERAL SALT SOLUTION SUITABLE FOR THE CULTURE OF THE SELECTED MICROORGANISMS AND ABOUT 10 GRAMS PER LITER OF A PARAFFINIC HYDROCARBON IN THE RANGE OF METHANE TO HEXADECANE, INCLUSIVE; FERMENTING THE MIXTURE AT A TEMPERATURE OF 20 TO 50* C. FOR A TIME SUFFICIENT TO PRODUCE SAID FERMENTATION PRODUCTS IN A RECOVERABLE YIELD; THE MIXTURE THEN COMPRISING AS SEPARABLE COMPONENTS FERMENTATION PRODUCTS, UNREACTED HYDROCARBON, AND AQUEOUS SALT SOLUTION; CONCENTRATING SAID FERMENTATION PRODUCTS BY FREEZING THE ONE OF SAID COMPONENTS WHICH HAS THE HIGHEST FREEZING POINT BY ONLY LOWERING THE TEMPERATURE UNTIL THAT COMPONENT HAS CRYSTALLIZED; FILTERING OUT SAID RESULTING CRYSTALS; AND REUSING THE AQUEOUS SALT SOLUTION CONTAINING SOME OF THE LIVE MICROORGANISMS FOR FURTHER FERMENTATION.