Process of cultiv ating high protein containing micro-organisms on hydrocarbon feed mixtures

Claim 1

A PROCESS OR PREPARING A HIGH PROTEIN FOOD WHICH COMPRISES: (A) PROVIDING AN INOCULANT OF AEROBIC MICROORGANISM CELLS, WATER AND OXYGEN; (B) SUPPLYING TO SAID INOCULANT A FEED MIXTURE COMPRISED OF (1) C1 TO C35 N-HYDROCARBONS CONTAINING LESS THAN 0.1 WEIGHT PERCENT AROMATICS IN AN AQUEOUS GROWTH MEDIUM CONTAINING IN ITS ESSENTIAL COMPONENTS WATER, A NITROGEN COMPOUND, A PHOSPHORUS COMPOUND AND WATER-SOLUBLE INORGANIC SALTS OF SODIUM, POTASSIUM, MAGNESIUM, CALCIUM, IRON AND MANGANESE, AND (2) AN OXYGEN CONTAINING GAS TO FORM A BIOSYNTHESIS BATH; (C) ESTABLISHING AND MAINTAINING IN SAID BIOSYNTHESIS BATH AN UPPER FROTH ZONE WHEREIN THE WEIGHT RAIO OF FROTH BACTERIA TO FROTH HYDROCARBONS EXCEES 1.0 TO 1, AND A LOWER SLURRY ZONE; (D) ESTABLISHING AND MAINTAINING IN SAID BIOSYNTHESIS BATH A WEIGHT RATIO OF BACTERIA CELLS IN SAID FROTH TO BACTERIA CELLS IN SAID SLURRY IN EXCESS OF 1.0 TO 1; (E) ESTABLISHING AND MAINTAINING IN SAID BIOSYNTHESIS BATH A WEIGHT RATIO OF HYDROCARBONS IN SAID FROTH TO HYDROCARBONS IN SAID SLURRY OFLESS THAN 2 TO 1; (F) REMOVING A FROTH MIXTURE OF BACTERIA CELLS, AQUEOUS GROWTH MEDIUM AND UNCONVERTED HYDROCARBONS FROM SAID FROTH ZONE; (G) SEPARATING BACTERIA CELLS ROM THE REMAINDER OF SAID FROTH MIXTURE, AND (H) DRYING THE SEPARATED BACTERIA CELLS TO OBTAIN DIRECTLY A HIGH PROTEIN FOOD.