Recovery of a cultivated micro organism and of residual substrate employed in the cultivation

Abstract

Abstract AEROBIC CULTIVATION OF A MICRO-ORGANISM, FOR EXAMPLE CANDIDA TROPICALIS, IN THE PRESENCE OF A FEEDSTOCK WHICH CONSISTS OF OR CONTAINS A HYDROCARBON AND ON WHICH SAID MICRO-ORGANISM IS CAPABLE OF GROWTH; THEREAFTER SEPARATING PART OF THE AQUEOUS NUTRIENT MEDIUM; THEREAFTER TREATING THE REMAINING PRODUCT OR PART THEREOF COMPRISING THE MICRO-ORGANISM IN ADMIXTURE WITH AT LEAST PART OF THE RESIDUAL HYDROCARBON AND AT LEAST PART OF THE RESIDUAL NUTRIENT MEDIUM, WITH A SURFACE ACTIVE AGENT CONSISTING OF OR CONTAINING A SURFACE ACTIVE AGENT HAVING THE FORMULA: CH3-(CH2)N-O-CH2-(CH2-O- CH2)M-CH2-O-SO3X WHEREIN N IS AN INTEGER FROM 11 THROUGH TO 14 AND M IS AN INTEGER FROM 4 THROUGH TO 12 AND WHERE X IS SODIUM OR POTASSIUM, FOR EXAMPLE AN OXYETHYLENATE LURIC ALCOHOL SULPHATE, AND THEREAFTER SUBJECTING THE MIXTURE SO OBTAINED TO A SEPARATION TREATMENT FOR THE RECOVERY OF A FRACTION IN WHICH HYDROCARBON PREDOMINATES AND A FRACTION CONSISTING OF OR CONTAINING A MIXTURE OF THE MICROORGANISM AND WATER. PREFERABLY THE FRACTION IN WHICH HYDROCARBONS PREDOMINATE AND WHICH WILL CONTAIN SOME AQUEOUS MEDIUM HELT IN EMULSION AND COMPRISING SURFACE ACTIVE AGENT, IS TREATED WITH A COMPOUND CONTAINING A METAL ION WHICH FORMS A EXAMPLE CALCIUM HYDROXIDE. AFTER REMOVAL OF THE PRECIPITATED SALT A HYDROCARBON PRODUCT FREE OF SURFACE ACTIVE AGENT MAY BE OBTAINED.

Inventors

• 👤 Du Chaffaut J Amaudric

Bibliographic Details