Process of subjecting a microorganism susceptible material to a microorganism

Claim 2

A PROCESS OF SUBJECTING A NUTRIENT SUBSTRATE MEDIUM HAVING A LIVING INDUSTRIAL MICROORGANISM SUSCEPTIBLE MATERIAL THEREIN TO A LIVING INDUSTRIAL MICROORGANISM, WHICH COMPRISES CONTACTING THE MICROORGANISM SUSCEPTIBLE MATERIAL OF THE SUBSTRATE WITH A SOLID WATER-INSOLUBLE HYDROPHILIC POLYMER OF A MEMBER OF THE GROUP CONSISTING OF HYDROXY LOWER ALKYL ACRYLATES, HYDROXY LOWER METHACRYLATES, HYDROXY LOWER ALKOXY LOWER ACRYLATES AND HYDROXY LOWER ALKOXY LOWER ALKYL METHACRYLATES, SAID POLYMER HAVING ENTRAPPED THEREIN A LIVING INDUSTRIAL MICROORGANISM.

Claim 3

A process according to claim 1 wherein the substrate is a liquid having dissolved or dispersed therein the microorganism susceptible material and the living industrial microorganism containing hydrophilic polymer is insoluble in said liquid so that the microorganism is retained in said polymer.

Claim 4

A process according to claim 2 wherein the microorganism containing water-insoluble hydrophilic polymer is a part of a two layer system, one layer being said microorganism containing polymer and the other layer being a semipermeable membrane being microorganism free and comprising a water insoluble, hydrophilic polymer of a member of the group consisting of hydroxy lower alkyl acrylates, hydroxy lower alkyl methacrylates, hydroxy lower alkoxy lower alkyl acrylates, hydroxy lower alkoxy lower alkyl methacrylates, vinyl pyrrolidone, acrylamide, methacrylamide, N-lower alkyl acrylamide, N-lower alkyl methacrylamide, N-hydroxy lower alkyl acrylamide and N-hydroxy lower alkyl methacrylamide, said semi-permeable membrane being permeable to the microorganism susceptible material but not permeable to said living industrial microorganism, said process comprising contacting said semi-permeable membrane with said substrate medium whereby the microorganism susceptible material is absorbed therein and thereby contacts said polymer containing entrapped living industrial microorganism so that the microorganism can act on said microorganism susceptible material.

Claim 5

A process according to claim 3 wherein the semipermeable membrane is a polymer of hydroxyethyl acrylate, hydroxy ethyl methacrylate, hydroxypropyl acrylate or hydroxypropyl methacrylate.

Claim 6

A process according to claim 1 wherein the water-insoluble hydrophilic polymer is in the form of a hollow tube and the process comprises passing the substrate medium containing the microorganism susceptible material through the lumen of the tube, diffusing the microorganism susceptible material into the tube converting it by the living industrial microorganism into a different material and removing said different material from the outer surface of the tube.

Claim 7

A process according to claim 1 wherein the water-insoluble hydrophilic polymer is in the form of a hollow tube having a relatively thin overall internal semi-permeable membrane coating of a microorganism free, water-insoluble, hydrophilic polymer of a member of the group consisting of hydroxy lower alkyl acrylates, hydroxy lower alkyl methacrylates, hydroxy lower alkoxy lower alkyl acrylates, hydroxy lower alkoxy lower alkyl methacrylates, vinyl pyrrolidone, acrylamide, methacrylamide, N-lower alkyl acrylamide, N-lower alkyl methacrylamide, N-hydroxy lower alkyl acrylamide and N-hydroxy lower alkyl methacrylamide, said semipermeable membrane being pErmeable to the microorganism susceptible material but not permeable to said living industrial microorganism, said process comprising passing the substrate medium containing the microorganism susceptible material through the lumen of the tube and diffusing the microorganism susceptible material through said semipermeable membrane into contact with the microorganism containing polymer, thereby permitting the living industrial microorganism to act on said microorganism susceptible material.

Claim 8

A process according to claim 2 wherein after the living industrial microorganism containing polymer has been employed to act on the substrate the polymer is dried and the living industrial microorganism stored for further use.

Claim 9

The process according to claim 1 wherein the hydrophilic polymer is a copolymer of said hydroxy alkyl acrylate or methacrylate or hydroxy alkoxyalkyl acrylate or methacrylate with up to 50% of a copolymerizable ethylenically unsaturated monomer based on the weight of the monomeric mixture.

Claim 10

The process according to claim 8 wherein the copolymerizable monomer is between 0.1 and 20% of said monomer mixture.

Claim 11

A process according to claim 1 wherein the hydrophilic polymer is a copolymer of said hydroxyalkyl acrylate or methacrylate and from 0.05 to 20% of a cross-linking agent.

Claim 12

A process according to claim 3 wherein the water insoluble, hydrophilic polymer is hydroxyethyl methacrylate.