US3904485A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Purification of a micro-organism
Assignee: BP PLC
•
Filing: 1971-03-18
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Granted: 1975-09-09
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Expires: 1991-03-18
Abstract
Abstract Treatment of a micro-organism containing material in which there is present an evaporable material and water, said water being present in an amount greater than 20% based on the dry weight of the micro-organism, the micro-organism being treated to remove part or the whole of the evaporable material while maintaining at least 20% of water, based on the dry weight of the microorganism, in association with said micro-organism. Optionally, water may first be removed to reduce the water content to at least 20%. Optionally further water may be removed after the evaporable material has been removed. The micro-organism containing material may be obtained by solvent extraction of a micro-organism which has been grown on a hydrocarbon substrate.
Inventors
- 👤 Chaffaut Jean Amaudric Du
- 👤 Jean Claude Hondermarck
- 👤 Bernard Maurice Laine
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 16:13
CPC Classifications
C; C12; C12N; C12N1/00; C12N1/005; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S435/00; Y10S435/8215; Y10S435/911; Y10S435/921; Y10S435/923
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 5
Claim 1
Independent Claim
249 words
A PROCESS FOR THE REMOVAL OF AN EVAPORABLE ORGANIC SOLVENT FROM A STRAIGHT CHAIN HYDROCARBON-CONSUMING MOCROORGANISM CONTAINING MATERIAL CONTAMINATED THEREWITH, WHEREIN SAID MATERIAL IS OBTAINED BY CULTIVATING A STRAIGHT CHAIN HYDROCARBON-CONSUMING MICRO-ORGANISM IN THE PRESENCE OF A SUBSTRATE COMPRISING A STRAIGHT CHAIN HYDROCARBON CONSUMABLE BY THE MICRO-ORGANISM, RECOVERING A PRODUCT FRACTION COMPRISING A HYDROCARBON CONTAMINATED MICROORGANISM, THEREAFTER SUBJECTING THE HYDROCARBON CONTAMINATED MICRO-ORGANISM IN THE PRESENCE OF WATER TO AN EXTRCTION TREATMENT WITH AN ORGANIC SOLVENT SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ETHANOL, PROPANOL, ISOPANOL, BUTANOL, HEXANE AN MIXTURES THEREOF WHEREBY CONTAMINANT HYDROCARBON IS REMOVED TO GIVE A MATERIAL CONTAINING THE MICRO-ORGANISM, WATER AND SOLVENT, SAID SOLVENT HAVING A BOLING POINT SUCH THAT IT CAN BE REMOVED FROM SAID MATERIAL WHILE HAVING AT LEAST SOME OF SAID WATER IN ASSOCIATION WITH SAID MICRO-ORGANISM SAID WATER BEING PRESENT IN AN AMOUNT GREATER THAN 20% BY WEIGHT BASED ON THE DRY WEIGHT OF THE MICRO-ORGANISM AND SAID SOLVENT BEING PRESENT IN AN AMOUNT WHICH IS NOT MORE THAN 50% BY WEIGHT OF SAID WATER, SAID PROCESS COMPRISING OF TREATING SAID MATERIAL BY THE APPLICATION OF HEAT AND/OR REDUCED PRESSURE AT A TEMPERATURE AT WHICH UNDER THE PREVAILING CONDITIONS SOLVENT IS REMOVABLE BY EVAPORATION AND BELOW THAT WHICH WATER IS REMOVED AT A SIGNIFICANT RATE BY EVAPORATION WHEREBY AT ALL TIMES AT LEAST 20% WATER BASED ON THE DRY WEIGHT OF THE MICRO-ORGANISM IS MAINTAINED IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE MICRO-ORGANISM AND WHILE THUS MAINTAINING SAID MATERIAL AT SAID TEMPERATURE TO REMOVE SAID SOLVENT.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
249 words
A PROCESS FOR THE REMOVAL OF AN EVAPORABLE ORGANIC SOLVENT FROM A STRAIGHT CHAIN HYDROCARBON-CONSUMING MOCROORGANISM CONTAINING MATERIAL CONTAMINATED THEREWITH, WHEREIN SAID MATERIAL IS OBTAINED BY CULTIVATING A STRAIGHT CHAIN HYDROCARBON-CONSUMING MICRO-ORGANISM IN THE PRESENCE OF A SUBSTRATE COMPRISING A STRAIGHT CHAIN HYDROCARBON CONSUMABLE BY THE MICRO-ORGANISM, RECOVERING A PRODUCT FRACTION COMPRISING A HYDROCARBON CONTAMINATED MICROORGANISM, THEREAFTER SUBJECTING THE HYDROCARBON CONTAMINATED MICRO-ORGANISM IN THE PRESENCE OF WATER TO AN EXTRCTION TREATMENT WITH AN ORGANIC SOLVENT SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ETHANOL, PROPANOL, ISOPANOL, BUTANOL, HEXANE AN MIXTURES THEREOF WHEREBY CONTAMINANT HYDROCARBON IS REMOVED TO GIVE A MATERIAL CONTAINING THE MICRO-ORGANISM, WATER AND SOLVENT, SAID SOLVENT HAVING A BOLING POINT SUCH THAT IT CAN BE REMOVED FROM SAID MATERIAL WHILE HAVING AT LEAST SOME OF SAID WATER IN ASSOCIATION WITH SAID MICRO-ORGANISM SAID WATER BEING PRESENT IN AN AMOUNT GREATER THAN 20% BY WEIGHT BASED ON THE DRY WEIGHT OF THE MICRO-ORGANISM AND SAID SOLVENT BEING PRESENT IN AN AMOUNT WHICH IS NOT MORE THAN 50% BY WEIGHT OF SAID WATER, SAID PROCESS COMPRISING OF TREATING SAID MATERIAL BY THE APPLICATION OF HEAT AND/OR REDUCED PRESSURE AT A TEMPERATURE AT WHICH UNDER THE PREVAILING CONDITIONS SOLVENT IS REMOVABLE BY EVAPORATION AND BELOW THAT WHICH WATER IS REMOVED AT A SIGNIFICANT RATE BY EVAPORATION WHEREBY AT ALL TIMES AT LEAST 20% WATER BASED ON THE DRY WEIGHT OF THE MICRO-ORGANISM IS MAINTAINED IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE MICRO-ORGANISM AND WHILE THUS MAINTAINING SAID MATERIAL AT SAID TEMPERATURE TO REMOVE SAID SOLVENT.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
54 words
A process as claimed in claim 1 wherein the micro-organism containing material is treated to remove part of said water and provide a concentrate, which still contains at least 20% of water based on the dry weight of the micro-organism, thereafter treating the concentrate to remove part or the whole of said evaporable material.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
34 words
A process as claimed in claim 1 in which, after removal of the evaporable material, the product obtained is further treated to remove all or part of the remaining water associated with the micro-organism.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
15 words
A process as claimed in claim 1 in which the evaporable material is normal hexane.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-09-08 | 1979-03-10 | 1979-09-09 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-09-08 | 1983-03-10 | 1983-09-09 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-09-08 | 1987-03-10 | 1987-09-09 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |