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US4401762A
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Process of culturing microorganisms using a microemulsion
Assignee: Societe Nationale Elf Aquitaine Production SA
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Filing: 1981-09-17
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Granted: 1983-08-30
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Expires: 2001-09-17
Abstract
Abstract There is described a process for the culture of microorganisms in a medium comprising a hydrophobic material containing microorganisms by the use of nutrient substances in aqueous solution micro-emulsified in a liquid immiscible with water. As the source of nitrogen, compounds soluble in water are used, such as urea or ammonium nitrate, sulphate or phosphate, and, as the source of phosphorus, compounds soluble in water are used. The medium should also contain a directly-assimilable source of carbon. Application of this process to the culture of microorganisms, allowing operations to be carried out which comprise the degrading of hydrocarbons covering an area of water or ground; an application of particular interest for operations for combatting oil pollution of the sea by biological degradation.
Inventors
- 👤 Jacques Tellier
- 👤 Andre Sirvins
- 👤 Jean-Claude Gautier
- 👤 Bernard Tramier
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 11:25
CPC Classifications
C; C12; C12N; C12N1/00; C02; C02F; C02F3/00; C02F3/34; C02F3/344; C12N1/26
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
51 words
Process of culturing microorganisms in a hydrophobic medium with the use of nutrient substances in aqueous solution, comprising microemulsifying the aqueous solution in a liquid immiscible with water but miscible with the hydrophobic medium and introducing the microemulsion thus formed into the medium containing sources of the microorganisms to be cultured.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
51 words
Process of culturing microorganisms in a hydrophobic medium with the use of nutrient substances in aqueous solution, comprising microemulsifying the aqueous solution in a liquid immiscible with water but miscible with the hydrophobic medium and introducing the microemulsion thus formed into the medium containing sources of the microorganisms to be cultured.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
39 words
Process according to claim 1, in which the aqueous nutrient solution contains water-soluble compounds of nitrogen and water-soluble compounds of phosphorus, and the liquid immiscible with water is a lipomiscible liquid containing compounds of carbon assimilable by the microorganisms.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
32 words
Process according to either of claims 1 or 2, wherein the aqueous solution which forms the internal phase of the microemulsion contains two chemically-different kinds of nitrogenous compound assimilable by the microorganisms.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
42 words
Process according to either of claims 1 or 2, wherein the aqueous solution which forms the internal phase of the microemulsion comprises urea and an alkyl or alkenyl phosphate, and the external phase comprises at least one fatty ester, acid or alcohol.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
31 words
Process according to claim 4, wherein the aqueous solution which forms the internal phase of the microemulsion contains 11 to 150 parts by weight of urea per 100 parts of water.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
16 words
Process according to claim 4, wherein the aqueous solution of urea contains one or more amino-acids.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
25 words
Process according to claim 6, wherein the proportion of amino-acid is from 1 to 10 parts by weight per 99 to 90 parts of urea.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
27 words
Process according to claim 1, wherein the hydrophobic medium comprises hydrocarbons covering an area of water or ground, the microorganisms cultured being capable of degrading the hydrocarbons.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
70 words
Process according to claim 1, wherein the microemulsion comprises by weight 10% to 30% of water, 4% to 10% of assimilable nitrogen in the form of nitrogenous compounds, 5% to 35% of a C 10 to C 18 alkyl or alkenyl phosphate or an ethoxylated phenol alkyl phosphate, 0% to 20% of an alkyl ether of an alkylene glycol and 20% to 50% of a fatty ester, acid or alcohol.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1986-08-29 | 1987-02-28 | 1987-08-30 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1990-08-29 | 1991-02-28 | 1991-08-30 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1994-08-29 | 1995-02-28 | 1995-08-30 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |