US 10,710,937 B2 · Extraction of amino acids and phosphorus from biological materials

Abstract

A system and method for separating nutrients, such as phosphorus and protein, from biological materials may be disclosed. Biological material, for example in the form of wet solids from raw manure, may first be separated out by a solid-liquid separator. The wet solids may then be dissolved in an acidic solution, which may be created directly or by fermentation. The resulting supernatant from the acidic treatment may then be separated and phosphorus reclaimed therefrom. The resulting precipitate from the acidic treatment may be separated from the supernatant and treated with a basic solution. The resulting supernatant following the basic treatment may then be separated and protein reclaimed therefrom. In some embodiments, the supernatant resulting from the acidic treatment may itself be alkalinized, creating a precipitate which contains phosphorus solids and a supernatant which can be separated from the phosphorus solids and used as the basic solution with which to treat the precipitate resulting from the acidic treatment. Further, the system may be used to extract phosphorus and proteins from other biological materials, such as algae or crops.

Claims23

Dependent claims

A method for separating phosphorus and protein from biological materials, comprising:

conducting an acid extraction by mixing together (a) a sugar or a sugar-containing mixture, (b) an inoculum, and (c) a biological material to create a fermentation mixture, then conducting a fermentation process to acidify the fermentation mixture, to produce an acidic supernatant and an acidic precipitate;
separating the acidic supernatant from the acidic precipitate;
conducting a protein extraction by adding an alkaline solution to the acidic precipitate and mixing the alkaline solution with the acidic precipitate to produce a basic supernatant and a basic precipitate;
separating the basic supernatant from the basic precipitate;
and
recovering an amount of phosphorus from the acidic supernatant and recovering an amount of protein from the basic supernatant.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Extraction of amino acids and phosphorus from biological materials

Life of this patent

Extraction of amino acids and phosphorus from biological materials

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims23