Compositions and methods for continuous harvesting of suspension growth cultures
AssigneeSolix Biofuels, Inc.
InventorsTianxi ZHANG, Richard CROWELL
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Abstract
Embodiments herein concern compositions, methods and uses for harvesting suspension cultures or decontaminating waters. In certain embodiments, suspension microorganism cultures can comprise algal cultures. In some embodiments, harvesting suspension cultures may include using a composition capable of interacting with the culture in order to separate the culture from a liquid or media.
Claims20
A method for harvesting a suspension of an organism in a liquid, comprising:
- adding a magnesium agent to the suspension to produce a flocculant comprising the organism and the magnesium agent;
- separating the flocculant from the liquid;
- and
- harvesting the organism.
A method for decontaminating water comprising a particulate or contaminant, the method comprising:
- adding a positively charged magnesium agent to the water to form a flocculant comprising the positively charged magnesium agent and the particulate or contaminant;
- adding a non-magnetic material to the contaminated water to produce a complex comprising the particulate or contaminant and the flocculant;
- allowing the complex to settle out of the water;
- separating the complex from the water to produce decontaminated water;
- and
- reusing the decontaminated water.
A method for separating a negatively charged particulate from a liquid having a high concentration of magnesium ions, the method comprising:
- increasing the pH of the liquid to a pH of at least 8.5 to about 12.5 to produce a first complex comprising the particulate and a magnesium precipitate;
- adding a negatively charged inorganic particle to the liquid to form second complex comprising the first complex and the negatively charged inorganic particle;
- and
- separating the second complex from the liquid.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.