# US 2014/0193316 A1 · Method for recycling metals

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- Number: US 2014/0193316 A1
- Document ID: US20140193316A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/143,268
- Filed: 2013-12-30
- Published: 2014-07-10
- Earliest claimed: 2012-05-29
- Assignees: Industrial Technology Research Institute
- Applicants: Industrial Technology Research Institute
- Inventors: Yin-Lung HAN; Tai-Rong GUO; Jo-Shu CHANG; Yung-Chong LOU; Wan-Ju YU
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140193316A1

## CPC

- C22B 7/006: {Wet processes}
- C02F 1/286: {using natural organic sorbents or derivatives thereof}
- C02F 3/34: characterised by the microorganisms used
- C02F 5/08: Treatment of water with complexing chemicals or other solubilising agents for softening, scale prevention or scale removal, e.g. adding sequestering agents
- C07K 14/195: from bacteria
- C12N 1/205: Bacterial isolates
- C12P 3/00: Preparation of elements or inorganic compounds except carbon dioxide {(recovery of carbon dioxides as by-products C12F3/02)}
- C22B 11/04: {by wet processes (extraction of metal compounds by leaching in organic solutions C22B3/16; treatment or purification of solutions by liquid-liquid extraction C22B3/26)}
- C22B 11/042: {Recovery of noble metals from waste materials}
- C02F 2101/20: Heavy metals or heavy metal compounds
- C02F 2301/106: Thermophilic treatment
- C02F 2305/00: Use of specific compounds during water treatment
- C12R 2001/01: Bacteria or Actinomycetales {; using bacteria or Actinomycetales}
- Y02P 10/20: Recycling
- C22B: PRODUCTION AND REFINING OF METALS (electrolytic C25); PRETREATMENT OF RAW MATERIALS
- C02F: TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE (separation in general B01D; special arrangements on waterborne vessels of installations for treating water, waste water or sewage, e.g. for producing fresh water, B63J; adding materials to water to prevent corrosion C23F; treating radioactively-contaminated liquids G21F9/04; regeneration of reactants for recirculation into processes, see the relevant places for the processes)
- C07K: PEPTIDES (peptides in foodstuffs A23; obtaining protein compositions for foodstuffs, working-up proteins for foodstuffs A23J; preparations for medicinal purposes A61K; peptides containing beta-lactam rings C07D; cyclic dipeptides not having in their molecule any other peptide link than those which form their ring, e.g. piperazine-2,5-diones, C07D; ergot alkaloids of the cyclic peptide type C07D519/02; macromolecular compounds having statistically distributed amino acid units in their molecules, i.e. when the preparation does not provide for a specific; but for a random sequence of the amino acid units, homopolyamides and block copolyamides derived from amino acids C08G69/00; macromolecular products derived from proteins C08H1/00; preparation of glue or gelatine C09H; single cell proteins, enzymes C12N; genetic engineering processes for obtaining peptides C12N15/00; compositions for measuring or testing processes involving enzymes C12Q; investigation or analysis of biological material G01N33/00)
- C12N: MICROORGANISMS OR ENZYMES; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF; PROPAGATING, PRESERVING, OR MAINTAINING MICROORGANISMS; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING; CULTURE MEDIA (microbiological testing media C12Q1/00)
- C12P: FERMENTATION OR ENZYME-USING PROCESSES TO SYNTHESISE A DESIRED CHEMICAL COMPOUND OR COMPOSITION OR TO SEPARATE OPTICAL ISOMERS FROM A RACEMIC MIXTURE {(brewing of beer C12C; producing vinegar C12J; producing specific peptides or proteins C07K; producing enzymes C12N9/00; DNA or RNA concerning genetic engineering, vectors, e.g. plasmids, or their isolation, preparation or purification C12N15/00; measuring or testing processes involving enzymes or microorganisms C12Q; measuring or testing processes involving nucleic acid amplification reactions C12Q1/6844; fermentation processes to form a food composition, A21 or A23; compounds in general, see the relevant compound class, e.g. C01, C07)}
- C12R: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES C12C - C12Q, RELATING TO MICROORGANISMS
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS

## Abstract

A method for recycling metals is provided by using extracellular proteins excreted by a specific thermophilic bacteria strain, Tepidimonas fonticaldi sp. nov., in which the extracellular proteins show excellent metal-ion binding ability, being useful in recycling rare earth metal ions and precious metal ions from geothermal fluids, boiler solutions, industrial wastewater or hard water.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for recycling metals, comprising:
providing a liquid containing metal ions;
contacting the liquid with an extracellular protein(s) excreted by an isolated thermophilic bacteria strain to form a complex of the metal ion and the protein; and
collecting the complex;
wherein the isolated thermophilic bacteria strain is Tepidimonas fonticaldi sp. nov., internationally deposited in the Korean Collection of Type Culture (KCTC) with deposit number of KCTC 12528BP.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising adding a desorption agent to the complex.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein the desorption agent comprises nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA), ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA) or combination thereof.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein the desorption agent comprises sulfate, nitrate, hydrochloric acid or combination thereof.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the isolated thermophilic bacteria strain comprises 16S rDNA sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO. 1.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the metal ion comprises rare earth ions or precious metal ions.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein the rare earth ions comprise cerium (Ce), dysprosium (Dy), erbium (Er), europium (Eu), gadolinium (Gd), holmium (Ho), lanthanum (La), lutetium (Lu), neodymium (Nd), praseodymium (Pr), scandium (Sc), samarium (Sm), terbium (Tb), thorium (Th), thulium (Tm), uranium (U), ytterbium (Yb), yttrium (Y), or combination thereof.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein the precious metal ions comprise gold (Au), silver (Ag), platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd), rhodium (Rh), iridium (Ir) or combination thereof.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the liquid containing metal ions contacts with the extracellular protein under a temperature of 25˜100.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the liquid containing metal ions contacts with the extracellular protein under a pH 2˜6.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the liquid containing metal ions comprises geothermal waters, boiler solutions, industrial wastewater or hard water.

### Claim 12

A method for recycling metals in the treatment of boiler equipment, water pipelines, geothermal wells, industrial wastewater or hard water, wherein the method comprises:
providing a liquid containing metal ions;
contacting the liquid with an extracellular protein(s) excreted by an isolated thermophilic bacteria strain to form a complex of the metal ion and the protein; and
collecting the complex; and
wherein the isolated thermophilic bacteria strain is Tepidimonas fonticaldi sp. nov., internationally deposited in the Korean Collection of Type Culture (KCTC) with deposit number of KCTC 12528BP.