Immobilization of microorganisms in a hydrophilic complex gel
AssigneeSanraku-Ocean Co., Ltd.
InventorsTsunetoshi Hino, Hideaki Yamada, Seizo Okamura
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Immobilization of microorganisms is carried out by mixing a water soluble-polymer selected from polyvinylalcohol, gelatin and carboxymethylcellulose with a tetraalkoxysilane, hydrolyzing the resulting mixture by the addition of acid to form a homogeneous complex sol, dispersing microbial cells homogeneously in the sol and gelling the mixture of the sol and microbial cells.
Claims14
A process for producing a hydrophilic complex xerogel in which microbial cells are immobilized, which comprises mixing an aqueous solution of a water-soluble-polymer compound selected from the group consisting of polyvinylalcohol, gelatin and carboxymethylcellulose with a tetraalkoxysilane of the general formula:
- Si(OR).sub.4, wherein R represents an alkyl group of up to 12 carbon atoms, hydrolyzing the resulting mixture by addition of an acid or acidic compound to form a transparent homogeneous complex sol, and dispersing the microbial cells in said sol homogeneously, at a pH between 4 and 8 and subsequently gelling the mixture of said sol and said microbial cells by drying, the amount of said tetraalkoxysilane, calculated based on SiO.sub.2 formed by acid hydrolysis, being 5 to 300% by weight of the dry weight of said water-soluble-polymer.
A process for producing a hydrophilic complex xerogel in which microbial cells are immobilized which comprises mixing an aqueous solution of a water-soluble-polymer compound selected from the group consisting of polyvinylalcohol, gelatin and carboxymethylcellulose with a tetraalkoxysilane of the general formula:
- Si(OR).sub.4, wherein R represents an alkyl group of up to 12 carbon atoms, and hydrolyzing the resulting mixture by addition of an acid or acidic compound to form a transparent homogeneous complex sol, and dispersing the microbial cells in said sol homogeneously at a pH between 4 and 8, and gelling the mixture of said sol and said microbial cells by casting into organic solvent and drying, the amount of said tetraalkoxysilane, calculated based on SiO.sub.2 formed by acid hydrolysis, being 5 to 300% by weight of the dry weight of said water-soluble-polymer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.