Process for the production of bioproteins
AssigneeThe BOC Group, Inc.
InventorsRamakrishnam Ramachandran, Arthur I. Shirley
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Proteins are prepared by the reaction of a hydrocarbon utilizing microbe on a low molecular weight hydrocarbon, such as methane, in an aqueous medium in the presence of oxygen and a fixable nitrogen compound in a recycle process in which unreacted hydrocarbon and oxygen are recycled to the protein manufacturing reactor. Sufficient hydrocarbon is introduced into the system to prevent the formation of a flammable mixture therein. Part or all of the hydrocarbon can be introduced into the system downstream of the protein reactor, where the propensity of forming a flammable gas mixture is greatest.
Claims18
In a process for producing a protein comprising contacting a hydrocarbon feed stream comprising at least one gaseous hydrocarbon and an oxygen-rich gas in an aqueous medium in a reaction zone in the presence of a microbe capable of converting said gaseous hydrocarbons to protein, thereby producing an aqueous phase containing said protein and a gaseous phase containing unreacted gaseous hydrocarbon, unreacted oxygen and carbon dioxide, said gaseous phase containing sufficient gaseous hydrocarbon to render it nonflammable;
- and removing protein from said reaction zone;
- the improvement comprising passing said gaseous phase through a carbon dioxide separator, thereby separating carbon dioxide from said gaseous phase;
- and recycling at least part of the carbon dioxide:depleted gaseous phase to said reaction zone.
In a process for producing a protein comprising the steps of contacting at least one gaseous hydrocarbon and an oxygen-rich gas in an aqueous medium in a reaction zone in the presence of a microbe capable of converting said at least one gaseous hydrocarbon to protein, thereby producing an aqueous phase containing protein and a gaseous phase containing unreacted gaseous hydrocarbon, unreacted oxygen and carbon dioxide, said gaseous phase containing sufficient gaseous hydrocarbon to render it nonflammable;
- and removing protein from said reaction zone;
- the improvement comprising:
- (a) passing said gaseous phase through a pressure swing adsorption zone which contains an adsorbent which more strongly adsorbs hydrocarbons than carbon dioxide and oxygen, thereby producing a gaseous hydrocarbon-rich stream and a gas stream rich in oxygen and carbon dioxide;
- (b) passing said gas stream rich in oxygen and carbon dioxide through a carbon dioxide separator, thereby producing a carbon dioxide-rich stream and an oxygen-rich stream;
- and
- (c) recycling at least part of said gaseous hydrocarbon-rich stream and at least part of said oxygen-rich stream to said reaction zone.
In a process for producing a protein comprising the steps of contacting at least one gaseous hydrocarbon and an oxygen-rich gas in an aqueous medium in a reaction zone in the presence of microbe capable of converting said gaseous hydrocarbons to protein, thereby producing an aqueous phase containing protein and a gaseous phase containing unreacted gaseous hydrocarbon, unreacted oxygen and carbon dioxide, said gaseous phase containing sufficient gaseous hydrocarbon to render it nonflammable;
- and removing protein from said reaction zone;
- the improvement comprising:
- (a) passing said gaseous phase through a pressure swing adsorption zone which contains an adsorbent which more strongly adsorbs carbon dioxide and gaseous hydrocarbons than oxygen, thereby producing an oxygen-rich stream and a stream rich in gaseous hydrocarbons and carbon dioxide;
- (b) passing said gas stream rich in gaseous hydrocarbons and carbon dioxide through a carbon dioxide separator, thereby producing a carbon dioxide-rich stream and a gaseous hydrocarbon-rich gas stream;
- and
- (c) recycling at least part of said oxygen-rich stream and at least part of said gaseous hydrocarbon-rich stream to said reaction zone.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.