Methods for fractionation of biologically-derived materials
AssigneeAphios Corporation
InventorsTrevor P. Castor, Hemant M. Chikarmane, Glenn T. Hong, Christopher Shallice
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Abstract
Supercritical and near critical fluids are used to fractionate biomass materials in two steps. In the first step, the biomass is exposed to elevated pressure supercritical or near critical fluid to bring about disruption of the biomass. In the second step, the disrupted biomass is subjected to a multiplicity of supercritical or near critical fluid extraction steps, with different solvation conditions used for each fraction. Thus, fractionation of the biomass is effected.
Claims8
A method of extracting one or more fractions from a biomass containing one or more cells, comprising the steps of:
- a) contacting said biomass with a first critical fluid, said first critical fluid entering said biomass and solvating one or more compounds;
- b) separating said first critical fluid containing said one or more compounds from said biomass to form a first extraction fraction;
- c) decompressing said biomass to form a disrupted biomass;
- d) forming a second extraction fraction by the following steps:
- i.) contacting said disrupted biomass with a second critical fluid having the same or different solvation properties as said first critical fluid, said second critical fluid entering said disrupted biomass and solvating one or more compounds;
- ii.) separating the second fluid with said one or more compounds from said disrupted biomass to form a second extraction fraction;
- e) forming one or more subsequent extraction fractions by repeating the following steps:
- i.) contacting said disrupted biomass with a subsequent critical fluid having the same or different solvation properties as said first and second critical fluids, said subsequent critical fluid entering said disrupted biomass and solvating one or more compounds;
- ii.) separating the subsequent critical fluid with said one or more compounds from said disrupted biomass to form a subsequent extraction fraction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.