Two phase extraction of oil from biomass
AssigneeMartek Biosciences Corporation
InventorScot Douglas Hoeksema
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of separating edible oil from biological material is disclosed. A biomass slurry containing microbial material in an aqueous suspension is collected. The slurry is typically placed in a centrifuge and then in a homogenizer. The resulting slurry is fed into a contacting device, such as a packed column, and mixed with a solvent that is essentially immiscible in water, for example hexane. The solvent extracts the oil from the biomass slurry and then separates from the slurry. Edible oil is recovered from the solvent and further processed.
Claims22
A process for separating lipids from microbial material, which comprises:
- (a) contacting a solvent with an aqueous suspension of microbial material containing lipids in a counter-current manner, wherein the solvent is essentially immiscible in water;
- (b) collecting the solvent, wherein the solvent contains lipids extracted from the aqueous suspension of microbial material;
- and
- (c) separating the lipids from the solvent.
A process for separating lipids from microbial material, which comprises:
- (a) adding an alkali to an aqueous suspension of microbial material containing lipids, wherein the pH of the aqueous suspension is greater than 5;
- (b) contacting a solvent with the aqueous suspension of microbial material, wherein the solvent is essentially immiscible in water;
- and
- (c) collecting the solvent, wherein the solvent contains lipids extracted from the aqueous suspension of microbial material.
A process for separating lipids from microbial material, which comprises:
- (a) disrupting cells in an aqueous suspension of a microbial material containing lipids;
- (b) increasing the pH of the aqueous suspension to be greater than 5 after disrupting cells in the aqueous suspension;
- (c) contacting a solvent with the aqueous suspension of microbial material;
- (d) collecting the solvent, wherein the solvent contains lipids extracted from the aqueous suspension of microbial material and further wherein the solvent is essentially immiscible in water;
- and
- (e) separating the lipids from the solvent.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.