US 8,617,396 B2 · Non-dispersive process for insoluble oil recovery from aqueous slurries

Abstract

The development and application of a novel non-polar oil recovery process utilizing a non-dispersive solvent extraction method to coalesce and recover oil from a bio-cellular aqueous slurry is described herein. The process could apply to recovery of algal oil from a lysed or non-lysed algae slurry, recovery of Omega fatty acids from a bio-cellular aqueous feed, recovery of Beta-carotene from a bio-cellular aqueous feed and for the removal from produced water in oil production and similar type applications. The technique of the present invention utilizes a microporous hollow fiber (MHF) membrane contactor. The non-polar oil recovery process described herein can be coupled to a collecting fluid (a non-polar solvent such as heptane, a biodiesel mixture or the previously extracted oil) that is circulated through the hollow fiber membrane. In cases where the biodiesel mixture or the previously extracted oil is used the solvent recovery step (e.g. distillation) can be eliminated.

Claims30

Dependent claims

A method of extracting one or more insoluble oils from a liquid source, comprising one or more organisms, using one or more membrane contactors, comprising the steps of:

pumping the liquid source comprising the one or more oils from a reactor to the one or more membrane contactors, wherein the liquid source does not contain a dispersing solvent;
coalescing the one or more oils within the liquid source onto a first surface of the one or more membrane contactors;
pumping a collection fluid through the one or more membrane contactors on a second surface of the one or more membrane contactors;
contacting the one or more coalesced oils in the liquid source with the collection fluid pumped in the one or more membrane contactors;
pumping a first stream from the one or more membrane contactors back to the reactor, wherein the first stream comprises the liquid source with the one or more organisms without extracted oils, wherein the one or more organisms remain viable;
and
removing a second stream from the one or more membrane contactors, wherein the second stream comprises the collection fluid and extracted oils.

4 more elements

A method of extracting one or more insoluble oils or hydrophobic components from a growth media comprising organisms and the insoluble oils using one or more hydrophobic membrane contactors comprising the steps of:

pumping the growth media comprising the organisms and insoluble oils from a reactor into one or more hydrophobic membrane contactors wherein the growth media does not contain a dispersing solvent;
pumping one or more collection fluids through the one or more hydrophobic membrane contactors, wherein the one or more collection fluids counterflow with the growth media comprising organisms in the hydrophobic membrane contactor;
coalescing the insoluble oils or hydrophobic components within the growth media onto a first surface of the one or more hydrophobic membrane contactors;
contacting the coalesced insoluble oils or hydrophobic components within the growth media comprising organisms and insoluble oils in the hydrophobic membrane contactor with one or more collection fluids pumped through the one or more hydrophobic membrane contactors on a second surface of the one or more hydrophobic membrane contactors;
removing a first stream from the one or more hydrophobic membrane contactors wherein the first stream comprises the growth media and organisms, wherein the organisms do not exhibit reduced cell growth or reduced viability;
and
removing a second stream from the one or more hydrophobic membrane contactors wherein the second stream comprises the one or more collection fluids and the one or more insoluble oils.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Non-dispersive process for insoluble oil recovery from aqueous slurries

Life of this patent

Non-dispersive process for insoluble oil recovery from aqueous slurries

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims30