Patent AU-2011265588-B2 (AU)
Title: Process for the recovery of oleaginous compounds from biomass
Inventor: CRANFORD RICHARD J
IPC: C12P7/00
Filed: 2011-07-26
Granted: 2012-05-24
Abstract: (12) INTERNATIONAL APPLICATION PUBLISHED UNDER THE PATENT COOPERATION TREATY (PCT) (19) World Intellectual Property Organization International Bureau (43) International Publication Date H(10) International Publication Number 2 February 2012 (02.02.2012) PCT W O 2012/015831 Al (51) International Patent Classification: (81) Designated States (unless otherwise indicated, for every C12P 7/00 (2006.01) C12P 1/00 (2006.01) kind of national protection available): AE, AG, AL, AM, AO, AT, AU, AZ, BA, BB, BG, BH, BR, BW, BY, BZ, (21) International Application Number: CA, CH, CL, CN, CO, CR, CU, CZ, DE, DK, DM, DO, PCT/US2011/045398 DZ, EC, EE, EG, ES, Fl, GB, GD, GE, GH, GM, GT, (22) International Filing Date: HN, HR, HU, ID, IL, IN, IS, JP, KE, KG, KM, KN, KP, 26 July 2011 (26.07.2011) KR, KZ, LA, LC, LK, LR, LS, LT, LU, LY, MA, MD, ME, MG, MK, MN, MW, MX, MY, MZ, NA, NG, NI, (25) Filing Language: English NO, NZ, OM, PE, PG, PH, PL, PT, RO, RS, RU, SC, SD, (26) Publication Language: English SE, SG, SK, SL, SM, ST, SV, SY, TH, TJ, TM, TN, TR, TT, TZ, UA, UG, US, UZ, VC, VN, ZA, ZM, ZW. (30) Priority Data: 61/367,763 26 July 2010 (26.07.2010) US (84) Designated States (unless otherwise indicated, for every 61/432,006 12 January 2011 (12.01.2011) US kind of regional protection available): ARIPO (BW, GH, GM, KE, LR, LS, MW, MZ, NA, SD, SL, SZ, TZ, UG, (71) Applicant (for all designated States except US): SAP- ZM, ZW), Eurasian (AM, AZ, BY, KG, KZ, MD, RU, TJ, PHIRE ENERGY, INC. [US/US]; Legal Department, TM), European (AL, AT, BE, BG, CH, CY, CZ, DE, DK, 3115 Merryfield Row, San Diego, California 92121 (US). EE, ES, Fl, FR, GB, GR, HR, HU, IE, IS, IT, LT, LU, (72) Inventors; and LV, MC, MK, MT, NL, NO, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SI, SK, (75) Inventors/Applicants (for US only): CRANFORD, SM, TR), OAPI (BF, BJ, CF, CG, CI, CM, GA, GN, GQ, Richard J. [US/US]; Sapphire Energy, Inc., 3115 Merry- GW, ML, MR, NE, SN, TD, TG). field Row, San Diego, California 92121 (US). ROUSSIS, Declarations under Rule 4.17: Stilianos G. [CA/US]; Sapphire Energy, Inc., 3115 Mer -_ ryfild owSanDieg, Clifrni 9211 (S) RA- as to applicant's entitlement to apply for and be granted ryfield Row, San Diego, California 92121 (US). ARA- a patent (Rule 4.17(ii)) VANIS, Alex [US/US]; Sapphire Energy, Inc., 3115 Mer ryfield Row, San Diego, California 92121 (US). as to the applicant's entitlement to claim the priority of the earlier application (Rule 4.1 7(iii)) (74) Common Representative: SAPPHIRE ENERGY, INC.; Legal Department, 3115 Merryfield Row, San Diego, Cal ifornia 92121 (US). [Continued on next page] (54) Title: PROCESS FOR THE RECOVERY OF OLEAGINOUS COMPOUNDS FROM BIOMASS Alga |101 11|1 103 | - 105 106 107 108 Algal Oil 114 113 M2 116 SOnt C (57) Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods and processes for the recovery of oleaginous compounds from biomass, in particular biomass comprises photosynthetic microorganisms and oleaginous compositions obtained using the disclosed methods. The method for obtaining an oleaginous composition from biomass comprises the following steps: (a) obtaining an feedstock compris ing said biomass and water; (b) heating the feedstock in a closed reaction vessel to a first temperature between about 250*C and about 360*C and holding at said first temperature for a time between 0 minutes and about 90 minutes (c) cooling the feedstock of (b) to a temperature between ambient temperature and about 150*C; (d) acidifying the cooled feedstock of (c) to a pH from about f4 3.0 to less than 6.0 to produce an acidified composition; (e) heating the acidified composition of (d) to a second temperature of between about 40*C and about 150*C and holding the acidified composition at said second temperature for between 0 minutes and about 45 minutes; (f) separating the acidified composition into at least an organic phase and an aqueous phase; and (g) removing the organic phase from said aqueous phase to obtain an oleaginous composition.