Method of separating lipids from a lysed lipids containing biomass

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11261400-B2
Application number	US-201816644443-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 30, 2018
Priority date	Sep 5, 2017
Publication date	Mar 1, 2022
Grant date	Mar 1, 2022

Abstract

The current invention relates to a method of separating polyunsaturated fatty acids containing lipids from a lipids containing biomass by using acetone.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of separating polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) containing lipid from the debris of a biomass, comprising the steps:
a) providing a suspension of a biomass comprising cells which contain a PUFAs containing lipid;
b) lysing the cells of the biomass;
c) adding acetone to the suspension obtained in step (b) until a final amount of between 25 and 47.5 wt.-% of acetone is reached;
d) thoroughly mixing the suspension obtained in step (c);
e) separating an oil containing PUFAs and acetone-containing light phase obtained in step (d) from a water, acetone, salt and cell debris containing heavy phase.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein acetone is added to the suspension of biomass in step (c) until a final amount of between 27.5 and 45.0, wt.-% of acetone is reached.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein mixing of the suspension in step (d) is carried out by shaking, stirring and/or vortexing.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein lysing of the cells of the biomass is carried out enzymatically, mechanically, chemically and/or physically.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein lysing of the cells of the biomass comprises an enzymatic treatment of the cells with a cell wall degrading enzyme.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein lysing of the cells of the biomass is carried by a method comprising:
a) heating the suspension of biomass to a temperature of between 50° C. and 70° C., adding a cell wall-degrading enzyme to the fermentation broth, and, if necessary, adjusting the pH to a value at which the enzyme is active;
b) maintaining the temperature and pH in the ranges of paragraph a) for at least one hour.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein after lysing the cells, the suspension is concentrated to a total dry matter content of 30 to 60 wt-%.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein steps (c) to (e) are carried out at a temperature of 10 to 50° C.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein, before addition of acetone in step (c), the pH of the suspension is adjusted to an acidic pH.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein before addition of acetone in step (c), the pH is adjusted to a an acidic pH of 2.5 to 6.8.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein separation of the oil and acetone-containing light phase from the water, acetone, salt and cell debris containing heavy phase is realized by mechanical means.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein separation of the oil and acetone-containing light phase from the water, acetone, salt and cell debris containing heavy phase by mechanical means takes place at a pH of 5.5 to 8.5.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising separating the acetone from the PUFAs containing oil.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the suspension has a biomass density of at least 80 g/l.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the suspension has a biomass density of at least 140 g/l.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cells which contain a PUFAs containing lipid are selected from the group consisting of: algae; fungi; protists;
bacteria; microalgae; plant cells; and mixtures thereof.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the cells which contain a PUFAs containing lipid are microalgae selected from the phylum Stramanopiles.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the cells which contain a PUFAs containing lipid are from the family Thraustochytrids.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the cells which contain a PUFAs containing lipid are microalgae of the genus Schizochytrium.

20. The method of claim 5 , wherein the cell-wall degrading enzyme is selected from the group consisting of: a protease, cellulase, hemicellulase, chitinase, pectinase, sucrase, maltase, lactase, alpha-glucosidase, beta-glucosidase, amylase, lysozyme, neuraminidase, galactosidase, alpha-mannosidase, glucuronidase, hyaluronidase, pullulanase, glucocerebrosidase, galactosylceramidase, acetylgalactosaminidase, fucosidase, hexosaminidase, iduronidase, maltase-glucoamylase, beta-glucanase, mannanase, and combinations thereof.

Assignees

• Evonik Operations Gmbh
• Dsm Ip Assets Bv

Inventors

• Bahl Michael
• Beiser Marc
• Lebert Jochen
• Pfeifer Holger
• Rabe Christian

Classifications

• C11B1/04

  of vegetable raw material {(C11B1/025 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• C11B1/10

  by extracting · CPC title

• C11B7/0025

  in solvents containing oxygen in their molecule · CPC title

• C11B1/025 Primary

  by enzymes or microorganisms, living or dead · CPC title

• C11B1/02 Primary

  Pretreatment · CPC title