Polymer-based emulsion breaking methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9662596-B2
Application number	US-201414528138-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 30, 2014
Priority date	Apr 30, 2012
Publication date	May 30, 2017
Grant date	May 30, 2017

Abstract

A method for breaking emulsions includes applying a polymer mixture to an emulsion. The emulsion can be energized, such as through centrifugation or vibration. In particular, the polymer mixture can be in liquid form. The polymer mixture includes first and second liquid polymer, the second liquid polymer being less hydrophilic than the first liquid polymer. Example polymer useful as the first or second liquid polymers includes polyether. In a water-in-oil emulsion, the less hydrophilic polymer can preferentially reside within the oil phase.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of recovering a particle from an emulsion, the method comprising:
contacting the emulsion with a breaking solution, the emulsion comprising an aqueous phase dispersed in an immiscible continuous phase, the aqueous phase including hydrophilic particles including conjugated copies of a target polynucleotide, the breaking solution comprising a first liquid polymer and a second liquid polymer, the first liquid polymer having affinity for the aqueous phase and the second liquid polymer having affinity for the immiscible continuous phase,
wherein the first liquid polymer is polyethylene glycol, polyoxymethylene, or a combination thereof, and has a molecular weight in a range of 50 Da to 500 Da, the second liquid polymer is polypropylene glycol, polytetramethylene glycol, fluorinated polyethers, or any combination thereof, and has a molecular weight in a range of 100 Da to 700 Da, the molecular weight of the first liquid polymer being less than the molecular weight of the second liquid polymer, and
wherein the contacting breaks the emulsion, providing a continuous aqueous phase including the hydrophilic particles; and

separating the immiscible continuous phase from the continuous aqueous phase.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the breaking solution has a total polymer content in a range of 10% to 100% by volume.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the breaking solution includes the first liquid polymer and the second liquid polymer in a ratio of 1:3 to 10:1 (second liquid polymer: first liquid polymer).

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the emulsion is contact with the breaking solution in a ratio in a range of 20:1 to 1:10.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the breaking solution further comprises a third liquid polymer having a molecular weight greater than the second liquid polymer and having affinity for the immiscible continuous phase.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein contacting includes centrifuging.

7. A kit comprising:
a first reagent solution including an aqueous dispersion of hydrophilic polymer particles;
a second reagent solution immiscible with the first reagent solution; and
a breaking solution comprising a first liquid polymer and a second liquid polymer,
wherein the first liquid polymer is polyethylene glycol, polyoxymethylene, or a combination thereof and has a molecular weight in a range of 50 Da to 500 Da, the second liquid polymer is polypropylene glycol, polytetramethylene glycol, fluorinated polyethers, or any combination thereof and has a molecular weight in a range of 100 Da to 700 Da, the molecular weight of the first liquid polymer being less than the molecular weight of the second liquid polymer, and
wherein the first liquid polymer having affinity for an aqueous phase and the second liquid polymer having affinity for the water-immiscible fluid.

8. The kit of claim 7 , further comprising an aqueous nucleotide solution comprising nucleotides.

9. The kit of claim 7 , wherein the breaking solution has a total polymer content in a range of 10% to 100% by volume.

10. The kit of claim 7 , wherein the breaking solution includes the first liquid polymer and the second liquid polymer in a ratio of 1:3 to 10:1 (second liquid polymer: first liquid polymer).

Assignees

• Life Technologies Corp

Inventors

• Jones Ryan
• Carpino Maximilian

Classifications

• B01D21/00

  Separation of suspended solid particles from liquids by sedimentation ({separation of ores or the like by sedimentation B03B5/48 - B03B5/60} ; differential sedimentation B03D3/00; {purification of water, waste water, sewage or sludge C02F, e.g.} devices for separating or removing fatty or oily substances or similar floating material from water, waste water or sewage C02F1/40) · CPC title

• B01D21/0009

  Settling tanks making use of electricity or magnetism (electric ultra filters B01D61/425; filters making use of electricity or magnetism B01D35/06; magnetic or electrostatic separation B03C) · CPC title

• C12Q1/68

  involving nucleic acids · CPC title

• B01D17/047 Primary

  with separation aids · CPC title

• C10G33/04

  with chemical means · CPC title