Use of marine algae for producing polymers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9879288-B2
Application number	US-201113298576-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 17, 2011
Priority date	Nov 17, 2010
Publication date	Jan 30, 2018
Grant date	Jan 30, 2018

Abstract

In certain aspects, the disclosure provides methods for producing polymers from alkenone-producing algae, such as algae species of the Isochrysis family.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method of producing alkenone derivatives from an algal extract, the method comprising:
(a) culturing a large surface growth area of alkenone-producing algae under a growth condition sufficient to produce alkenones within the algae;
(b) drying the algae and extracting lipids and alkenones from the algae to produce an alkenone-containing extract;
(c) chemically modifying the alkenones in the alkenone-containing extract of step (b) to produce alkenone derivatives, wherein the alkenone derivatives comprise hydrocarbons, polymers, or combinations thereof; and
(d) recovering the alkenone derivatives from the extract after step (c).

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the alkenone-producing algae is a species of the Isochrysis family.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the alkenone-producing algae is selected from: Isochrysis galbana, Isochrysis sp. T-Iso, and Isochrysis sp. C-Iso.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the alkenones comprise a number of carbons ranging from 35 to 40.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the chemically modifying step (c) comprises pyrolyzing, or catalytic hydroprocessing of the alkenones.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the alkenone derivatives of step (c) are acrylic acids, acrylic esters, alkenes, vinyl chloride, vinyl acetate, diacids, diamines, diols, or lactic acid.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the alkenone derivatives of step (c) are hydrocarbons.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the alkenones are converted into hydrocarbons by catalytic hydroprocessing.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the growth condition includes a stationary growth phase.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the growth condition includes sufficient light.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the growth condition includes nutrient limitation.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the alkenone derivatives are recovered from the extract at step (d) using an enzyme, a structured enzyme array or system, a viral agent, a solvent, supercritical fluid extraction or a combination thereof.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the alkenone derivatives are recovered from the extract using an enzyme, a structured enzyme array or system or a combination thereof.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the alkenone derivatives are recovered from the extract using a hexane or butane solvent.

15. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of polymerizing the alkenone derivatives.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the alkenone-producing algae are grown in one or more of a reservoir structure, pond, trough, tube, raceway pond, or bioreactor.

Assignees

• Lindell Scott R
• Reddy Christopher M
• O'Neil Gregory W
• Woods Hole Oceanographic Inst
• Marine Biological Lab
• Western Washington Univ

Inventors

• Lindell Scott R
• Reddy Christopher M
• O'Neil Gregory W

Classifications

• C12N1/12

  Unicellular algae; Culture media therefor (as new plants A01H13/00) · CPC title

• C12P7/649

  Biodiesel, i.e. fatty acid alkyl esters · CPC title

• C12P5/026

  Unsaturated compounds, i.e. alkenes, alkynes or allenes · CPC title

• Y02E50/13

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• C12P7/26 Primary

  Ketones · CPC title