Canadian Patents & Development Ltd.

Abitibi Paper Company, Ltd.

Canadian Patents & Development Ltd. Societe Canadienne Des Brevets Et

James E Zajic

Donald F Manchester

Martha A Hill

Karel Muzika

Eva Knettig

Bohumil Volesky

Donald F Gerson

Materials of particular utility in separating hydrocarbon values from mineral deposits, e.g. bitumen from tar sands, are prepared by a microbiological fermentation process using certain selected microorganisms. The fermentation process is conducted under aerobic conditions, with the selected microorganisms growing on a hydrocarbon substrate. The materials have surfactant properties, in greater or lesser degree. The materials may be subsequently separated from the fermentation broth, or alternatively the broth may be used as is, since it contains relatively large proportions of suitable separation effecting materials.

Hydrocarbon extraction agents and microbiological processes for their

The specification discloses making a mixed fungal (yeast and yeast-like) system culture adapted to biodegradation of spent sulfite liquor (SSL) comprising the steps of exposing a mixed culture system (being a sludge from a sewage treatment plant) to increasing concentration of SSL until the fungus becomes acclimatized to SSL of the desired concentration. The resulting biotic population comprises a fungal mixture, of yeast and yeast-like cultures. It was based on an autolytic culture system: Phialophora jeanselmei, Phialophora richardsiae, Hyalodendron lignicola, Trichosporon infestans and Candida tropicalis. A method and apparatus are disclosed for biodegrading both the soluble substrates in a spent sulfite liquor and the biological solids produced therefrom by a potentially autolytic culture system. The method comprises the steps of adding a nutrient medium, adjusting the pH to mildly acid or neutral condition, feeding the mixture to a fungal culture inoculated fermentor with agitation and with aeration, resulting in foaming of the mixture, said foam carrying with it the fungi and sludge resulting from the fermentation, the suspended solids content of the foam when collapsed being generally not more than half the suspended solids content of the fermentor broth, said foam being processed so as to separate the components into a sludge and a clarified effluent, said sludge being recycled to the fermentor vessel and the clarified effluent prepared for discharge or additional processing. The recycling of sludge to the fermentor vessel is controlled where necessary to maintain the suspended solids in the fermentor vessel at not greater than 60,000 parts per million. The degree of recycling and retention time are held at a level at which autolysis of the suspended solids may be maintained. The process differs from other extended aeration processes in the high MLSS level in the reactor (.about.30,000-55,000 ppm); low sludge return rate (.about.43% of fresh feed rate); high BOD loading (1400 lb BOD/1000 cu. ft.); long mean cell residence time (up to 95 days). The system may be maintained at full sludge recycle thus obviating the need for an external sludge handling and disposal system. Under optimum operating conditions as much as 85 to 90% BOD removal from spent sulfite liquor is accomplished.

Microbial culture system

The specification discloses making a mixed fungal (yeast and yeast-like) system culture adapted to biodegradation of spent sulfite liquor (SSL) comprising the steps of exposing a mixed culture system (being a sludge from a sewage treatment plant) to increasing concentration of SSL until the fungus becomes acclimatized to SSL of the desired concentration. The resulting biotic population comprises a fungal mixture, of yeast and yeast-like cultures. It was based on an autolytic culture system: Phialophora jeanselmei, Phialophora richardsiae, Hyalodendron liqnicola, Trichosporon infestans and Candida tropicalis. A method and apparatus are disclosed for biodegrading both the soluble substrates in a spent sulfite liquor and the biological solids produced therefrom by a potentially autolytic culture system. The method comprises the steps of adding a nutrient medium, adjusting the pH to mildly acid or neutral condition, feeding the mixture to a fungal culture inoculated fermentor with agitation and with aeration, resulting in foaming of the mixture, said foam carrying with it the fungi and sludge resulting from the fermentation, the suspended solids content of the foam when collapsed being generally not more than half the suspended solids content of the fermentor broth, said foam being processed so as to separate the components into a sludge and a clarified effluent, said sludge being recycled to the fermentor vessel and the clarified effluent prepared for discharge or additional processing. Under optimum operating conditions as much as 85 to 90% BOD removal from spent sulfite liquor is accomplished.

Foam flotation activated sludge process

A new process for cultivating selected cultures involves initially removing broth at a first rate from a fermentation and replacing it with supporting medium, the replacement rate thereafter being increased to remove cultures of lower growth rate than the selected culture. A new process for the microbiological synthesis of protein-containing material by an aerobic fermentation in a supporting medium uses a normally gaseous hydrocarbon substrate selected from nethane, ethane, propane and butane and a protein-producing fungus of graphium species. It has not been known hitherto for such syntheses to be possible with a fungus. The said substrate may be natural gas.

Microbiological synthesis of proteinaceous material employing normally

An emulsifying agent of microbiological origin is produced by an aerobic aqueous fermentation process employing Corynebacterium hydrocarboclastus UWO 409 as the fermentation agent and paraffinic hydrocarbon substrate. An emulsifying agent product consists essentially of an extracellular polymer product of a fermentation process, the polymer comprising a polysaccharide component including galactose, glucose and mannose in ratio about 1:2.65:1.96 and a bound protein component.

Growing community of inventors

London, Canada

James E Zajic