FR2723081A1 - Inactivated mineral material of biological origin - Google Patents

Abstract

Prodn. of a mineral material or compsn. (A) comprises:(1) forming a base, contg. a predetermined amt. of mineral material (B) synthesised by 1 (or part of 1) living organism (plant, animal and/or microorganism), and(2) treating the base so as to convert it to an inactivated mineral material of predefined texture, depending on its intended use, e.g. as a filler.The same method can be used to produce substrates (C), partic. for use as thermal or sound insulation, filters, acoustic membranes, decorative surfaces, tissues, threads and films, nutrient substances (D) for natural or artificial soils and prods. (E) for (para)medical application.Also new are the prods. of this process.

Description

ORGANIC PRODUCTION PROCESS
BIOMINERAL SUBSTRATES
The present invention relates to a process for the biological production of mineral substrates, in particular walls, membranes, films, fabrics and threads, biominerals, of natural and / or artificial origin, as well as the substrate obtained by this process.

Acoustic, acoustic or electroacoustic systems are known in the field, for example, loudspeakers, cardboard membranes or metal membranes. However, cardboard membranes incorrectly reproduce transient sounds and metal membranes only resonate at certain frequencies.

Conversely, phonic insulators in the building sector do not dampen all sounds and therefore do not soundproof properly.

In the textile field, many types of fabrics are of artificial origin and their characteristics, in particular in flexibility, are predetermined and unchangeable.

The present invention remedies these drawbacks and proposes a method for producing a substrate, in particular a wall, membrane, film, fabric and thread, of natural and / or artificial origin, characterized by the steps consisting in - preparing a base comprising an amount predetermined
of a biomineral material, synthesized by at least one
or part of living structure chosen from the kingdom
plant, animal and / or microorganisms; and - process said base so as to transform it into a
inactivated biomineral substrate of predefined texture in
function of a chosen extemporaneous use, in particular as
thermal, sound insulation, filter, membrane
acoustics, decorative wall, fabric, thread, film in order to improve both the structure, the biochemical and / or biological composition and / or the physico-chemical characteristics of the natural and / or artificial substrates used in particular in the textile and construction, in the fields of agriculture, horticulture, agronomy and environmental protection, in particular by filtration, in the industries of sound, acoustic or electroacoustic systems.

In the agricultural field, these new substrates could be protective (against erosion, drying out, etc .; ...) and / or nutritious with respect to soils and / or crops.

In the field of filtration, they will act as biomineral and mineral biomass filters with a view to improving the absorbent conditions of said biomasses to decontaminate wastewater, in particular to detoxify water rich in metals in order to recover it.

Advantageously, biomineralization is carried out in situ in organic and / or inorganic substrates by contact with microorganisms and / or mineralizing organisms chosen in an adequate environment.

According to a characteristic of the invention, the stage of preparation of the base comprises a phase consisting in cultivating the living structure during a period and in an environment such that at least a so-called biomass part of said material is then produced or synthesized by this structure.

Advantageously, the biomass is obtained by in vitro culture on various nutritive supports, in particular solid, rigid, semi-rigid, flexible or even liquid.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the biomineralizing activity of microorganisms in the treatment stage such as fungi, in particular an ascomycete mycelium, of the tuber genus, bacteria in particular pseudomonas fluorescens or pseudo putida or bacillus species or buttauxiella agrestis or serratia marcescens or rhodococcus, the algae on rigid, semi-rigid or flexible, elastic nutritive supports, leads to the constitution of biomineral membranes.

Advantageously, said biomineral membranes consist of an organic mineralized frame where the microgenic and / or macroscopic biogenic mineralization is automorphic and / or xenomorphic and / or amorphous, allowing the transmission of vibrations, including acute sounds rapidly, well balanced and devoid of internal resonance.

Advantageously also, the invention allows, by choosing as microorganism a brown alga such as a diatom - alone or in symbiosis with a fungus, a mycelium and / or several bacteria - to produce a more or less flexible biofilm having specific characteristics biofilms (current natural diatomitic biofilms are an example).

The present invention also relates to a biomineralized substrate, capable of being inactivated, for selected extemporaneous use, obtained by the preceding procedure. This substrate has the advantage of providing porosity favoring gas exchange and / or absorption and adsorption phenomena as is the case with, for example, fossil diatomites.

The invention provides for the use of any living structure "with petrifying power. By" living mineralizing, mineralized or mineralizable structure, it is necessary to understand any cellular structure or of cell origin (plant, animal or micro-organic), living and / or resulting from life and / or compounds of biological origin, crystallized or not, such as enzymes, hormones, proteins, DNA,
By "inactivated matter", it is necessary to understand matter according to the invention and devoid of any biological and / or biomineralizing activity, in particular of any pathogenic microbiological activity.

The sources of mineral material available for the implementation of the process are considerable, as much as it is possible to use living structures originating from recovery or recycling of waste or by-products constituting a biomineral supply or capable of generating a supply. biomineral, by enhancing them.

The term "biomineral" should be understood here broadly, that is to say as including in its composition a mineral.

Other advantages and features of the invention will emerge more clearly from the detailed description of examples of its implementation, which are explained below.

The process for manufacturing or obtaining an inactivated mineral substrate for extemporaneous use mainly comprises two steps.

The first consists in preparing a base comprising a predetermined quantity of a biomineral material synthesized by at least one or part of living structure, selected from the plant, animal and / or microorganism kingdoms. This biomineral base constitutes an intermediate product.

Preferably, the stage of preparation of the base comprises a phase consisting in cultivating the abovementioned living structure during a period and in an environment such that at least a part called "mineral biomass of said material is then produced or synthesized by this structure.

The classification below gives nonlimiting examples of living structures capable of being selected for the application of the invention: a) - Among the Dicotyledons: - Cells of the order Daucales, family of
Araliaceae, genus Hedera including Hedera helix - Cells of the order of Arales, genus
Rhaphidophora, species Syngonium podophyllum (Schott),
SAlbolineatum ", Syngonium auritum syn species.

Philodendron trifolium and Syngonium species
hastifolium; - The cells of the order of Solanales, family of
Bignoniaceae, Catalpa bignonioid species.

In addition, any plant cell, even that which is not very symbiotic, is susceptible, by the process of the invention, to be mineralized and / or super-mineralized if it is brought into contact with such mineralizing microorganisms.

This is the case for the aforementioned cells, but also for all plant cells originating, for example, from brushwood in the form of shavings, sawdust, and which by this process petrify, that is to say, transform into a petrified substrate, carbonate and / or silico-carbonate.

b) - Among the Monocotyledons
- Cells of the order of Pandarales including those
of the Typhaceae family
- Grass cells including those of
Lemnaceae.

c) - Among the Ferns
The skin on Equisetum arvense (Horsetail)
are the scene of silica mineral productions
often considered as concretions from,
epidermal membrane secretions while there
find bacteria involved at the periphery
and / or in the cells of Equisetum arvense.

These explain the intra silica deposits
and / or extracellular.

d) - Among the Algae:
Biomineral masses resulting from the
multiplication and accumulation of frustules
algae naturally or industrially are
applicable to the invention. for example
- Rhodophytes with mainly
Némalionales, Solenoporaceae and
Corallinaceae (comprising Lithothamnium,
Melobesia);
- Chlorophytes with Siphonales (comprising
Codiaceae (including Halimeda) and Dacycladales
(including dacycladaceae including Acétabularia);
- The Chromophytes which bring together in particular the
Chromophyceae and especially Diatomophyceae with
siliceous productions;
- Cyanophytes with Porostromata and
Spongiostroma including Rivularia, Oscillatoria,
Phormidium, Chroococcus and Gleocapsa are suitable for
be selected.

e) - Among the Lichens
Biomineral mass can also result from
cultivation of a tripartite plant association of
lichenic type. Lichens are associations
composite plants. The so-called benefit association
reciprocal consists of a mushroom, an alga
and mineralizing bacteria, say bacteria
symbiotes, similar to those referred to above.

These bacteria contribute to encrustations
complex and pigmented minerals within the
mycelium.

f) - Among the Mushrooms and their spores.

g) - Among micro-organisms: virus or bacteria including
megatherium bacillus, pseudomonas fluorescens,
pseudomonas maltophilia, pseudomonas putida,
buttauxiella agrestis, rhodococcus, serratia
marescens.

The method can be used with microorganisms capable of fixing calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, aluminum, manganese, iron, silica or other substances intervening in infinitesimal doses. These microorganisms are widely distributed in nature.

The living structure can also be an animal, or part of an animal such as cell, tissue and / or organ, chosen from protozoa or invertebrate metazoans such as sponges, lamellibranchs and echinoderms or even from vertebrates.

Preferably, the stage of preparation of the base comprises a phase consisting in cultivating the abovementioned living structure during a period and in an environment such that at least a part called "mineral biomass of said material is then produced or synthesized by this structure.

By way of example, one or more of the correspondences between living structures and the following minerals and / or rocks can be selected in accordance with the invention:
Hedera helix cells <-> Calcium oxalate /
Limestone
Ficus elastica cells <-> Calcium carbonate /
Limestone
Equisetum cells <-> Silica / Opaline / Siliconized wood / Sandstone
Grass cells <-> Silica / Opaline / Silicified wood / Sandstone
Typhaceae cells <-> Silica / Opaline / Silicified wood / Sandstone
Ascomycete fungus <-> Calcium dipicolinate /
Limestone
Pectascinaceae cells <-> Calcium carbonate /
Limestone
Algae Phéophysée <-> Silica / Diatomite /
Rhodophycea algae, <-> Calcium carbonate / Limestone /
Travertine
Chlorophycea algae, <-> Calcium carbonate / Limestone /
Travertine
Cyanophyceae alga <-> Calcium carbonate / Limestone /
Travertine
Lamellibranch mollusc <-> Calcium carbonate /
Limestone / Shell sandstone
The process of the invention thus makes it possible to produce carbonated or siliceous, or silico-carbonated substrates by biomineralization, these substrates not necessarily being of biological origin.

The production of biomass obeys the usual laws of the growth of living structures.

In the case of plants retaining their integrity, conventional methods of cultivation are preferably used (in soil, in a greenhouse, hydroponics, etc.).

When the living structure is a part of a plant such as cell, tissue or organ, the living structure can therefore originate from a so-called superior plant, monocotyledon, such as duckweed or dicotyledon and in particular among the Daucales, Lianas , the
Bignoniacées, Morées, Cornaceae, Cactaceae.

For this type of structure which, for example, produces a tuff and / or travertine material, it is possible to use the following culture medium:
Distilled water 1,000.00 grams
Calcium nitrate 0.71
Potassium nitrate 0.568
0.284 magnesium sulfate
Ammonium phosphate 0.142
Ferric chloride 0.112
Potassium iodide 0.0028
Boric acid 0.0005
Zinc sulfate 0.0005
Manganese sulfate 0.0005
Furthermore, the structure of plant origin can be an alga and in particular Rhodophyte, Chlorophyte,
Schyzophyte, Cyanophyte, Chromophyte and / or a
Protophyte, and then other media are possible.

 It is the same if the living structure is an animal, or part of an animal. Mineral biomasses can be obtained by in-vitro culture of tissue and / or organ cells involved in mineral biosynthesis in the animal kingdom, but also by using current and / or fossil production.

Microorganisms are also abundantly cultivable in commercial industrial fermenters, and in particular ultra-fermenters with tangential filtration which allow continuous production to be obtained.

One or more compatible living structures can be cultivated within the same medium, optionally with at least one other compatible structure of plant, animal and / or micro-organic origin.

Biomineralization is therefore carried out by incorporating at the base, in predetermined proportions, organic and / or inorganic structures previously mineralized.

The invention can also be implemented no longer by incorporating organic and / or inorganic mineralized structures at the base, but in situ in the walls, membranes, films, fabrics and organic and / or inorganic threads, by contact with micro -organisms and / or mineralizing organisms chosen in an adequate environment.

Indeed, it has been pointed out for a very long time, the existence of numerous compounds of varied and often complex mineralogical nature (calcium or silicic for example), visible in the figurative state, in cells or structures of cellular origin. They are salts or chemically complex compounds synthesized in the body, resulting either from simple physicochemical reactions, or from the activity of mineralizing microorganisms.

These mineralizing microorganisms can be multiplied inside these cells or be extracted and multiplied in vitro in various organic and / or inorganic substrates, thus constituting biomineral host structures which can be woven, cut, glued,. This phenomenon, which is the basis of the process of the invention, is the source of precipitates which are not only calcium and / or silicic but also magnesian, ferromanganic, fluorinated, baryte or other. It is observed in particular throughout the plant kingdom, as well in higher plants as in lower plants.

In nature, in general, these deposits can contribute to building up the membranes and / or the walls and / or intervening in cell physiology. It is generally considered that these impregnations (calcium and / or silicic and / or others) are solely dependent on the overall physiology of the organism, or of particular organ (s). However, the mineralizing microorganisms present (calcifiers and / or silicifiers and / or others) participate, by symbiotic exchanges or of other nature, in the mineralization. The concept on which the process of the present invention is based resides in the presence and effective, quasigeneral participation of microorganisms with mineralizing power and gives rise to the possibility of the present application.

The second step consists in treating said base after its mineralization, so as to transform it into an inactivated biomineral material and of predefined texture according to our present use.

In the event of production of biomass from a living structure, the treatment step may include a phase of inactivation of the living structure. By inactivation, it is necessary to understand obtaining inactivated matter as defined above from living structures as defined above.

This inactivation phase can be carried out by adding a salt. The biomass is stabilized, that is to say inactivated so that all cell development is interrupted. Such a result can be obtained by adding, in suitable proportions, substances having similar effects on the living structure retained. Other inactivation methods can be used, alone or in addition, including high temperature irradiation and elevation.

A kneading / compacting / spinning / weaving phase can be carried out during one of the process steps and, preferably, after inactivation.

We can use the inactivation phase during product development.

The stage of preparation of the base can comprise a phase consisting in harvesting or collecting either the abovementioned living structure or the biomineral material and in incorporating it into the base in proportions such that this contribution constitutes at least part of the biomineral material required . It is possible to collect the biomineral material in the form for example of deposit, actual concretion and / or fossil, and to incorporate it into the base either during the preparation stage, or during the treatment stage.

Furthermore, the living structure is chosen so that its associated mineral matter contains at least one carbonate, siliceous, selenite or similar mineralogical constituent.

Many other biomineral sources can be used in accordance with the invention. Brushcutting or other agricultural operations (crops including haymaking, harvesting, harvesting and others) generate large quantities of mineralized or mineralizable or mineralizing products capable of over-mineralization (hay, straw, thatch, etc.).

The culture phase is carried out until a certain texture or malleability is obtained and one of the phases of the process can consist in preparing a suspension of the biomass or of the fragmented material in a liquid, preferably aqueous.

It is possible to incorporate during a phase of the process, at least one of the culture medium, the biomass, the material, the base and the mineral matter, a coloring substance of predetermined shade. This substance is possibly an element of the biomass.

A preparation and / or treatment step can consist in incorporating into at least one of the biomass, the medium, the material, the base and the mineral matter, a cohesion or texture agent. This agent is preferably a particularly metallic binder such as calcium, magnesium, silicon, barium, sodium, fluorine, aluminum, iron, manganese, zinc, or organic such as collagen, mucopolysaccharide and poly-cellulosic compound.

It is already understood that this agent optionally acts as an inactivation compound, in the case of a base comprising a living structure, cultivated or collected.

Advantageously, the proportions and the composition of the above-mentioned cohesion and / or texture agent are chosen so that the final material has a predetermined structure, hardness or elasticity.

During one of the phases or stages of the process, an additive, for example foaming, fibrous, agglomerating, can be incorporated into the abovementioned base and / or mineral material.

Furthermore, the method comprises an at least partial dehydration phase of one or more components of the base and / or of the biomineral material.

This dehydration phase can be at least partially carried out by filtering, irradiation, centrifugation, heat and / or cryogenic treatment.

It is conceivable according to the method, that the phases of inactivation, dehydration, spinning and weaving, are at least partially carried out simultaneously.

The treatment step may include phases for conditioning the biomineral material in the form of threads suitable for weaving.

An example of the progress of the phases of the process is given below the base consists of a biomass obtained by in vitro culture (on various nutritive supports, either solid, rigid, semi-rigid or flexible, or still liquid), joint of a mineralizable microorganism such as a mycelium of ascomycete of the genus tuber and a mineralizing bacterium such as pseudomonas fluorescens or pseudomonas putida or bacillus species or buttauxiella agrestis or serratia marcescens or rhodococcus.

Biomass can be obtained by culture of diatomophyceae.

The mineralized frames obtained constitute biomineral membranes. The biochemical nature of all the products obtained by the process is that of natural fibers, protelques, cellulosic or woody.

The invention is in no way limited to the above embodiments but includes all the equivalents and combinations according to the claims below.

Claims (26)

1 - Process for manufacturing or obtaining a substrate,  characterized by the steps of  - prepare a base including a quantity  predetermined of a biomineralized material, synthesized  by at least one or part of a living structure  chosen from the plant, animal and / or  microorganisms; and  - process said base so as to transform it into  an inactivated and textured biomineral substrate  predefined according to extemporaneous use  chosen, in particular as a thermal insulator,  sound, filter, acoustic membrane, wall  decorator, fabric, thread, film. 2 - Method according to claim 1, characterized in that  that the preparation step is carried out in situ in  organic and / or inorganic substrates, for example  contact with microorganisms and / or  mineralizing organisms selected from a  adequate environment. 3 - Method according to claim 1, characterized in that  that the base preparation step includes a  phase of cultivating the living structure  above during a period and in such an environment  that at least a part called Mbiomasseff of said  material is then produced or synthesized by this  structure. 4 - Method according to claim 3, characterized in that  the biomass is obtained by in vitro culture on  various nutritional supports, in particular solid,  rigid, semi-rigid, flexible or even liquid. 5 - Method according to claim 1, characterized in that  that micro biomineralizing activity  organisms in the processing stage, such as  fungi, including an ascomycete mycelium from  genus tuber, bacteria including pseudomonas  fluorescens or pseudo putida or bacillus species or  buttauxiella agrestis or serratia marcescens or  rhodococcus, algae, on nutritious supports  rigid, semi-rigid or flexible, elastic,  leads to the constitution of biomineral membranes. 6 - Method according to the preceding claim,  characterized in that said membranes  biominerals have an organic structure  mineralized where biogenic mineralization  microscopic and / or macroscopic is automorphic  and / or xenomorph and / or amorphous. 7 - Method according to claim 5, characterized in that  that the alga chosen is a brown alga such  diatom to form a biofilm presenting the  specific characteristics of diatomites  natural, fossil or current. 8 - Method according to the preceding claims,  characterized in that the processing step includes  a phase of inactivation of the living structure. 9 - Method according to claims 1 to 8, characterized  in that a kneading and / or compacting phase,  spinning, weaving, is performed during one of  process steps. 10 - Method according to claim 8 or 9, characterized  in that the inactivation phase is carried out  in particular by adding salts, or by  irradiation, dehydration and / or elevation at high  temperature. 11 - Method according to claim 9 or 10, characterized  in that said mixing phase is carried out, at  less in part, simultaneously with another phase of the  process, and especially after  inactivation. 12 - Method according to one of the preceding claims,  characterized in that the aforementioned living structure  is a plant or part of a plant (cell,  tissue or organ) such as a higher plant  monocot or dicot, an alga, a  fungus, lichen, animal or part  animal, such as cell, tissue or organ, a  microorganism such as virus, bacteria. 13 - Method according to one of claims 3 to 12,  characterized in that one or more structures  compatible live can be grown within  from the same environment, with possibly at least one  other compatible structure of plant origin,  animal and / or micro-organic. 14 - Method according to one of claims 1 to 13,  characterized in that the step of preparing the  base includes a phase consisting of harvesting or  collect the above-mentioned living structure, and  incorporate it into the base in such proportions  that this contribution constitutes at least part of the  biomineral material required. 15 - Method according to one of claims 1 to 14,  characterized in that the preparation step and / or  treatment includes a phase consisting of  harvest and / or collect the biomineral material  carbonate or other in the form, for example, of a deposit,  actual and / or fossil concretization, and  incorporate it at the base. 16 - Method according to one of claims 1 to 15,  characterized in that the living structure is  selected so that the mineral material contains  at least one of the following constituents: precipitates  calcium, silicic, fluorinated, baryta, ferruginous  and others. 17 - Method according to one of claims 1 to 16,  characterized in that it comprises a phase  consisting in developing a suspension of the biomass  or fragmented material in a liquid,  preferably aqueous. 18 - Method according to one of claims 1 to 17,  characterized in that one phase consists in incorporating  a coloring substance of predetermined shade at  least to one among the culture medium, the  biomass, material, base and material  mineral. 19 - Method according to one of claims 1 to 18,  characterized in that one phase of the  preparation and / or treatment consists of  incorporate a cohesion or texture agent into one  less among the biomass, the medium, the material, the  base and mineral matter whose proportions and  the composition are chosen so that the material  finale has a specific structure. 20 - Method according to claim 19, characterized in that  that said cohesion or texture agent comprises  preferably a substance, in particular metallic,  such as calcium, magnesium, silicon, barium,  sodium, fluorine, aluminum, iron, manganese, zinc, or  organic such as collagen, mucopolysaccharide  and poly-cellulosic compound. 21 - Method according to one of claims 1 to 20,  characterized in that it includes a phase of  at least partial dehydration of one or more  components of the base and / or the mineral matter  above, in particular carried out, at least  partially by filtering, centrifugation,  irradiation, heat and / or cryogenic treatment. 22 - Method according to one of claims 1 to 21,  characterized in that during one of the phases or  process steps, for example a foaming additive,  fibrous, agglomerating, insulating, flame retardant, aromatic,  fragrant or the like, is incorporated into the base and / or  to the aforementioned mineral material. 23 - Method according to one of the preceding claims,  characterized in that the processing step includes  a conditioning phase in the form of threads  suitable for weaving. 24 - Biomineral substrate likely to be inactivated,  chosen extemporaneous use, in particular as insulation  thermal, phonic, filter, acoustic membrane,  decorative wall, fabric, thread, film, obtained next  the method according to one of claims  previous. 25 - Biomineral substrate likely to be inactivated at  extemporaneous use, comprising at least one material  biomineral synthesized by one or part of the structure  living cultivated and / or collected, this material having  undergone inactivation and texturing treatment  of said structure. 26 - Substrate according to claim 24 or 25,  characterized in that it is in membrane form  (biofilm), flexible or solid, more or less  crystallized, of variable thickness, or in the form  powdery or grainy, or in the form  fluid, gas or liquid.