Classifications

• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C12—BIOCHEMISTRY; BEER; SPIRITS; WINE; VINEGAR; MICROBIOLOGY; ENZYMOLOGY; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING
  • C12N—MICROORGANISMS OR ENZYMES; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF; PROPAGATING, PRESERVING, OR MAINTAINING MICROORGANISMS; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING; CULTURE MEDIA
  • C12N1/00—Microorganisms; Compositions thereof; Processes of propagating, maintaining or preserving microorganisms or compositions thereof; Processes of preparing or isolating a composition containing a microorganism; Culture media therefor
  • C12N1/26—Processes using, or culture media containing, hydrocarbons
  • C12N1/28—Processes using, or culture media containing, hydrocarbons aliphatic
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C10—PETROLEUM, GAS OR COKE INDUSTRIES; TECHNICAL GASES CONTAINING CARBON MONOXIDE; FUELS; LUBRICANTS; PEAT
  • C10G—CRACKING HYDROCARBON OILS; PRODUCTION OF LIQUID HYDROCARBON MIXTURES, e.g. BY DESTRUCTIVE HYDROGENATION, OLIGOMERISATION, POLYMERISATION; RECOVERY OF HYDROCARBON OILS FROM OIL-SHALE, OIL-SAND, OR GASES; REFINING MIXTURES MAINLY CONSISTING OF HYDROCARBONS; REFORMING OF NAPHTHA; MINERAL WAXES
  • C10G32/00—Refining of hydrocarbon oils by electric or magnetic means, by irradiation, or by using microorganisms
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C10—PETROLEUM, GAS OR COKE INDUSTRIES; TECHNICAL GASES CONTAINING CARBON MONOXIDE; FUELS; LUBRICANTS; PEAT
  • C10G—CRACKING HYDROCARBON OILS; PRODUCTION OF LIQUID HYDROCARBON MIXTURES, e.g. BY DESTRUCTIVE HYDROGENATION, OLIGOMERISATION, POLYMERISATION; RECOVERY OF HYDROCARBON OILS FROM OIL-SHALE, OIL-SAND, OR GASES; REFINING MIXTURES MAINLY CONSISTING OF HYDROCARBONS; REFORMING OF NAPHTHA; MINERAL WAXES
  • C10G73/00—Recovery or refining of mineral waxes, e.g. montan wax
  • C10G73/02—Recovery of petroleum waxes from hydrocarbon oils; Dewaxing of hydrocarbon oils
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10S—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10S423/00—Chemistry of inorganic compounds
  • Y10S423/09—Reaction techniques
  • Y10S423/17—Microbiological reactions
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10S—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10S435/00—Chemistry: molecular biology and microbiology
  • Y10S435/8215—Microorganisms
  • Y10S435/911—Microorganisms using fungi
  • Y10S435/921—Candida
  • Y10S435/923—Candida lipolytica
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10S—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10S435/00—Chemistry: molecular biology and microbiology
  • Y10S435/8215—Microorganisms
  • Y10S435/911—Microorganisms using fungi
  • Y10S435/944—Torulopsis

Definitions

• a process which comprises distilling a petroleum fraction to obtain at least two distillate fractions comprising a heavy distillate fraction and a light distillate fraction, thereafter treating said heavy distillate fraction with a micro-organism whereby said micro-organism grows using, as feedstock, straight chain hydrocarbons contained in said heavy distillate fraction, and thereafter separating the treated heavy distillate fraction.
• the treated heavy distillate fraction is blended with the light distillate fraction.
• heavy fraction and light fraction are used in a relative sense without limitation upon the absolute boiling points of the fractions.
• the petroleum fraction is distilled to obtain a heavy gas-oil fraction and a light gas-oil fraction.
• the treated heavy gas-oil fraction is blended with the light gas-oil fraction.
• the cut point between the heavy gas-oil fraction and the light gas-oil fraction will preferably be in the range of 300350 C.
• the 90% distillation point of the heavy gas-oil fraction should be below 380 C.
• Micro-organisms which are cultivated as herein de scribed may be yeast, moulds or bacteria. Within the term micro-organism used herein we include mixtures of micro-organisms.
• the yeasts in this specification are classified according to the classification system outlined in The Yeasts, a Taxonomic Study by I. Lodder and N. J. W. Kreger- Van Rij, published by North Holland Publishing Co. (Amsterdam) (1952).
• a yeast is employed this is of the family Cryptococcaceae and particularly of the sub-family Cryptococcoideae; however, if desired there may be used, :for example, ascosporogeneous yeasts of the sub-family Saccharornycoideae.
• Preferred genera of the Cryptococcoideae sub-family are Torulopsis (also known as Torula) and Candida.
• Preferred strains of yeast are as follows. In particular it is preferred to use the specific stock of indicated Baarn reference number; these reference numbers refer to CBS stock held by the Centraal Bureau vor Schimmelculture, Baarn, Holland, and to INRA stock held by the Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, Paris, France.
• Candida lipolytica Candida pulcherrima OBS 610 Candida utilis Candida utilis, variati major, CBS 841 Candida tropicalis, CBS 2317 Tornlopsis colliculosa, CBS 133 Hansenula anomala, CBS
• the micro-organism may be a mould, for example Penicillz'um expansum, or a bacterium.
• the bacteria are of one of the orders: Pseudomonadales, Eubacteriales and Actinomycetales.
• the bacteria which are employed are of the families Bacillaceae and Pseudomonadaceae.
• Preferred species are Bacillus megaterium, Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
• Other strains which may be employed include:
• micro-organism although cultivated in the presence of an aqueous mineral medium containing the appropriate nutrient elements may grow with difliculty, because the hydrocarbon fraction does not contain the growth factors which exists in carbohydrate feedstocks, unless these growth factors are added.
• the growth of the micro-organism used is favoured by the addition to the culture medium of a very small proportion of extract of yeast (an industrial product rich in Patented August 23, 19%6 essential nutrilites, that is, growth factors, obtained by the hydrolysis of a yeast) or more generally of the essential, nutrilites.
• the essential nutrilites include biotin; pantothenic acid, nicotinic acid, thiamine, inositol and pyridoxine.
• the quantity of yeast extract added is preferably of the order of 25 parts per million.
• the quantity of each nutrilite required varies between about 0.1 part per million for biotin and about 10 parts per million for inositol.
• the growth of the micro-organism takes place at the expense of the feedstock fraction with the intermediate production of bodies having an acid function, principally fatty acids, in such manner that the pH of the aqueous mineral medium progressively diminishes. If one does not correct it the growth is fairly rapidly arrested and the concentration of the micro-organism in the medium, of cellular density, no longer increases so that there is reached a so-called stationary phase.
• the aqueous nutrient medium is maintained at a desired pH by the step-wise or continuous addition of an aqueous medium of high pH value.
• an aqueous medium of high pH value usually, when using moulds or yeasts and in particular when using Candida lipolytica, the pH of the nutrient medium will be maintained in the range 3-6 and preferably in the range 4-5. (Bacteria require a higher pH usually 6.5-8.)
• Suitable alkaline materials for addition to the growth mixture include sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, disodium hydrogen phosphate and ammonia, either free or in aqueous solution.
• the optimum temperature of the growth mixture will vary according to the type of micro-organism employed and will usually lie in the range 25-35 C. When using Candida lipolytica the preferred temperature range is 28 32 C.
• the take-up of oxygen is essential for the growth of the micro-organism.
• the oxygen will usually be provided as air.
• the air, used to provide oxygen should be present in the form of fine bubbles under the action of stirring.
• the air may be introduced through a sintered surface. However there may be used the system of intimate aeration known as vortex aeration.
• an aqueous nutrient medium and a supply of oxygen preferably in the form of air.
• a typical nutrient medium for the growth of Nocardia has the following composition:
• a suitable nutrient medium has the composition:
• Yeast extract gram 0.025 Made up to 1000 mls. with distilled water.
• a suitable nutrient medium for yeasts the composition:
• the micro-organism will usually grow initially at a low rate of increase in cellular density. (This period of growth is referred to as the lag phase) Subsequently the rate of growth will increase to a higher rate of growth; the period at the higher rate of growth is referred to as the exponential phase and subsequently again the cellular density will become constant (the stationary phase").
• a supply of the micro-organism for starting the next batch will preferably be removed before the termination of the exponential phase.
• the growth operation will usually be discontinued before the stationary phase.
• the micro-organism will usually be separated from the bulk of the aqueous nutrient medium and from the bulk of the unused feedstock fraction.
• micro-organism may be subjected to autolysis before further purification of the product.
• the fraction containing the micro-organism is, with or without further treatment, a potential source of food for both animals and humans.
• a process which comprises cultivating and treating a micro-organism in the manner as hereinbefore described in the presence of a petroleum fraction consisting in part of straight chain hydrocarbons and having a mean molecular weight corresponding to at least 10 carbon atoms per molecule, and in the presence of an aqueous nutrient medium; and in the presence of a gas containing free oxygen and separating from the mixture, on the one hand, the micro-organism and, on the other hand, a petroleum fraction having a reduced proportion of straight chain hydrocarbons or which is free of said straight chain hydrocarbons.
• the process of the invention is of particular value for the treatment of petroleum gas oil fractions which contain straight chain hydrocarbons in the form of waxes, since by the process of the invention a gas oil of improved pour point is obtained while the waxes are converted to a valuable product.
• straight-chain hydrocarbons will be present in the feedstocks according to the invention as paraflins; however, the straight-chain hydrocarbons may be present as olefins; also there may be used a mixture containing straight chain paraflins and olefins.
• the petroleum fraction will contain 3-45 by weight of straight-chain hydrocarbons.
• the percentage conversion of straight chain hydrocarbons which is achieved can be maintained at a value approaching 100% without necessitating a very disproportionate expenditure of contact time to achieve small improvements. Furthermore, in a continuous process, this high percentage ponversion can be achieved without resorting to the use of a long reaction path.
• the gas-oil is dewaxed without a preliminary distillation and in Experiment II the gas-oil is distilled and the heavy fraction so obtained is subjected to the dewaxing process before being blended back with the light fraction from the distillation.
• the gas-oil used was obtained from an Iraq crude oil and boiled between 220 and 380 C. It contained 13% by weight of n-parafiins.
• the gas-oil was distilled at atmospheric pressure in a column of 14 theoretical plates to obtain two fractions: one (75% by volume) boiling between 220 and 320 C. and the other (25% by volume) boiling between 300 and 380 C.
• the yeast used for the dewaxing stage was Candida lipolytica. The fermentations were performed in a 60 litre continuous fermenter. The following aqueous nutrient medium was used:
• the cellular density rose to 10 grams/litre in Experiment I and 8 grams/litre in Experiment II.
• a process which comprises distilling a petroleum fraction to obtain at least two distillate fractions comprising a heavy distillate fraction containing straight-chain hydrocarbons and a light distillate fraction containing straight-chain hydrocarbons of a lighter nature than those contained in the heavy distillate fraction, thereafter treating the said heavy distillate fraction with a micro-organism in the presence of an aqueous nutrient medium and in the presence of a gas containing free oxygen whereby said micro-organism grows using as feedstock, straightchain hydrocarbons contained in said heavy distillate fraction, thereafter separating the treated heavy distillate fraction, and blending the treated heavy distillate fraction with the untreated light distillate fraction.
• a process according to claim 1 wherein the petroleum fraction is a fraction having a mean molecular weight corresponding to at least 10 carbon atoms per molecule.

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• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Oil, Petroleum & Natural Gas (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Organic Chemistry (AREA)
• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Microbiology (AREA)
• Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
• General Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Bioinformatics & Cheminformatics (AREA)
• Biotechnology (AREA)
• Genetics & Genomics (AREA)
• Zoology (AREA)
• Wood Science & Technology (AREA)
• Medicinal Chemistry (AREA)
• Biochemistry (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Biomedical Technology (AREA)
• Tropical Medicine & Parasitology (AREA)
• Virology (AREA)
• Preparation Of Compounds By Using Micro-Organisms (AREA)
• Micro-Organisms Or Cultivation Processes Thereof (AREA)
• Production Of Liquid Hydrocarbon Mixture For Refining Petroleum (AREA)

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Citations (2)

• 1963
  • 1963-11-14 GB GB45004/63A patent/GB1095182A/en not_active Expired
• 1964
  • 1964-10-19 IL IL22284A patent/IL22284A/xx unknown
  • 1964-11-03 US US408674A patent/US3268414A/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1964-11-05 NL NL6412879A patent/NL6412879A/xx unknown
  • 1964-11-12 BR BR164259/64A patent/BR6464259D0/pt unknown
  • 1964-11-13 JP JP39064236A patent/JPS4942882B1/ja active Pending
  • 1964-11-13 BE BE655725A patent/BE655725A/xx unknown
  • 1964-11-13 DE DE1442212A patent/DE1442212B2/de active Pending
• 1967
  • 1967-09-27 FI FI2580/67A patent/FI43301B/fi active
• 1969
  • 1969-12-30 MY MY49/69A patent/MY6900049A/xx unknown

Patent Citations (2)

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