Biopolymer extraction from plant materials

• US 20060149015A1
• Filed: 01/05/2006
• Published: 07/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yulex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yulex Corporation
• Inventors: Martin, Jeffrey A., Cornish, Katrina, McCoy, Raymond G. III, Nocera, Anthony Jr., Williams, Jali
• Granted Patent: US 7,923,039 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 528/1
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 11/0284 Multistage extraction
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 11/0288 Applications, solvents
• CPC Class Codes: C08C 1/04 Purifying; Deproteinising
• CPC Class Codes: C08C 1/075 Concentrating
• CPC Class Codes: C08C 2/06 Wining of rubber from solutions
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 528/93 Guayule rubber
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 528/931 Physical treatment of natural rubber or natural rubber containing material or chemical treatment of non-rubber portion thereof, e.g. extraction of rubber from milk weed
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 528/932 Protein removal or conversion
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 528/934 Latex
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 528/937 Concentrating, e.g. creaming

Abstract

Disclosed is a method and apparatus for the extraction of high molecular weight biopolymers from plants. Specifically, invention described herein relates to the commercial processing of plant material, including that from desert plants native to the southwestern United States and Mexico, such as the guayule plant (Parthenium argentatum), for the extraction of biopolymers, including natural rubbers. More specifically, the invention relates to laboratory to commercial scale extraction of high molecular weight biopolymers from plant materials including the chemical and mechanical processing of the plants and purification of the extracted biopolymer.

Claims

1. A method for extracting a biopolymer from a non-Hevea plant material, comprising:

grinding of a plant material;

milling of the plant material in a chemical solution, whereby the milling results in a milled product comprised of a solid bagasse and a liquid homogenate, wherein the liquid homogenate includes milled plant material, a buffer and water;

filtering out the solid bagasse from the liquid homogenate;

separating the liquid homogenate into a light phase and a heavy phase;

purifying the light phase, wherein soluble proteins are removed; and

concentrating the light phase, wherein the concentration of the light phase produces a usable biopolymer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plant material is guayule.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the biopolymer is rubber latex.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising harvesting the plant material.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising de-barking the plant material.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising chopping the plant material into pieces.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising separating the leaves, flower parts and stems from the biopolymer-containing plant material.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the chemical solution includes water and a buffer.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the chemical solution further includes one or more agents selected from the group consisting of:

a stabilizer, a polymeric flocculating agent, an anti-microbial agent, a de-foaming agent, a bleaching agent, and an anti-oxidant.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the buffer is selected from a group consisting of:

ammonium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide, sodium bicarbonate, Tris and Trizma.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the antioxidant is selected from a group consisting of:

sodium sulfite, butylated hydroxytoluene, butylated hydroxyanisole, ascorbate, propyl gallate, alkylated diphenylamine, polybutylated bisphenol A, alkylated para-phenylenediamine, styrenated phenol, and hindered bisphenol.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising washing the bagasse, whereby additional biopolymer particles are removed from the bagasse.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein filtering the bagasse includes using a screen to separate the liquid homogenate from the bagasse.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising using the bagasse in a secondary manufacturing process.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the secondary manufacturing process is selected from a group consisting of:

resin extraction, ligin extraction, cellulose processing and hemi-cellulose processing.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the secondary manufacturing process produces a product selected from the group consisting of:

resin, ligin, adhesive, pesticide, an anti-fungal agent, ethanol, particle board, insulation, mulch, organic soil amendment, fuel pellets, fireplace logs, ceiling tiles, building material, playground equipment, and flooring.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising decanting the liquid homogenate, wherein additional solid bagasse is removed.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein decanting includes centrifugation.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising removing water from the liquid homogenate.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising removing the heavy phase to a waste water recovery area.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein purifying the light phase includes mixing it with ammonia antioxidant.

22. The method of claim 1, further comprising creaming the light phase using a cream solution comprised of a coagulant, an anti-oxidant, and a stabilizer, wherein creaming the light phase includes concentrating the rubber latex and removing subnatants from the light phase.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the usable biopolymer is rubber latex.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the plant material includes more than one percent of the biopolymer.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the latex conforms to specifications of the American Society for Testing and Materials for a standard selected from the group consisting of:

D1076-02 Standard Specification for Rubber-Concentrated, Ammonia Preserved, Creamed, and Centrifuged Natural Latex Type 1; and

D1076-02 Standard Specification for Rubber-Concentrated, Ammonia Preserved, Creamed, and Centrifuged Natural Latex Type 3.

26. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the biopolymer.

27. An apparatus for extracting a biopolymer from a non-Hevea plant material, comprising:

a hammer mill, wherein the hammer mill is capable of mixing ground plant material with a buffer and water to form a milled product comprised of a bagasse and a liquid homogenate;

a screw press filtration system, fluidly coupled to the hammer mill, wherein the screw press filtration system is capable of separating the milled product into the bagasse and the liquid homogenate;

a homogenate storage tank, fluidly coupled to the screw press filtration system, wherein the homogenate storage tank is capable of storing a liquid homogenate comprised of milled plant material, the buffer and water;

a phase separating system, fluidly coupled to the homogenate storage tank, wherein the phase separating system is capable of separating the liquid homogenate into a light phase and a heavy phase; and

a biopolymer storage tank, fluidly coupled to the phase separating system, wherein the biopolymer storage tank is capable of storing a liquid biopolymer.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the plant material is guayule.

29. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the biopolymer is rubber latex.

30. The apparatus of claim 27, further comprising a plant material chopper, wherein the chopper is capable of cutting the plant material into pieces.

31. The apparatus of claim 27, further comprising a de-barking system, wherein the de-barking system is capable of removing bark from the plant material.

32. The apparatus of claim 27, further comprising a plant material separator, wherein the separator is capable of removing the leaves, flower parts and stems from the biopolymer-containing plant material.

33. The apparatus of claim 27, further comprising a biopolymer concentrator fluidly coupled to the phase separating system, wherein the biopolymer concentrator is capable of producing a useable biopolymer from the light phase.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, further comprising a creaming system fluidly coupled to the biopolymer concentrator, wherein the creaming system is capable of concentrating the biopolymer and removing subnants from the light phase.

35. A method for extracting rubber latex from guayule plant material, comprising:

grinding guayule;

milling the guayule with a chemical solution including water and a buffer, whereby the milling results in a milled product comprised of a bagasse and a liquid homogenate, wherein the liquid homogenate includes milled guayule, the buffer and water;

filtering out the bagasse from the milled product;

separating the liquid homogenate into a light phase and a heavy phase;

purifying the light phase, wherein soluble proteins are removed; and

concentrating the light phase, wherein the concentration of the light phase produces a usable rubber latex.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the chemical solution further includes one or more agents selected from the group consisting of:

a stabilizer, a polymeric flocculating agent, an anti-microbial agent, a de-foaming agent, a bleaching agent, and an anti-oxidant.

37. The method of claim 35, further comprising decanting the liquid homogenate, wherein additional solid bagasse is removed.

38. The method of claim 35, further comprising creaming the light phase using a cream solution including a coagulant, an anti-oxidant, and a stabilizer, and wherein creaming the light phase includes concentrating the rubber latex and removing subnatants from the light phase.

39. The method of claim 35, wherein the latex conforms to specifications of the American Society for Testing and Materials for a standard selected from the group consisting of:

D1076-02 Standard Specification for Rubber-Concentrated, Ammonia Preserved, Creamed, and Centrifuged Natural Latex Type 1; and

D1076-02 Standard Specification for Rubber-Concentrated, Ammonia Preserved, Creamed, and Centrifuged Natural Latex Type 3.