SILICEOUS PARTICLES

• US 20100330658A1
• Filed: 06/29/2009
• Published: 12/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aurora Algae, Incorporated (Reliance Industries Limited)
• Original Assignee: Aurora Algae, Incorporated (Reliance Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Fleischer, Daniel, Jukic, Marko, Radaelli, Guido, Thompson, Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 8,747,930 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 435/257.1
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 1/12 Unicellular algae; Culture media therefor as new plants A01H13/00
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/6463 obtained from glyceride producing microorganisms, e.g. single cell oil

Abstract

Various aspects provide for extracting siliceous particles. Siliceous particles may include or be derived from diatoms. Certain embodiments provide for segregating suspensions into two or more segregation products. In some cases, a first product includes siliceous particles, and a second product may include hydrophobic species. Certain aspects provide for extracting non-siliceous biomass (e.g., lipids).

Claims

1. A method for extracting siliceous particles, the method comprising:

providing a suspension comprising an aqueous liquid and diatoms having siliceous frustules;

adding a nonpolar solvent to the suspension to create a mixture;

agitating the mixture;

segregating the mixture into at least a first product and a second product, the first product having a higher amount of frustules than the second product; and

removing any of the first and second products.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the provided suspension includes a concentration of diatoms in the liquid below 20 weight percent.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the provided suspension includes a concentration of diatoms in the liquid below 2 weight percent.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the liquid includes one or more dissolved salts.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the liquid includes seawater.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein any of the diatoms includes members of the genera Navicula, Amphora, Thallasiosira, Chaetoceros, Nitzschia, Cyclotella, Skeletonema, Phaeodactylum, Ach nan thes, Coscinodiscus, Cylindrotheca, Pseudo-Nitzschia, Thalassionema, Hantzschia, Cymbella, Psammodictyon, or any member of the Phylum Bacillariophyta.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein any of the diatoms includes members of the genera Navicula, Amphora, Thallasiosira, Chaetoceros, Nitzschia, Cyclotella, Skeletonema or Phaeodactylum.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the nonpolar solvent includes an alkane.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the alkane includes hexane.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein a ratio of the nonpolar solvent to the diatoms is below 10 percent by mass.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein a ratio is below 1 percent by mass.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the ratio is below 0.1 percent by mass.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein agitating includes ultrasonicating.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein ultrasonicating includes ultrasonicating at an energy density between 10 and 1000 watts per liter of suspension.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein segregating includes accelerating the mixture.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the acceleration is greater than 10 times gravity.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the acceleration is greater than 1000 times gravity.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the first product includes greater than 60% of the frustules by mass.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the first product includes greater than 80% of the frustules by mass.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the second product includes a higher amount of the nonpolar solvent than does the first product.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the suspension includes one or more lipids, and the second product includes a greater amount of the lipids than does the first product.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the suspension includes one or more proteins, and the second product includes a greater amount of the proteins than does the first product.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the segregated mixture further includes a third product comprising the aqueous liquid at a concentration by mass greater than that in the first and second products.

25. The method of claim 1, further comprising grinding the frustules resulting from the first product.

26. A substance made from siliceous particles fabricated according to a method comprising:

providing a suspension comprising an aqueous liquid and diatoms having siliceous frustules;

adding a nonpolar solvent to the suspension to create a mixture;

agitating the mixture;

segregating the mixture into at least a first product and a second product, the first product having a higher amount of frustules than the second product; and

removing the first product.

27. The substance of claim 26, wherein the method further comprises grinding the segregated frustules.

28. A method for providing bioactive silica to growing organisms, the method comprising:

providing a suspension comprising an aqueous liquid and diatoms having siliceous frustules;

adding a nonpolar solvent to the suspension to create a mixture;

agitating the mixture;

segregating the mixture into at least a first product and a second product, the first product having a higher amount of frustules than the second product;

removing the first product; and

providing the frustules derived from the first product to the growing organisms.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein providing includes dissolving the frustules in a liquid in which the growing organisms are growing.

30. A method for extracting siliceous particles, the method comprising:

providing a suspension comprising an aqueous liquid and a silica containing organism having siliceous spicules;

adding a nonpolar solvent to the suspension to create a mixture;

agitating the mixture;

segregating the mixture into at least a first product and a second product,

the first product having a higher amount of the siliceous spicules than the second product; and

removing any of the first and second products.

31. A method for extracting siliceous particles, the method comprising:

providing a suspension comprising an aqueous liquid and a silica containing organism having siliceous structures;

adding a nonpolar solvent to the suspension to create a mixture;

agitating the mixture;

segregating the mixture into at least a first product and a second product,

the first product having a higher amount of the siliceous structures than the second product; and

removing any of the first and second products.