Microorganisms, demulsifiers and processes for breaking an emulsion

• US 5,989,892 A
• Filed: 06/13/1996
• Issued: 11/23/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tonen Corporation (Exxon Mobil Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Tonen Corporation (Exxon Mobil Corporation)
• Inventors: Watanabe, Kazuya, Takahashi, Nobuhiro, Hino, Sanae, Nishimaki, Fukumi, Tsuchida, Tomohiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Ulm, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): SAOUD, CHRISTINE J
• Application Number:
  US08/662,944
• Time in Patent Office: 1,258 Days
• Field of Search: 435/266, 435/252.1, 210/610, 252/331
• US Class Current: 435/252.1
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 32/00 Refining of hydrocarbon oils by electric or magnetic means, by irradiation, or by using microorganisms
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 33/00 Dewatering or demulsification of hydrocarbon oils by distillation C10G7/04

Abstract

The present invention discloses a process for breaking an emulsion comprising water and oil, comprising the steps of mixing an emulsion consisting of water and oil with a culture, bacterial cells or a culture supernatant of a bacterium belonging to the genus Alteromonas or the genus Rhodococcus capable of breaking an emulsion comprising water and oil; and consequently separating said emulsion into an aqueous layer and oil layer; and, a process for breaking an emulsion comprising water and oil, comprising the steps of mixing an emulsion comprising water and oil with bacterial cells of a bacterium belonging to the genus Aeromonas capable of breaking an emulsion comprising water and oil so as to form an aqueous layer and an aggregated layer consisting of bacterial cells and oil, and then separating these layers.

Claims

1. A demulsifier comprising bacterial cells or a culture supernatant of a bacterium comprising a biologically pure culture of a microorganism belonging to the genus Alteromonas which is Alteromonas MBI #535 (FERM BP-5560) or Alteomonas species MBI #1121 (FERM BP-5561) capable of breaking emulsions comprising water and oil.

2. A process for breaking an emulsion comprising water and oil, comprising the steps of mixing an emulsion comprising water and oil with a culture, bacterial cells or a culture supernatant of a biologically pure culture of a microorganism selected from the group consisting of Alteromonas species MBI#535 (FERM BP-5560) and Alteromonas species MBI#1 121 (FERM BP-5561).

3. A process for breaking an emulsion comprising water and oil, comprising the steps of:

mixing an emulsion comprising water and oil with cells comprising a biologically pure culture of microorganisms selected from the group consisting of Aeromonas hydrophila W3C FERM BP-5558) and Aeromonas hydrophila W3T (FERM BP-5559), capable of breaking an emulsion comprising water and oil so as to form an aqueous layer and an aggregated layer consisting of bacterial cells and oil; and

separating these layers.

4. A demulsifier comprising bacterial cells comprising a biologically pure culture of microorganisms selected from the group consisting of Aeromonas hydrophila W3C (FERM BP-5558) and Aeromonas hydrophila W3T (FERM BP-5559) capable of breaking an emulsion comprising oil and water.

5. A biologically pure culture of a microorganism selected from the group consisting of Aeromonas hydrophila W3C (FERM BP-5558) and Aeromonas hydrophila W3T (FERM BP-5559).

6. A biologically pure culture of a microorganism selected from the group consisting of Alteromonas species MBI #535 (FERM BP-5560) and Alteromonas species MBI #1121 (FERM BP-5561).