Systems and methods for extracting lipids from wet algal biomass

• US 8,865,452 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2009
• Issued: 10/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aurora Algae, Incorporated (Reliance Industries Limited)
• Original Assignee: Aurora Algae, Incorporated (Reliance Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Radaelli, Guido, Fleischer, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Cutliff, Yate K
• Application Number:
  US12/485,027
• Publication Number:
  US 20100317088A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,954 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 435/259
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 21/02 Photobioreactors culturing algae A01G33/00, A01H4/001, C12N1/12
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 47/06 Hydrolysis; Cell lysis; Extraction of intracellular or cell wall material lysis of microorganisms C12N1/06; extracting or separating nucleic acids from biological samples C12N15/1003
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 1/066 by physical methods
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/6463 obtained from glyceride producing microorganisms, e.g. single cell oil

Abstract

Presented herein are exemplary systems and methods for extracting lipids from a wet algal biomass. An exemplary method comprises lysing a wet algal biomass with an insoluble granular lysing agent to create a lysate, creating a lipid-rich phase in the lysate, and separating the lipid-rich phase from the lysate. An exemplary system comprises a lysing station for creating a lysate from a wet algal biomass and a separation station for creating and separating a lipid-rich phase from the lysate. According to further exemplary systems and methods, ultrasound may be used in place of or in addition to a lysing agent to lyse the wet algal biomass.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

lysing a wet algal biomass with an insoluble granular lysing agent to create a lysate;

creating a lipid-rich phase in the lysate; and

separating the lipid-rich phase from the lysate.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the insoluble granular lysing agent has a grain size dispersion of 10 to 1000 micrometers.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the insoluble granular lysing agent is sand.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the insoluble granular lysing agent is chalk.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the insoluble granular lysing agent is gypsum.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the insoluble granular lysing agent is fly ash.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the wet algal biomass is in the presence of an extraction solvent.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the extraction solvent is monophasic and multipolar.