Microbial oils with lowered pour points, dielectric fluids produced therefrom, and related methods

• US 9,066,527 B2
• Filed: 11/03/2011
• Issued: 06/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Corbion Biotech, Inc. (Corbion NV)
• Original Assignee: Solazyme Inc.
• Inventors: Franklin, Scott, Rakitsky, Walter, Rudenko, George, Zhao, Xinhua, Rodriguez, Felipe Arana, Lu, Wenhua, Wee, Janice
• Primary Examiner(s): MC GINTY, DOUGLAS J
• Application Number:
  US13/288,815
• Publication Number:
  US 20120119862A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,335 Days
• Field of Search: 252/578, 336/58, 508/112, 435/134, 435/252.3, 435/257.2, 435/41
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A23D 9/007 characterised by ingredients other than fatty acid triglycerides
• CPC Class Codes: A23D 9/02 characterised by the production or working-up
• CPC Class Codes: C10M 169/041 the additives being macromolecular compounds only
• CPC Class Codes: C11B 1/025 by enzymes or microorganisms, living or dead
• CPC Class Codes: C11B 1/06 by pressing
• CPC Class Codes: C11B 1/10 by extracting
• CPC Class Codes: C11B 3/001 by a combination of two or more of the means hereafter
• CPC Class Codes: C11B 3/006 by extraction
• CPC Class Codes: C11B 3/008 by filtration, e.g. including ultra filtration, dialysis C11B3/005 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C11B 3/06 with bases
• CPC Class Codes: C11B 3/10 by adsorption
• CPC Class Codes: C11B 3/14 with the use of indifferent gases or vapours, e.g. steam
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 15/79 Vectors or expression systems specially adapted for eukaryotic hosts
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 9/16 acting on ester bonds (3.1)
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 9/2442 Chitinase (3.2.1.14)
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/64 Fats; Fatty oils; Ester-type waxes; Higher fatty acids, i.e. having at least seven carbon atoms in an unbroken chain bound to a carboxyl group; Oxidised oils or fats
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/6409 Fatty acids
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/6463 obtained from glyceride producing microorganisms, e.g. single cell oil
• CPC Class Codes: C12Y 301/02014 Oleoyl-[acyl-carrier-protein] hydrolase (3.1.2.14), i.e. ACP-thioesterase
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 3/20 liquids, e.g. oils silicone oils H01B3/46
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/105 : Cooling by special liquid or by liquid of particular composition
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/321 : using a fluid for insulating purposes only

Abstract

Methods and compositions for the production of dielectric fluids from lipids produced by microorganisms are provided, including oil-bearing microorganisms and methods of low cost cultivation of such microorganisms. Microalgal cells containing exogenous genes encoding, for example, a sucrose transporter, a sucrose invertase, a fructokinase, a polysaccharide-degrading enzyme, a lipid pathway modification enzyme, a fatty acyl-ACP thioesterase, a desaturase, a fatty acyl-CoA/aldehyde reductase, and/or an acyl carrier protein are useful in manufacturing dielectric fluids.

Claims

1. A product comprising microbial oil, wherein the oil has a pour point of less than about −

5°

C., and wherein the fatty acid composition of the microbial oil is at least 50 area % C18;

1 fatty acids and less than 2 area % C18;

2 fatty acids, as determined by fatty acid methyl ester gas chromatography flame ionization detection methods.

2. The product of claim 1, wherein the product has a pour point of between about −

10°

C. and about −

40°

C.

3. The product of claim 1, wherein the product has a flash point of 300°

C. or higher.

4. The product of claim 1, further comprising a pour point depressant.

5. The product of claim 1, wherein the product is a lubricant, a hydraulic fluid, an industrial oil, or a dielectric fluid.

6. The product of claim 5, wherein the product is a dielectric fluid.

7. The product of claim 6, wherein the dielectric fluid has a breakdown voltage of 20kV to 75 kV.

8. The product of claim 6, wherein the dielectric fluid has a dielectric strength of 20 MV/m (RMS) to 75MV/m (RMS).

9. The product of claim 6, wherein the dielectric fluid further comprises an antioxidant, a metal ion deactivator, a corrosion inhibitor, a demulsifier, an anti-wear additive, a pour point depressant, or an anti-hydrolysis compound.

10. The product of claim 1, wherein the microbial oil is produced by a genetically engineered microbe engineered to express one or more exogenous genes.

11. The product of claim 10, wherein the genetically engineered microbe is Prototheca or Chlorella.

12. The product of claim 11, wherein the genetically engineered microbe is Prototheca moriformis.

13. The product of claims 10, wherein the one or more exogenous genes encode(s) sucrose invertase or fatty acyl-ACP thioesterase.

14. The product of claim 13, wherein the one or more exogenous genes encode(s) two or more fatty acyl-ACP thioesterases.

15. The product of claim 13, wherein the one or more exogenous genes encode(s) sucrose invertase and one or more fatty acyl-ACP thioesterases.

19. The product of claim 1, wherein the oil has a pour point of −

10°

C. or lower.

20. The product of claim 1, wherein the oil has a pour point of −

20°

C. or lower.

16. A dielectric fluid comprising microbial oil produced by a genetically engineered microbe, wherein the dielectric fluid has a pour point of about −

10°

C. or lower, and wherein the fatty acid composition of the microbial oil is at least 50 area % C18;

1 fatty acids and less than 2 area % C18;

2 fatty acids, as determined by fatty acid methyl ester gas chromatography flame ionization detection methods.

17. An electrical component comprising the dielectric fluid of claim 16.

18. The electrical component of claim 17 that is a transformer.

21. The dielectric fluid of claim 16, wherein the dielectric fluid has a pour point of −

20°

C. or lower.