Direct enzyme agglomeration process

Details Direct enzyme agglomeration process Direct enzyme agglomeration process

2000-06-08

2002-08-13

Weber, Jon P. (Department: 1651)

Liquid purification or separation

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Movable medium

C210S530000, C435S183000, C435S221000, C435S816000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06431370

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides processes for preparing detergent formulations, by directly agglomerating an extract of a fermentation broth containing a detergent-type enzyme with a suitable detergent base mixture, without need for prior isolation of the enzyme.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Detergent formulations in use today frequently contain enzymes, such as proteases, lipases, amylases, and cellulases, which contribute to the breakdown of soil materials. The detergent base to which the enzyme is added typically contains compounds known to be detrimental to enzyme stability, e.g., bases, such as sodium carbonate, and anionic surfactants, such as linear alkylbenzene sulfonates. Anionic surfactants, for example, are known to denature enzymes. Accordingly, enzymes incorporated into such formulations are, conventionally, separately granulated to form coated enzyme particles before addition. The coating, which typically comprises polymers such as polyvinyl alcohol, polyethylene glycol, and/or methylcellulose, serves to protect the enzyme from exposure to bases and anionic surfactants during agglomeration.
Enzyme is present in such granules at high concentration, and exposure to dusts from the granules can be hazardous to workers. Although processes for reducing dusts have been reported (see e.g. N. T. Becker et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,814,501 (September 1998); A. G. J. Hussain, U.S. Pat. No. 3,773,671 (Nov 1973), elimination of the requirement for separate isolation and granulation of the enzyme would eliminate this hazard, as well as providing a more efficient formulation process.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides, in one aspect, a process for preparing a detergent formulation. In accordance with the process, an aqueous fermentation broth extract is provided, in the form of a liquid or, preferably, a paste, comprising (a) a detergent-type enzyme and (b) a surfactant suitable for incorporation into such a detergent formulation. The extract is then directly agglomerated with a detergent base mixture, which is typically also in the form of a paste.
The extract may be prepared by (a) forming a mixture of an aqueous fermentation broth containing the enzyme and a detergent-type surfactant, under such conditions that the mixture undergoes a phase separation, and (b) recovering a phase containing the enzyme and the surfactant. In one embodiment, the mixture of step (a) further includes a salt having a metal cation and a halide or polar oxygenated anion. In another embodiment, the conditions inducing phase separation include heating the mixture to a temperature above its cloud point.
The detergent-type surfactant is preferably selected from the group consisting of an alkyl polyether alcohol, an alkylphenol polyether alcohol, an ethoxylated fatty alcohol, a higher fatty acid alkanolamide or alkylene oxide adduct thereof, and a fatty acid glycerol monoester, and is more preferably an alkyl polyether alcohol, an alkylphenol polyether alcohol, or an ethoxylated fatty alcohol.
These and other objects and features of the invention will become more fully apparent in the following detailed description of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
I. Definitions
The terms below have the following meanings unless indicated otherwise.
As used herein, a “detergent-type enzyme” refers to any enzyme which may be useful in a cleaning product such as a laundry detergent, a hard surface cleaner, a personal care cleaning product, a dishcare product, etc. Such enzymes include, but are not limited to, proteases, cellulases, amylases, endoglycosidases, lipases, peroxidases, lactases, and catalases. Specifically useful enzymes include alkaline proteases such as PURAFECT® or PURAFECT® OxP (both commercially available from Genencor International, Inc.), SAVINASE™ (Novo Industries), protein engineered enzymes such as Protease 899 (Genencor International, Inc.), DURAZYM™ (a protease having +195 and +222 mutations, Novo Nordisk A/S), and MAXAPEM™ (a protease having a +222 mutation, Gistbrocades); amylases such as SPEZYME® (Genencor International, Inc.) or protein engineered amylases such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,824,532 (C. C. Barnett et al., October 1998); cellulases or cellulase components, such as DENIMEX™ (Novo Nordisk A/S); and endoglycosidases, such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,238,843 (R. S. Carpenter et al., August 1993) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,258,304 (R. S. Carpenter et al., November 1993).
A “detergent-type surfactant” is one which is suitable for incorporation into a detergent formulation and is effective in enzyme extractions as described herein. For the latter purpose, nonionic surfactants should be used. Detergent-type surfactants are described in
McCutcheon's Emulsifiers and Detergents
1999: North American Edition, Vol. 1, McCutcheon Div., MC Publishing Co., 1999, a standard catalog of commercial surfactants, and in Schick, M. J. (Ed.),
Nonionic Surfactants
, Marcel Dekker, 1987. Such surfactants suitable for use in the present processes include, for example, alkyl polyether alcohols, alkylphenol polyether alcohols, such as TRITON® X-100, X-165, X-305 or X-405 (Rohm & Haas), ARMUL® 930 (Witcho Corp.), ALKA SURF® NP-15 (Rhone Poulenc), CARSONON® N-30 (Lonza, Inc.), and CEDEPAL® CO-730 (Stepan Canada, Inc.); and alcohol ethoxylates, such as NEODOL® 91-6, 91-8, 23-6.5, 25-12, 45-13 or 25-20 (Shell). In this case, “alkyl” refers to a linear or branched hydrocarbon chain having 6 to 20 carbon atoms, and preferably from 8 to 16 carbon atoms. Other nonionic detergent-type surfactants include higher fatty acid alkanolamides or alkylene oxide adducts thereof and fatty acid glycerol monoesters.
A “fatty acid” or “fatty alcohol” includes a carbon chain, preferably a linear chain, having at least 8 carbon atoms, and preferably between 8 and 24 carbon atoms.
II. Enzyme Extraction Methods
Many enzymes can be produced in quantity by the culturing of certain organisms (yeast, bacteria, fungi) in appropriate nutrient media under suitable conditions. After culturing or fermenting the organisms to produce the desired enzyme, the enzyme is recovered from the fermentation broth. Whole fermentation broth containing enzyme fermentation products, either extracellular or intracellulat, as well as cells and/or cell fragments, which are collectively referred to as “cellular debris,” can be used for extraction without further processing. Alternatively, the fermentation broth may first be clarified, by known methods such as ultrafiltration, to remove all or substantially all cellular debris. When whole fermentation broth is used, the broth may be diluted prior to extraction, to reduce the total solids percentage and the viscosity and/or conductivity of the broth.
Many recovery processes for biological/fermentation products have been developed. Any of these which incorporates at least one nonionic detergent-type surfactant, such that an extract containing the surfactant and enzyme can be recovered, may be used in the method of the invention.
A general method of recovery of enzymes from intact cells and cell fragments, termed “affinity partitioning”, employs the formation of multiple, distinct phases in a common solvent upon addition of materials, typically hydrophilic oligomers or polymers and/or salts, which produce immiscible phases when in solution. For efficient separation, the product to be extracted has a selective affinity for one phase over the other.
Isolation of enzymes by partitioning of aqueous systems containing a combination of hydrophilic polymers has been described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,144,130 (M. R. Kula etal., 1979) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,743,550 (K. P. Ananthapadmanabhan et al., May 1988). Suitable combinations include PEG (polyethylene glycol) in combination with dextran, hydroxypropyl dextran, alkoxy PEG, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl pyrrolidone, starch, or glycogen.
The present inventors have described a method of extracting hydrophobic proteins, which include many detergent-type proteins, in PCT Publication No

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