Method for separating objective component

Details Method for separating objective component Method for separating objective component

1999-04-14

2001-03-20

Drodge, Joseph W. (Department: 1723)

Liquid purification or separation

Processes

Liquid/liquid solvent or colloidal extraction or diffusing...

C210S774000, C210S805000, C210S806000, C210S669000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06203704

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for separating an objective component including a valuable substance or an impurity, such as a salt, that is produced in the fermentation industry, the pharmaceutical industry, the sugar manufacturing industry, the protein and amino acid industry, the food industry, the dye industry, the pigment industry, the chemical industry, the metal refining industry, the field of waste disposal, and the like. More particularly, the invention relates to a method for efficiently separating an objective component from various crude materials through a combination of washings or extractions and a separation other than membrane treatment.
2. Discussion of the Background
Industrial production in the fermentation industry, the protein and amino acid industry, and the pharmaceutical industry involve culturing of microorganisms for production of amino acids, brewing, production of antibiotics, and the like. For example, a crude liquid product containing a valuable substance, such as an amino acid, is separated from a fermentation broth by means of a separation membrane, a centrifugal separator, etc., and an objective component (valuable substance) is separated from the crude liquid product by evaporation using steam or a like operation, while leaving microbial cells as a residue.
In the dye industry, the pigment industry, the chemical industry, etc., salting out is carried out in production processes, which necessitates removal of the salt as an impurity.
Recovery of any valuable substance remaining in the above-mentioned residue or removal of the salt has been carried out by filtration, decantation, and the like. These conventional techniques for recovery or removal of such an objective component require a large quantity of washing water, which results in an increased amount of drainage and necessitates large-scale installations for drainage disposal. In addition, an appreciable amount of the valuable substance (e.g., dye) unavoidably migrates to the material to be disposed, leading to product loss.
In the dye industry, the pigment industry, the chemical industry and the metal refining industry, extraction has been presently used, and multi-stage extraction has been adopted to recovery of an objective component (valuable substance). In these cases, too, a large quantity of an extracting reagent has been used, and a large amount of energy has been consumed for the subsequent separation of the valuable substance or for drainage disposal.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a method for separating and recovering a valuable substance in a high concentration at an improved recovery from a crude liquid, such as a concentrated microbial cell suspension which remains after a liquid product (a valuable substance-containing liquid) is separated from a culture of a microorganism in the sugar industry, the fermentation industry, the protein and amino acid industry, and the like.
Another object of the invention is to provide a method for separating and removing an impurity, such as a salt, at an improved removal from a dye or pigment-containing crude liquid having been subjected to salting out.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a method for separating and removing soluble components from ash after incineration for waste disposal.
Still another object of the invention is to provide an efficient and economical method for separating an objective component which makes it possible to reduce the requisite amount of a washing liquid, such as water, or an extracting reagent to reduce the waste liquid.
A further object of the invention is to improve a recovery of an objective component thereby improving the economy and also to provide a final recovered liquid containing the objective component in a high concentration thereby minimizing the energy for subsequent steps such as concentration by steaming.
As for equipment, the present invention aims at carrying out the above-described separation operation by use of a compact and convenient apparatus that does not need such a large space for installation as is required for a continuous system.
The objects of the present invention, and others, may be accomplished with a method for separating an objective component from a crude material in a time lagged multi-stage counter flow system, comprising:
(a) contacting the crude material with a washing liquid or an extracting reagent to form a mixture of the crude material and the washing liquid or extracting reagent;
(b) separating the mixture into a recovered liquid containing the objective component and a residue, with the proviso that the mixture is not separated with a separation membrane that is connected to a tank containing the crude material; and
repeating (a) and (b) at least once,
wherein the concentration of the objective component is successively lower in the washing liquid or extracting reagent contacted with the crude material in each (a).
An important feature of the inventive method is that the contacting (a) and separating (b) are repeated at least once, i.e., there are at least two contacting-separating cycles in the method. In each contacting (a), a washing liquid or an extracting reagent is used. The concentration of the objective component in the washing liquid or an extracting reagent is successively lower in each (a). Therefore, the concentration of the objective component in the washing liquid or extracting reagent will be highest in the first (a) and lowest in the last (a), with intermediate concentrations for other, optional, contacting-separating repeats in the method. In fact, the washing liquid or an extracting reagent used in the last (a) of the method substantially free of the objective component, i.e., may contain no detectable amount of the objective component.


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