Compositions and methods for controlling foam

Abstract

The present invention provides a safe, environmentally friendly composition and an efficient method for defoaming or inhibiting foam production. More specifically, the present invention provides compositions derived from microorganisms for defoaming or inhibiting foam production, which can be used to increase the efficiency of processing mined materials.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 354,318, filed on June 22, 2022, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Background Art

[0003] In mining and wastewater treatment processes, the generation of foam is often an undesirable result, particularly in processes involving significant shear forces near the gas-liquid interface, such as processes involving aeration, pumping or stirring. In mining processes, foam can cause serious problems. For example, foam can cause inefficiencies in the mineral processing process, prevent efficient filling of containers, and cause pumps and sprayers to malfunction. Therefore, defoamers and anti-foam compositions are needed in such processes.

[0004] Defoamers and anti-foam compositions are generally developed to eliminate unwanted foam. Defoamers can take many forms, including hydrophobic solids, in-situ formation of hydrophobic solids, competing for surfactants, low surface tension liquids, and antagonistic surfactants or polymers. Common defoamers include insoluble oils, polydimethylsiloxanes and other silicones, certain alcohols, stearates, and glycols.

[0005] While defoamers and antifoam compositions must be able to help control or minimize the amount of foaming that occurs in the intended application, it is also important that the defoamer or antifoam composition does not negatively impact the functional properties of the material or product quality it is used in. In certain target applications, it may be necessary to remove the defoamer to reduce contamination.

[0006] Therefore, there is a need for new and improved compositions and methods for defoaming and controlling foam formation. Summary of the invention

[0007] The present invention generally relates to defoamers and antifoam compositions and methods of using these compositions. More specifically, the present invention provides an environmentally friendly defoaming and antifoaming composition and a method for reducing or inhibiting foam, such as reducing foam in mining and wastewater treatment processes. In certain embodiments, existing methods can be combined with the compositions and methods of the present invention.

[0008] Advantageously, the compositions and methods of the invention improve the efficiency of mining and wastewater treatment and can reduce the chemical use (including the use of chemical surfactants) required for mining and wastewater treatment. Thus, the invention can be used to reduce the time required for mining or water treatment (e.g., mining wastewater).

[0009] In certain embodiments, the invention provides compositions comprising components derived from microorganisms. In certain embodiments, compositions include microbial biosurfactants. In certain embodiments, compositions include one or more biosurfactants, and alternatively other compounds, such as water; chemical surfactants; carrier liquids, including such as hydrocarbons (e.g., vegetable oils, white oils), fatty alcohols, esters, silicone oils or synthetic polymers, etc.; stabilizers, including such as tackifiers (e.g., cellulose tackifiers or acrylic tackifiers) or thickeners, etc.; or defoaming compounds, including such as metal salts, silicon dioxide, hydrophobic silicon dioxide, polyethylene wax, ethylene bis stearamide (EBS) wax, polypropylene wax, polydimethylsiloxane, organically modified polydimethylsiloxane and hydrophobic polyoxyethylene glycerol ether, or any combination thereof.

[0010] In certain embodiments, the biosurfactant of the composition is used in a crude form. In addition to the biosurfactant, the crude form may also include fermentation broth of the microorganism that produces the biosurfactant, residual microbial cell material or active or inactive microbial cells, residual nutrients and / or other microbial growth byproducts.

[0011] In some embodiments, the biosurfactant is used after extraction and optional purification from the fermentation broth.

[0012] The biosurfactant according to the present invention may be a glycolipid (such as sophorolipids, rhamnolipids, cellobiose lipids, mannoerythritol lipids and trehalose lipids), a lipopeptide (such as surfactin, iturin, fengycin, actin and lichenin), a flavonoid, a phospholipid (such as cardiolipin), a fatty acid ester compound, a fatty acid ether compound, and / or a high molecular weight polymer (such as lipoprotein, lipopolysaccharide-protein complex and polysaccharide-protein-fatty acid complex).

[0013] In certain specific embodiments, the biosurfactant is a sophorolipid (SLP), including linear SLP, lactone SLP, acetylated SLP, deacetylated SLP, salt-form SLP, esterified SLP derivatives, amino acid-SLP conjugates, and other SLP derivatives or isomers present in nature and / or synthetic production. In a preferred embodiment, the SLP is a linear SLP or a derivatized linear SLP.

[0014] In certain embodiments, the present invention provides a method for defoaming or suppressing foam generation, wherein the method comprises the following steps: contacting the anti-foaming and / or defoaming composition of the present invention with liquid, foam, or a combination thereof.

[0015] In some embodiments, the method includes contacting an anti-foam and / or defoaming composition comprising a biosurfactant and optionally other components with a liquid, foam, or any combination thereof, the other components being such as water; a chemical surfactant; a carrier liquid including such as a hydrocarbon (e.g., vegetable oil, white oil), a fatty alcohol, an ester, a silicone oil, or a synthetic polymer; a stabilizer including such as a tackifier (e.g., a cellulose tackifier or an acrylic tackifier) ​​or a thickener; or a defoaming compound including such as a metal salt, silica, hydrophobic silica, polyethylene wax, ethylene bis stearamide (EBS) wax, polypropylene wax, polydimethylsiloxane, organically modified polydimethylsiloxane, and hydrophobic polyoxyethylene glycerol ether, or any combination thereof. In certain embodiments, the anti-foam and / or defoaming composition may be applied to a liquid, foam, or a combination thereof for a period of time and / or until different volumes of the composition are applied. This step may be repeated as many times as desired to achieve the desired amount of foam reduction or foam suppression.

[0016] In certain embodiments, the anti-foaming and / or defoaming compositions according to the present invention are effective by inhibiting the generation of foam and / or reducing the rate of foam generation or the total amount of foam generated. For example, in some embodiments, the sophorolipids will change the surface tension between the components of the liquid or foam, including destroying the stability of the foam structure or the liquid film (lamellae), etc.

[0017] In certain embodiments, the methods of the present invention result in at least a 25% reduction in the amount of foam generated or a 25% reduction in existing foam after a single treatment, preferably a reduction or reduction of at least 50%. In certain embodiments, the liquid, foam, or a combination thereof may be treated multiple times to further reduce the amount of foam or enhance the suppression of foam generation.

[0018] Advantageously, in certain embodiments, defoamers or anti-foam compositions according to the present invention effectively reduce the foam generated during the processing of mining ore, particularly slurries of pumping, stirring, aerating, transporting, dumping, dredging, crushing, or any combination thereof. In addition, in certain embodiments, defoamers or anti-foam compositions are used in the ore dressing process. In addition, the method of the present invention does not require complex equipment or high energy consumption, and the production of the composition can be carried out on site (e.g., in a mining area) or in a wastewater treatment process. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] The present invention generally relates to defoaming or suppressing the generation of foam. More specifically, the present invention provides environmentally friendly compositions and methods for defoaming or suppressing the generation of foam, such as the environmentally friendly compositions and methods for defoaming or suppressing the generation of foam generated in mining sites, wastewater treatment processes, and water from industrial activities. Thus, the present invention can be used to improve the efficiency and efficacy of defoaming and suppressing the generation of foam. Advantageously, the compositions and methods of the present invention use safe, environmentally friendly compositions to reduce and / or suppress the generation of foam.

[0020] Selected Definitions

[0021] As used herein, "administering" a composition or product means contacting it with a target or site so that the composition or product has an effect on the target or site. The effect may be caused by the growth of microorganisms and / or the action of biosurfactants or other byproducts of microbial growth, etc.

[0022] As used herein, "biofilm" is a complex collection of microorganisms (e.g., bacteria, yeast, or fungi) in which cells adhere to each other and / or to a surface via an extracellular matrix. Cells in a biofilm are physiologically distinct from planktonic cells of the same organism, which are single cells that can float or swim in a liquid medium.

[0023] As used herein, an "isolated" or "purified" nucleic acid molecule, polynucleotide, polypeptide, protein or small molecule, such as an organic compound described below, is substantially free of other compounds associated with it in nature (e.g., cellular material). A purified or isolated polynucleotide (ribonucleic acid (RNA) or deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)) is free of flanking genes or sequences in its naturally occurring state. A purified or isolated polypeptide is free of flanking amino acids or sequences in its naturally occurring state. An isolated microbial strain refers to a strain that has been removed from its naturally occurring environment. Thus, an isolated strain may exist as a biologically pure culture or as a spore (or other form of strain) associated with a vector.

[0024] In certain embodiments, the purified compound is at least 60% by weight of the compound of interest. Preferably, the preparation is at least 75% by weight of the compound of interest, more preferably at least 90%, and most preferably at least 98%. For example, the purified compound is at least 80%, 85%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 98%, 99% or 100% (w / w) by weight of the desired compound. Purity is measured by any appropriate standard method such as column chromatography, thin layer chromatography or high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analytical methods.

[0025] "Metabolite" refers to any substance produced by metabolism or a substance necessary to participate in a specific metabolic process. A metabolite can be an organic compound that is a starting material, intermediate, or end product of metabolism. Examples of metabolites can include, but are not limited to, enzymes, acids, solvents, alcohols, proteins, vitamins, minerals, trace elements, amino acids, biopolymers, and biosurfactants.

[0026] The ranges provided herein are understood to be shorthand expressions of all numerical values ​​within the range. For example, a range of 1 to 20 may be understood to include any number, combination of numbers, or subranges in the group consisting of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, and 20, as well as all decimal values ​​between the above integers, such as 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 1.7, 1.8, and 1.9. With regard to subranges, "nested subranges" extending from either end of the range are particularly contemplated. For example, a nested subrange of an exemplary range of 1 to 50 may include 1 to 10, 1 to 20, 1 to 30, and 1 to 40 in one direction, or 50 to 40, 50 to 30, 50 to 20, and 50 to 10 in another direction.

[0027] As used herein, "decrease" refers to a negative change and "increase" refers to a positive change, wherein the negative change or the positive change is at least 0.001%, 0.01%, 0.1%, 0.5%, 1%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 30%, 35%, 40%, 45%, 50%, 55%, 60%, 65%, 70%, 75%, 80%, 85%, 90%, 95% or 100%.

[0028] As used herein, "surfactant" refers to a compound that reduces the surface tension (or interfacial tension) between two liquids or between a liquid and a solid. Surfactants are used as detergents, wetting agents, emulsifiers, foaming agents and / or dispersants, etc. "Biosurfactants" are surface-active substances produced by living cells and / or using natural extraction substrates.

[0029] As used herein, the term "foam" refers to a dispersion of gas bubbles in or on a liquid, in a gel, or in a semisolid. The gas bubbles may be dispersed throughout the liquid phase in a heterogeneous or uniform manner. Illustrative examples of foams include gases such as air, nitrogen, oxygen, helium, or hydrogen trapped in a liquid such as water or oil. Foam may be transient, unstable, or stable.

[0030] As used herein, the term "anti-foaming agent" refers to an agent that can completely or partially inhibit (e.g., inhibit at least about 5%, about 10%, about 15%, about 20%, about 25%, about 50%, about 75%, or about 90% of foam generation) the formation of foam.

[0031] As used herein, the term "defoaming agent" refers to an agent that can reduce the amount of existing foam, for example, by at least about 5%, about 10%, about 15%, about 20%, about 25%, about 50%, about 75%, or about 90%.

[0032] Biosurfactants are a group of structurally diverse surface-active substances that consist of two parts: a polar (hydrophilic) portion and a nonpolar (hydrophobic) group. Due to their amphiphilic structure, biosurfactants can increase the surface area of ​​hydrophobic insoluble substances, improve the water bioavailability of these substances, and change the properties of bacterial cell surfaces, etc. Biosurfactants can also reduce the interfacial tension between water and oil, thereby reducing the hydrostatic pressure required to move the entrained liquid to overcome the capillary effect. Biosurfactants accumulate at the interface, thereby reducing the interfacial tension and causing the formation of agglomerated micellar structures in the solution. The formation of micelles provides a physical mechanism for moving oil in the aqueous phase, etc.

[0033] The ability of biosurfactants to reduce surface tension also allows them to be used as antibacterial, antifungal and hemolytic agents to control harmful organisms and / or microbial growth, among other things.

[0034] Typically, the hydrophilic group of a biosurfactant is a sugar (e.g., a monosaccharide, disaccharide, or polysaccharide) or a peptide, while the hydrophobic group is usually a fatty acid. Thus, there are countless variations of biosurfactant molecules, depending on factors such as the type of sugar, the number of sugars, the size of the peptide, the amino acids contained in the peptide, the length of the fatty acid, the degree of saturation of the fatty acid, additional acetylation, additional functional groups, esterification, polarity, and the charge of the molecule.

[0035] These changes have resulted in the formation of a group of molecules including a variety of categories, including, for example, glycolipids (such as sophorolipids, rhamnolipids, cellobiose lipids, mannoerythritol lipids and trehalose lipids, etc.), lipopeptides (such as surfactin, iturin, fengycin, sedative and / or lichenin, etc.), flavonoids, phospholipids (such as cardiolipin), fatty acid ester compounds and high molecular weight polymers (such as lipoproteins, lipopolysaccharide-protein complexes and polysaccharide-protein-fatty acid complexes, etc.). Each biosurfactant in each category may further include subtypes with further modified structures.

[0036] Like chemical surfactants, each biosurfactant molecule has an HLB value that is determined by its structure; however, unlike the production of chemical surfactants, which produces a single molecule with a single HLB value or range, a biosurfactant production cycle typically produces a mixture of biosurfactant molecules (e.g., subtypes and their isomers).

[0037] The phrases "biosurfactant" and "biosurfactant molecule" include all forms, analogs, homologs, isomers and natural and / or artificial modifications of any biosurfactant class (e.g., glycolipids) and / or its subtypes (e.g., sophorolipids).

[0038] As used herein, the term "sophorolipid", "sophorolipid molecule", "SLP" or "SLP molecule" includes all forms of SLP molecules and isomers thereof, including, for example, acidic (straight chain) SLP (ASL) and lactone SLP (LSL). The term "sophorolipid", "sophorolipid molecule", "SLP" or "SLP molecule" further includes monoacetylated SLP, diacetylated SLP, esterified SLP, SLP with different hydrophobic chain lengths, cationic and / or anionic SLPs linked to fatty acid-amino acid complexes, esterified SLPs, SLP metal complexes, SLP salt derivatives (e.g., sodium salts of straight chain SLPs) and other SLPs (including those described and / or not described in the present disclosure).

[0039] In a preferred embodiment, the SLP molecule according to the present invention is represented by the general formula (1) and / or the general formula (2), and comprises fatty acids with different chain lengths (R 3 ) and in some cases, in R 1 and / or R 2 Acetylation or protonation occurs at the site.

[0040]

[0041] In the general formula (1) or (2), R 0 It can be a hydrogen atom or a methyl group. 1 and R 2 are each independently a hydrogen atom or an acetyl group. 3 It is a saturated aliphatic hydrocarbon chain, or an unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbon chain having at least one double bond, and may have one or more substituents.

[0042] Examples of the substituent include a halogen atom, a hydroxyl group, a lower (C1-C6) alkyl group, a halogenated lower (C1-C6) alkyl group, a hydroxy lower (C1-C6) alkyl group, a halogenated lower (C1-C6) alkoxy group, and the like. 3 Typically has 11 to 20 carbon atoms. In certain embodiments of the invention, R 3 It has 18 carbon atoms.

[0043] SLP is usually produced by yeast, such as Starmerella spp. yeasts and / or Candida, such as Starmerella (Candida) bombicola, Candida apicola, Candida batista, Candida floricola, Candida riodocensis, Candida stellate and / or Candida kuoi, etc. SLP has environmental compatibility, high biodegradability, low toxicity, high selectivity and specific activity under a wide range of temperature, pH and salinity conditions. In addition, in some embodiments, SLP has an advantage due to its smaller micelle size, which helps to promote the movement of micelles and compounds enclosed therein through nanoscale pores and spaces. In certain embodiments, the micelle size of the SLP is less than 100 nm, less than 50 nm, less than 20 nm, less than 15 nm, less than 10 nm, or less than 5 nm.

[0044] As used herein, "ore beneficiation" refers to the process of removing waste material from products of interest (eg, elements, compounds, minerals).

[0045] As used herein, "ore" refers to a naturally occurring solid material from which valuable substances, minerals and / or metals can be extracted. Ores are typically mined from a deposit consisting of ore minerals containing valuable substances. "Gangue" minerals refer to minerals present in a deposit but without valuable substances. Examples of deposits include hydrothermal deposits, magmatic deposits, laterite deposits, volcanogenic deposits, metamorphic alteration deposits, carbonate alkaline igneous rock-related deposits, placer deposits, residual ore deposits, sedimentary deposits, sedimentary hydrothermal deposits, and crater-related deposits. However, ore as defined herein may also include concentrates or tailings.

[0046] The transitional term "comprising," which is synonymous with "including" or "containing," is inclusive or open-ended and does not exclude additional, unrecited elements or method steps. In contrast, the transitional phrase "consisting of" excludes any element, step, or ingredient not specified in the claim. The transitional phrase "consisting essentially of" limits the scope of the claim to the specified materials or steps "and those that do not materially affect the basic, novel characteristic." Use of the term "comprising" refers to other embodiments consisting of "consisting of" or "consisting essentially of" the referenced components.

[0047] Unless otherwise specified or obvious from the context, the term "or" as used herein should be understood to be inclusive. Unless otherwise specified or obvious from the context, as used herein, the terms "a", "and" and "the" are understood to be singular or plural.

[0048] Unless otherwise specified or apparent from the context, as used herein, the term "about" is to be understood as being within the normal tolerance range in the art, such as within 2 standard deviations of the mean. "About" may be understood as being within 10%, 9%, 8%, 7%, 6%, 5%, 4%, 3%, 2%, 1%, 0.5%, 0.1%, 0.05%, or 0.01% of the specified value. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, all numerical values ​​provided herein are modified by the term "about".

[0049] The recitation of a list of chemical groups in any definition of a variable herein includes definitions of the variable as any single group or combination of the listed groups. The recitation of an embodiment for a variable or aspect herein includes the embodiment as any single embodiment or in combination with any other embodiment or portion thereof.

[0050] All references cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

[0051] Defoaming and anti-foaming compositions

[0052] In certain embodiments, the invention provides compositions comprising components derived from microorganisms. In certain embodiments, compositions include microbial biosurfactants. In certain embodiments, compositions include one or more biosurfactants, and alternatively other compounds, such as water; chemical surfactants; carrier liquids, including such as hydrocarbons (e.g., vegetable oils, white oils), fatty alcohols, esters, silicone oils or synthetic polymers, etc.; stabilizers, including such as tackifiers (e.g., cellulose tackifiers or acrylic tackifiers) or thickeners, etc.; or defoaming compounds, including such as metal salts, silicon dioxide, hydrophobic silicon dioxide, polyethylene wax, ethylene bis stearamide (EBS) wax, polypropylene wax, polydimethylsiloxane, organically modified polydimethylsiloxane and hydrophobic polyoxyethylene glycerol ether, or any combination thereof.

[0053] In certain embodiments, the chemical surfactant of the defoaming or anti-foaming composition is a detergent, wetting agent, emulsifier and / or dispersant.

[0054] In certain embodiments, defoaming or anti-foaming compositions comprise a product based on microorganisms, which includes a biosurfactant used in a crude form. In addition to the biosurfactant, the crude form may also include a fermentation broth of a microorganism that is cultured to generate a biosurfactant, residual microbial cell material or active or inactive microbial cells, residual nutrients and / or other microbial growth byproducts. The product may be, by weight, at least 1%, 5%, 10%, 25%, 50%, 75% or 100% of the fermentation broth. The biomass in the product may be, by weight, 0% to 100% (including all percentages between 0% and 100%).

[0055] In some embodiments, the biosurfactant is used after extraction and optional purification from the fermentation broth.

[0056] The biosurfactant according to the present invention may be a glycolipid (such as sophorolipids, rhamnolipids, cellobiose lipids, mannoerythritol lipids and trehalose lipids), a lipopeptide (such as surfactin, iturin, fengycin, actin and lichenin), a flavonoid, a phospholipid (such as cardiolipin), a fatty acid ester compound, a fatty acid ether compound, and / or a high molecular weight polymer (such as lipoprotein, lipopolysaccharide-protein complex and polysaccharide-protein-fatty acid complex).

[0057] In certain specific embodiments, the biosurfactant is a sophorolipid (SLP), including linear SLP, lactone SLP, acetylated SLP, deacetylated SLP, salt-form SLP, esterified SLP derivatives, amino acid-SLP conjugates, and other SLP derivatives or isomers present in nature and / or synthetically produced. In a preferred embodiment, the SLP is a linear SLP or a derivatized linear SLP. In certain embodiments, the composition of the present invention may comprise a lactone SLP and a linear SLP, wherein at least about 50%, about 55%, about 60%, about 65%, about 70%, about 75%, about 80%, about 85%, about 90% or about 95% of the SLP comprises a linear form, and the remainder comprises a lactone form.

[0058] In some embodiments, the biosurfactant may be included in the composition at 0.0001% to 99.9%, 0.001% to 90%, 0.001% to 80%, 0.75% to 70%, 0.01% to 50%, 0.1% to 25%, or 1.0% to 15% by weight relative to the total amount of the defoaming agent or anti-foaming composition.

[0059] In another embodiment, the purified biosurfactant may be added in combination with an acceptable carrier, as the biosurfactant may be present in a concentration of 0.001% to 50% (v / v), preferably 0.01% to 20% (v / v), more preferably 0.02% to 5% (v / v).

[0060] In some embodiments, the biosurfactant can be included in the composition in an amount such as 0.0001 ppm to 100,000 ppm, 0.001 ppm to 10,000 ppm, 0.01 ppm to 1000 ppm, 0.1 ppm to 750 ppm, 1.0 ppm to 500 ppm, 2.0 ppm to 250 ppm, or 3.0 ppm to 100 ppm, relative to the amount of liquid being treated.

[0061] In certain embodiments, the chemical surfactant of the defoaming or anti-foaming composition is a detergent, a wetting agent, an emulsifier and / or a dispersant. In some embodiments, the chemical surfactant is included in the composition in a ratio of 0.01% to 99.9%, 0.1% to 90%, 0.5% to 80%, 0.75% to 70%, 1.0% to 50%, 1.5% to 25% or 2.0% to 15% by weight relative to the total amount of the defoaming or anti-foaming composition.

[0062] The defoamer or anti-foam composition may also contain other additives such as carriers, other microbial-based compositions, additional biosurfactants, enzymes, catalysts, solvents, salts, buffers, chelating agents, acids, emulsifiers, lubricants, solubility regulators, preservatives, stabilizers, UV inhibitors, viscosity regulators, preservatives, tracers and other microorganisms and other ingredients specific to the intended use.

[0063] In certain embodiments, the chelating agent may be, but is not limited to, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA), phosphonates, succinic acid (DMSA), diethylenetriaminepentaacetate (DTPA), N-acetylcysteine, N-hydroxyethylethylenediaminetriacetic acid (HEDTA), organic acids with more than one coordinating group (e.g., erythromycin), STPP (sodium tripolyphosphate, Na5P3O 10), trisodium phosphate (TSP), water, carbohydrates, organic acids with a coordinating group (e.g., citric acid), lipids, steroids, amino acids or related compounds of the above (e.g., glutathione), peptides, phosphates, nucleotides, tetrapyrroles, ferroamines, ionophores, or phenols, sodium citrate, sodium gluconate, ethylenediamine disuccinic acid (EDDS), iminodisuccinic acid (IDS), L-glutamic acid diacetic acid (GLDA), GLDA Na4, methylglycine diacetic acid (MGDA), polyaspartic acid (PASA), hemoglobin, chlorophyll, lipophilic β-diketone and (14,16)-heteronedione, ethylenediamine-N,N'-diglutaric acid (EDDG), ethylenediamine-N,N'-dimalonic acid (EDDM), 3-hydroxy-2,2-iminodisuccinic acid (HIDS), 2-hydroxyethyliminodiacetic acid (HEIDA), pyridine-2,6-dicarboxylic acid (PDA), trimethylglycine (TMG), titanium reagent, or any combination thereof.

[0064] Methods for defoaming and / or suppressing foam generation

[0065] In certain embodiments, the present invention provides a method for defoaming and suppressing foam generation from various sources including mines, quarries, wastewater sites, industrial sites, and the like.

[0066] In certain embodiments, the present invention provides a method for defoaming or suppressing the foam generated in the process of processing tailings in a mine. The method includes adding the composition of the present invention to the tailings or slurry. By defoaming or suppressing the generation of foam during the processing of mined ore, especially during the processing of tailings, the process can be performed more efficiently because the generation of foam forces the processing speed of the ore to be reduced. For example, the formation of foam in the movement process of tailings (including mixing, stirring, aerating, pumping, oscillating or pouring) will cause overflow; cause pumps and sprayers to malfunction, including causing sprayers or pumps to overheat, etc.; or reduce the storage capacity of tailings. In addition, the presence of foam can reduce the amount of mined ore transported through vessels or pipelines.

[0067] In certain embodiments, the mining site may be a coal mine, an iron ore mine, a copper mine, a copper-nickel mine, a tin mine, a nickel mine, a gold mine, a silver mine, a molybdenum mine, an aluminum mine (e.g., a bauxite mine, a kyanite mine), a lead-zinc mine, a tungsten mine, or a zinc mine. The mine may be an underground mine, an open-pit mine, a placer mine, or an in-situ mine.

[0068] In certain embodiments, various toxic compounds may originate from mining activities. In certain embodiments, methods according to the present invention provide methods for inhibiting the loss or spillage of mined minerals, elements or other compounds or said toxic compounds by contacting defoamers or anti-foaming compounds with various water streams, pipes, pumps, water storage areas or other aquatic environments.

[0069] In certain embodiments, the microorganism-containing and / or biosurfactant-containing compositions can reduce the amount of dissolved or suspended bubbles in a liquid (including on the surface of a liquid) or eliminate dissolved or suspended bubbles. In certain embodiments, defoamers or anti-foaming compositions can change the surface tension in a liquid.

[0070] In certain embodiments, the composition can reduce the effects of physical movement of liquids, preferably in methods for reducing foam generation during physical movement of liquids and / or foam compositions. Examples of physical movement include mixing, stirring, aerating, transporting, pouring, quarrying, blending, dredging, fracturing, or any combination thereof.

[0071] The composition can be applied to liquids or foams present at certain temperatures and in aquatic environments, such as streams, rivers, waterways, oceans, seas, lakes, ponds, runoff areas, containment basins, pipes, or wastewater treatment / storage tanks.

[0072] The defoamer or anti-foam composition may be applied to the liquid and / or foam and optionally mixed by adding, pouring or otherwise combining.

[0073] In certain embodiments, the time period that the defoamer or anti-foam composition can contact with the liquid is from about 1 second to about 1 year, from about 1 minute to about 1 year, from about 1 minute to about 6 months, from about 1 minute to about 1 month, from about 1 minute to about 1 week, from about 1 minute to about 48 hours, from about 30 minutes to 40 hours, or preferably from about 12 hours to 24 hours. In certain embodiments, the method includes applying the defoamer or anti-foam composition in liquid form to the liquid during the time period of generating the liquid containing suspended or dissolved air, or until the amount of suspended or dissolved air generating the foam is reduced to an amount determined to be satisfactory or safe, which can be easily determined by a person skilled in the art. The amount of foam can be considered as an acceptable amount according to the specific circumstances. For example, when storing liquid in a mine using open-air storage slurry, the amount of foam may be higher. However, in the beneficiation process where stirring or pumping the liquid can generate foam, the beneficiation efficiency is significantly reduced, and any accumulation of foam may be considered undesirable.

[0074] In certain embodiments, the amount of defoamer or anti-foam composition applied is about 0.00001% to 15%, about 0.00001% to 10%, about 0.0001% to 5%, about 0.001% to 3%, about 0.01%, or about 1 vol%, based on the amount of liquid, foam, or any combination thereof treated.

[0075] In certain embodiments, the methods of the present invention result in at least a 25% reduction in the amount of foam generated or a 25% reduction in existing foam after a single treatment, preferably a reduction or reduction of at least 50%. In certain embodiments, the liquid, foam, or a combination thereof may be treated multiple times to further reduce the amount of foam or enhance the suppression of foam generation.

[0076] In certain embodiments, the defoamer or anti-foam composition according to the present invention is effective due to the change in surface tension between the liquid, air and suspended particles in the liquid mediated by the amphiphilic substance. In some embodiments, the sophorolipid or other biosurfactant is used as a stabilizing agent for foam structures (e.g., lamellae). For example, in some embodiments, the sophorolipid can destroy or break bubbles and decompose surface foam.

[0077] In certain embodiments, the defoamer or anti-foam composition can be used in a method of processing an ore, an ore slurry, or other products obtained by mining. In certain embodiments, the defoamer or anti-foam composition can be used in dewatering before grinding, concentrate dewatering, tailings dewatering, tailings filling, middlings dewatering, or any combination thereof.

[0078] In certain embodiments, defoamers or anti-foam compositions can be used in mineral processing. In order to extract the elements or compounds of interest, it may be necessary to crush and grind the ore, and pre-concentrate or separate the elements or products of interest from the ore by flotation, magnetic separation or gravity separation. In certain embodiments, mineral processing may involve defoaming or inhibiting the generation of foam in the liquid, and the mineral processing efficiency can be improved by adding defoamers or anti-foam compositions in the mineral processing.

[0079] In certain embodiments, defoamers or anti-foam compositions can be used in leaching methods, such as cyanidation gold extraction. The process of extraction by leaching includes leaching (e.g., leaching cyanide), washing and filtering of the leached slurry, extracting metals from the leachate or leached ore pulp, and smelting of the finished product. In certain embodiments, defoamers or anti-foam compositions can be used in methods for washing and filtering leached ore pulp, wherein the defoamers or anti-foam compositions reduce the amount of foam or inhibit the generation of foam.

[0080] In certain embodiments, the defoaming agent or anti-foaming composition can be used in various industrial processes such as the manufacture or processing of food, beverages, oil and gas, and paper. In the process of product manufacturing, the defoaming or anti-foaming composition can be mainly used to treat wastewater, wherein the generation of foam is reduced or eliminated after the addition of the defoaming or anti-foaming composition. In certain embodiments, the defoaming or anti-foaming composition can also be used in the production process, for example, in the apple processing process, the defoaming agent can be added to the liquid solution to control the foam generated during the recirculation of the soaking water used to reduce the oxidation of the apple peel.

[0081] Advantageously, in certain embodiments, the defoamer or antifoam composition according to the present invention provides enhanced or improved efficiency of agglomerated bubbles or dissolved air. In addition, the method of the present invention does not require complex equipment or high energy consumption, and the production of the defoamer or antifoam composition can be carried out on site (including mines or industrial sites, etc.). In certain embodiments, the defoamer or antifoam composition of the present invention can reduce the use of chemical surfactants, synthetic defoamers, or other potentially harmful chemicals for defoaming or antifoaming.

[0082] Production of microbial-based products

[0083] In certain embodiments, the present invention provides methods for cultivating microorganisms and generating microbial metabolites and / or other byproducts of microbial growth. The present invention further utilizes culture methods suitable for cultivating microorganisms and generating microbial metabolites on a desired scale. These culture processes include, but are not limited to, liquid culture / fermentation, solid state fermentation (SSF) and modifications, hybrids and / or combinations thereof.

[0084] Microorganisms can be bacteria, yeast and / or fungi, etc. These microorganisms can be natural microorganisms or genetically modified microorganisms. For example, microorganisms can be transformed with specific genes to show specific characteristics. Microorganisms can be mutants of desired strains. As used herein, "mutant" refers to a strain, genetic variant or subtype of a standard bacterium, wherein the mutant has one or more genetic variation forms (e.g., point mutation, missense mutation, nonsense mutation, deletion, duplication, frameshift mutation or amplification mutation) compared to a reference microorganism. The process of preparing mutants is well known in the field of microbiology. For example, UV mutagenesis and nitrosoguanidine are widely used for this purpose.

[0085] In certain embodiments, the microorganism is capable of producing amphiphilic molecules, enzymes, proteins and / or biopolymers. Microbial biosurfactants are particularly produced by a variety of microorganisms, such as bacteria, fungi and yeasts, including the following microbial species, etc.: Agrobacterium spp. (e.g., A. radiobacter); Arthrobacter spp.; Aspergillus spp.; Aureobasidium spp. (e.g., A. pullulans); Azotobacter (e.g., A. vinelandii, A. chroococcum); Azospirillum spp. (e.g., A. brasiliensis); Bacillus spp. (e.g., Bacillus subtilis B.subtili, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens B.amyloliquefaciens, Bacillus pumillus B.cereus, Bacillus licheniformis B.firmus, Bacillus laterosporus B.megaterium); Blakeslea; Candida spp. (e.g., C.albicans, C.rugosa, C.tropicalis, C.lipolytica, C.torulopsis); Clostridium (e.g., C.butyricum, C.tyrobutyricum, C.acetobutylicum, C.beijerinckii); Campylobacter spp.; Cornybacterium spp.; Cryptococcus spp.; Debaryomyces spp. (e.g. D. hansenii); Entomophthora spp.; Flavobacterium spp.; Gordonia spp.; Hansenula spp.; Hanseniaspora spp. (e.g. H. uvarum); Issatchenkia spp.; Kluyveromyces spp.; Meyerozyma spp. (e.g., M. guilliermondii); Mortierella spp.; Mycorrhiza spp.; Mycobacterium spp.; Nocardia spp.; Pichia spp. (e.g., Pichia anomala, Pichia guilliermondii, Pichia occidentalis, Pichia kudriavzevii); Phycomyces spp.; Phythium spp.; Pseudomonas spp. (e.g., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Pseudomonas chlororaphis, Pseudomonas putida, Pseudomonas florescens, Pseudomonas fragi, Pseudomonas syringae); Pseudozyma spp. (e.g., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Pseudomonas chlororaphis, Pseudomonas putida, Pseudomonas florescens, Pseudomonas fragi, Pseudomonas syringae); Pseudozyma spp. (e.g., Pseudomonas aphidis); Ralslonia spp. (e.g., Ralslonia eulropha); Rhodococcus spp. (e.g., Rhodococcus erythropolis); Rhodospirillum spp. (e.g., Rhodospirillum rubrum); Rhizobium spp.; Rhizopus spp.; Saccharomyces spp. (e.g., S. cerevisiae, S. boulardiisequela, S. torula); Sphingomonas spp. (e.g., S. paucimobilis); Starmerella spp. (e.g., S. bombicola); Thraustochytrium spp.; Torulopsis spp.; Ustilago spp. (e.g., U. maydis); Wickerhamomyces spp. (e.g., W. anomalus); Williopsis spp.; and / or Zygosaccharomyces spp.(e.g. Z.bailii).

[0086] In a preferred embodiment, the microorganism is Starmerella and / or Candida, such as Starmerella (Candida) bombicola, Candida apicola, Candida batista, Candida floricola, Candida riodocensis, Candida stellate and / or Candidakuoi, etc. In a specific embodiment, the microorganism is Starmerella (Candida) bombicola, such as strain ATCC 22214.

[0087] As used herein, "fermentation" refers to the cultivation or growth of cells under controlled conditions. Growth can be aerobic or anaerobic. In a preferred embodiment, the microorganisms are grown using SSF and / or a modified form thereof.

[0088] In one embodiment, the invention provides materials and methods for producing biomass (e.g., living cellular material), extracellular metabolites (e.g., small molecules and excreted proteins), residual nutrients, and / or intracellular components (e.g., enzymes and other proteins).

[0089] The microbial growth vessel used according to the present invention can be any fermenter or culture reactor for industrial use. In one embodiment, the vessel can have functional controls / sensors or can be connected to functional controls / sensors to measure important factors in the culture process, such as pH, oxygen, pressure, temperature, humidity, microbial density and / or metabolite concentration, etc.

[0090] In another embodiment, the vessel can also monitor the growth of microorganisms in the container (e.g., measuring the number of cells and the stage of growth). Alternatively, daily samples can be taken from the vessel and counted by techniques known in the art (e.g., dilution plate technique). Dilution plate method is a simple technique for estimating the number of organisms in a sample. This technique can also provide an indicator by which different environments or treatments can be compared.

[0091] In one embodiment, the method comprises supplementing the culture with a nitrogen source. The nitrogen source may be, for example, potassium nitrate, ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulfate, ammonium phosphate, ammonia, urea and / or ammonium chloride. These nitrogen sources may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0092] The method can provide oxygenation for the growing culture. One embodiment utilizes the slow movement of air to remove air low in oxygen content and introduce oxygenated air. In the case of submerged fermentation, the oxygenated air can be ambient air that is replenished daily by a mechanism including an impeller for mechanically agitating the liquid and an air distributor for supplying gas bubbles to the liquid to dissolve oxygen into the liquid.

[0093] The method may further include supplementing the culture with a carbon source. The carbon source is typically a carbohydrate, such as glucose, sucrose, lactose, fructose, trehalose, mannose, mannitol and / or maltose; an organic acid, such as acetic acid, fumaric acid, citric acid, propionic acid, malic acid, malonic acid and / or pyruvic acid; an alcohol, such as ethanol, propanol, butanol, pentanol, hexanol, isobutanol and / or glycerol; a fat and oil, such as soybean oil, rapeseed oil, rice bran oil, olive oil, corn oil, sesame oil and / or linseed oil. These carbon sources may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0094] In one embodiment, the growth factors and micronutrients of the microorganisms are included in the culture medium. This is particularly preferred when the growing microorganisms cannot generate all the vitamins they need. Inorganic nutrients may also be included in the culture medium, and the inorganic nutrients include trace elements such as iron, zinc, copper, manganese, molybdenum and / or cobalt. In addition, the source of vitamins, essential amino acids and trace elements can be included in the culture medium in the form of fine powder or coarse powder (for example, corn flour) or in the form of extracts (for example, yeast extract, potato extract, beef extract, soybean extract, banana peel extract, etc.) or in purified form. Amino acids (for example, amino acids that can be used for protein biosynthesis) may also be included.

[0095] In one embodiment, the culture medium may also include inorganic salts. Available inorganic salts may be potassium dihydrogen phosphate, dipotassium hydrogen phosphate, disodium hydrogen phosphate, magnesium sulfate, magnesium chloride, iron sulfate, iron chloride, manganese sulfate, manganese chloride, zinc sulfate, lead chloride, copper sulfate, sodium chloride, calcium chloride, sodium chloride, calcium carbonate and / or sodium carbonate. These inorganic salts may be used alone or in a combination of two or more.

[0096] In some embodiments, the culturing method may further include adding additional acid and / or antimicrobial agents to the culture medium before and / or during the culturing process.Antimicrobial agents or antibiotics are used to protect the culture from contamination.

[0097] Additionally, antifoaming agents may be added to prevent the formation and / or accumulation of foam during submerged cultivation.

[0098] The pH of the mixture should be appropriate for the microorganism of interest. Buffers and pH adjusters (e.g., carbonates and phosphates) can be used to stabilize the pH near the preferred value. When metal ions are present in high concentrations, it may be necessary to use a chelating agent in the culture medium.

[0099] The microorganisms can grow in a planktonic form or in a biofilm. If a biofilm is present, the vessel can contain a substrate on which the microorganisms can grow in a biofilm state. The system can also have the ability to apply stimuli (e.g., shear stress) that encourage and / or improve biofilm growth characteristics.

[0100] In one embodiment, the culture method of the microorganism is carried out at about 5° to about 100° C., preferably 15° C. to 60° C., more preferably 25° C. to 50° C. In another embodiment, the culture can be carried out continuously at a constant temperature. In another embodiment, the culture can be subjected to temperature changes.

[0101] In one embodiment, the equipment used in the method and the culture process is a sterile device. Culture equipment (e.g., reactor / vessel) can be separated from a sterilizing device (e.g., autoclave), but connected thereto. Culture equipment can also have a sterilizing device that sterilizes on the spot before starting inoculation. Air can be sterilized by methods known in the art. For example, ambient air can pass through at least one filter before being introduced into the vessel. In other embodiments, culture medium can be pasteurized, or alternatively not heated at all, but low water activity and low pH value can be utilized to control the growth of undesirable bacteria.

[0102] In one embodiment, the present invention further provides a method for producing microbial metabolites by culturing the microbial strain of the present invention under conditions suitable for growth and metabolite production, and optionally purifying the metabolites, the microbial metabolites being biosurfactants, enzymes, proteins, ethanol, lactic acid, β-glucan, peptides, metabolic intermediates, polyunsaturated fatty acids and lipids, etc. The content of the metabolites produced by the method can be at least 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80% or 90%, etc.

[0103] Microbial growth byproducts produced by the microorganism of interest can be retained in the microorganism or secreted into the growth medium. The medium can contain compounds that stabilize the activity of the microbial growth byproducts.

[0104] The biomass content of the fermentation medium may be from 5 g / l to 180 g / l or more, or from 10 g / l to 150 g / l, etc.

[0105] The cell concentration can be at least 1×10 6 Up to 1×10 12 , 1×10 7 Up to 1×1011 , 1×10 8 Up to 1×10 10 , or 1×10 9 CFU / ml, etc.

[0106] The methods and apparatus for culturing microorganisms and producing microbial byproducts can be performed in a batch, quasi-continuous process, or a continuous process.

[0107] In one embodiment, all of the microbial culture composition is removed when the culture is complete (eg, when a desired cell density or density of a particular metabolite is reached). In this batch process, a completely new batch is started when the first batch is harvested.

[0108] In another embodiment, only a portion of the fermentation product is removed at any time. In this embodiment, the biomass with living cells, spores, conidia, hyphae and / or mycelium remains in the vessel as an inoculant for a new culture batch. The removed composition can be a cell-free culture medium or contain cells, spores or other reproductive propagules and / or combinations thereof. A quasi-continuous system is created in this way.

[0109] Advantageously, the method does not require complex equipment or high energy consumption. The microorganisms of interest can be cultured and utilized on site on a small or large scale, even while still mixed with their culture medium.

[0110] In certain embodiments, the present invention provides a "microorganism-based composition", which means a composition comprising components produced by the growth of microorganisms or other cell cultures. Therefore, a microorganism-based composition may contain the microorganism itself and / or microorganism growth byproducts. The microorganism may be in an asexual state, spore form, hyphae form, any other form of propagule, or a mixture of these. The microorganism may be in the form of a planktonic microorganism or a biofilm, or a mixture of the two. The byproducts of growth may be metabolites, cell membrane components, expressed proteins and / or other cell components, etc. The microorganism may be a complete microorganism or a lysed microorganism. The microorganism may be present in the composition or removed from the composition. The microorganism may be present in the microorganism-based composition together with the fermentation broth in which they are cultured. For example, the cells may be at least 1×10 per milliliter of the composition. 3 , 1×10 4 , 1×10 5 , 1×10 6 , 1×10 7 , 1×10 8 , 1×10 9 , 1×10 10 , 1×10 11 , 1×10 12 , 1×10 13 or more CFUs are present.

[0111] The present invention further provides "microorganism-based products" as products that are applied in practice to achieve the desired effect. Microorganism-based products can be only microorganism-based compositions obtained from microbial culture processes. Alternatively, microorganism-based products can contain other ingredients that have been added. For example, these other ingredients can include nutrients such as stabilizers, acids, buffers, carriers (e.g., water, saline solutions or any other appropriate carriers), nutrients added to support further growth of microorganisms, non-nutritional growth promoters and / or agents that help track microorganisms and / or compositions in their application environment. Microorganism-based products can also include mixtures based on microorganism-based compositions. Microorganism-based products can also include one or more components based on microorganism-based compositions, which have been treated in some way, such as but not limited to filtration, centrifugation, lysis, drying, purification, etc.

[0112] A microbial-based product of the present invention contains only a fermentation medium containing microorganisms and / or microbial metabolites produced by the microorganisms and / or any residual nutrients. The fermented product can be used directly without extraction or purification. If necessary, extraction and purification can be easily achieved using standard extraction and / or purification methods or techniques described in the literature.

[0113] The microorganisms in the microbial-based products can be in active or inactive form, and can also be vegetative cells, reproductive spores, conidia, mycelium, hyphae or any other form of microbial propagation bodies. The microbial-based products can also contain any combination of these forms of microorganisms.

[0114] In one embodiment, different strains of microorganisms are grown separately and then mixed together to produce a microbial-based product. The microorganisms may optionally be blended with the medium in which they were grown and dried prior to mixing.

[0115] The microbial-based products can be used without further stabilization, preservation and storage. Advantageously, the direct use of these microbial-based products maintains high viability of the microorganisms, reduces the possibility of contamination by foreign agents and undesirable microorganisms, and maintains the activity of byproducts of microbial growth.

[0116] After the microbial composition is harvested from the growth vessel, other components may be added when the harvested product is placed in a container or otherwise transported for use. For example, the additives may be buffers, carriers, other microbial compositions produced in the same facility or in a different facility, viscosity modifiers, preservatives, nutrients for microbial growth, surfactants, emulsifiers, lubricants, solubility modifiers, tracking agents, solvents, biocides, antibiotics, pH modifiers, chelating agents, stabilizers, UV inhibitors, other microorganisms, and other appropriate additives commonly used in such preparations.

[0117] Alternatively, the product may be stored prior to use. The storage time is preferably short. Thus, the storage time may be less than 60 days, 45 days, 30 days, 20 days, 15 days, 10 days, 7 days, 5 days, 3 days, 2 days, 1 day or 12 hours. In a preferred embodiment, if living cells are present in the product, the product is stored at a cool temperature, for example, below 20°C, 15°C, 10°C or 5°C. In another aspect, the biosurfactant composition can generally be stored at ambient temperature.

Claims

1. A method for reducing foam in a liquid or inhibiting the generation of foam, the method comprising contacting a defoaming or anti-foaming composition comprising a biosurfactant with the liquid, the foam, or a combination thereof.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the liquid is waste water or ore slurry.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the wastewater is mining wastewater, quarrying wastewater, industrial wastewater, or any combination thereof.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the wastewater or the ore slurry comes from a coal mine, an iron ore mine, a copper mine, a copper-nickel mine, a tin mine, a nickel mine, a gold mine, a silver mine, a molybdenum mine, an aluminum mine, a lead-zinc mine, a tungsten mine or a zinc mine.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the defoaming or anti-foaming composition further comprises water, a solvent, an additional biological surfactant, an additional chemical surfactant, a chelating agent, a preservative, a thickener, a viscosity increasing agent, a polymer, a pH adjuster, a biocide, an inorganic salt, or any combination thereof.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the defoaming or anti-foaming composition is in liquid form, and wherein the contacting step comprises mixing the composition with the liquid for a period of time of about 1 second to about 1 year.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the biosurfactant is a sophorolipid and / or a yeast culture comprising a sophorolipid.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the yeast culture is of the genus Stamosaccharomyces and / or the genus Candida.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the yeast is in a vegetative state.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the yeast is in the form of spores.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the foam reduction or suppression occurs by one or a combination of: a. changing the surface tension between particles in the liquid; b. destabilize the liquid film at the gas-liquid interface; or c. Reduce or eliminate dissolved air or suspended bubbles in the liquid.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the defoaming or anti-foaming composition further comprises a metal salt, silica, hydrophobic silica, polyethylene wax, ethylene bis stearamide EBS wax, polypropylene wax, polydimethylsiloxane, organically modified polydimethylsiloxane and hydrophobic polyoxyethylene glycerol ether.

13. A defoaming or anti-foaming composition comprising a sophorolipid and / or a yeast culture, wherein the yeast culture comprises a sophorolipid and one or more conventional defoaming or anti-foaming components.

14. The composition according to claim 13, wherein the yeast culture is Stamosaccharomyces and / or Candida.

15. The composition of claim 13, wherein the yeast is in a vegetative state.

16. The composition of claim 13, wherein the yeast is in spore form.

17. The composition of claim 13, wherein the conventional defoaming or anti-foaming composition further comprises metal salts, silicon dioxide, hydrophobic silicon dioxide, polyethylene wax, ethylene bis stearamide EBS wax, polypropylene wax, polydimethylsiloxane, organically modified polydimethylsiloxane and hydrophobic polyoxyethylene glycerol ether.

18. The composition of claim 13, further comprising one or more of the following additional components selected from the group consisting of water, solvents, additional biosurfactants, additional chemical surfactants, chelating agents, preservatives, thickeners, viscosity enhancers, polymers, pH adjusters, biocides, and inorganic salts.

Images