Materials and methods for recovering minerals from industrial wastewater

Abstract

The present invention provides a safe, environmentally friendly composition and an efficient method for recovering materials from industrial wastewater. More specifically, the present invention provides microorganism-derived compositions for the recovery of metals, elements, compounds and minerals, which compositions can be used to produce useful products.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 390,732 filed on July 20, 2022 and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 503,228 filed on May 19, 2023, the entire contents of both applications are incorporated herein by reference. Background Art

[0003] Oil and gas wells, mining sites and quarries generate large volumes of water mixed with hydrocarbons (dispersed and dissolved), salts (such as sodium, calcium, magnesium, lithium, sulfates and carbonates), minerals, elements, compounds, metals and solids. This industrial wastewater is generally considered a waste stream that must be properly treated, as the presence of toxic hydrocarbons, metals and ions makes it unsuitable for surface discharge or discharge to groundwater. However, the global supply of freshwater resources is dwindling, and the demand for water for industry, domestic use and agriculture in water-stressed areas makes industrial wastewater an attractive resource.

[0004] Currently, salt is the main product derived from wastewater from oil and gas production. Most salts have limited commercial appeal because they are low-value products. If higher-value products could be separated from industrial wastewater, further commercial interest could arise.

[0005] Industrial wastewater may also contain valuable elements, compounds, metals and minerals (including lithium and rare earth elements). The presence of metals, minerals, elements, compounds and other materials enables industrial wastewater to be used to produce valuable products, including lithium-based batteries and electronic products.

[0006] Various methods exist for treating industrial wastewater, including, for example, injecting the wastewater into deep formations. However, in addition to the potential use of compounds found in wastewater for commercial purposes, increasing concerns about contaminated groundwater also require safe and efficient recovery of metals and minerals from industrial wastewater. Therefore, new and improved methods for recovering metals and minerals from industrial wastewater are needed. Summary of the invention

[0007] The present invention generally relates to the recovery of metals, minerals, elements, compounds and other materials from industrial wastewater (including, for example, produced water). More specifically, the present invention provides an environmentally friendly composition and method for recovering metals, minerals, elements, compounds and other materials (such as lithium and copper) from industrial water. In certain embodiments, the recovered metals, minerals, elements, compounds and other materials can be safely discarded using methods known in the art; while in other embodiments, the recovered metals, minerals, elements, compounds and other materials can be recycled and / or processed for other uses.

[0008] Advantageously, the compositions and methods of the present invention recover metals, minerals, elements, compounds and other materials from industrial wastewater and can reduce the use of chemicals required to treat the wastewater. In addition, the recovered metals, minerals, elements, compounds and other materials can be formed into useful products such as electronics, insulation, batteries, fertilizers, wires and jewelry. In addition, by reducing the use and presence of toxic chemicals, the present invention can be used to reduce ground and water pollution generated during the processing of mining ore, oil and natural gas.

[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 biosurfactants, and optionally other compounds, such as chemical surfactants, activated carbon (i.e., carbon-based materials processed in a manner to increase its surface area), zeolites (e.g., clinoptilolite), clays (e.g., natural or organoclays), ion exchangers, polymers, adsorbents (e.g., starch, alginate, chitin, chitosan, aluminum salts), salts (e.g., sodium carbonate, aluminum chloride), acids (e.g., phosphoric acid), 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-type 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 surfactant of the composition is a detergent, wetting agent, emulsifier, foaming agent and / or dispersant.

[0015] In certain embodiments, the present invention provides a method for recovering metals, minerals, elements, compounds and other materials from industrial wastewater, wherein the method comprises the steps of: (i) contacting a composition according to the present invention with the industrial wastewater for a period of time to produce a mixture comprising treated wastewater; and (ii) separating the metals, minerals, elements, compounds and other materials from the remaining wastewater.

[0016] The method can be performed using, for example, columns, filters, membranes, solvents, electrolysis or using any other laboratory or industrial scale reactor.

[0017] In some embodiments, step (i) comprises applying a recovery composition comprising a biosurfactant and optionally other components (such as, for example, chemical surfactants, activated carbon, zeolites, clays, ion exchangers, polymers, adsorbents, salts and / or acids, etc.) to industrial wastewater. In certain embodiments, the mixture may be pumped or otherwise moved through a membrane, column, resin, adsorbent or filter. Step (i) may be repeated as many times as desired to achieve the desired effect of recovering metals, minerals, elements, compounds and other materials from industrial wastewater.

[0018] In certain embodiments, the source of industrial wastewater is produced water. Produced water is naturally occurring water that is removed from the ground during the extraction of oil and gas, because the formations containing oil and gas also contain water.

[0019] In certain embodiments, the source of industrial wastewater is groundwater or precipitation located at industrial sites, including mines, quarries, oil and gas wells, and the like.

[0020] In certain embodiments, the source of industrial wastewater is water that is pumped or otherwise applied to the ground or formation, for example, during hydraulic fracturing.

[0021] In some embodiments, the methods enhance or increase the recovery rate and / or amount of recovered metals, minerals, elements, compounds, and other materials, and the diameter of the other materials may be less than about 1 mm, about 500 μm, about 100 μm, about 10 μm, about 1 μm, about 100 nm, about 10 nm, or about 1 nm.

[0022] In certain embodiments, the composition according to the present invention is effective because it enhances and / or increases the rate at which particles of metals, minerals, elements, compounds and other materials agglomerate with each other or to a surface (e.g., a filter, membrane, adsorbent or column) from a liquid containing the particles. For example, in some embodiments, the sophorolipid will form micelles containing or connecting particles, wherein the size of the micelle is less than 500 μm, less than 100 μm, less than 10 μm, less than 1 μm, less than 100 nm, less than 50 nm, less than 25 nm, less than 15 nm or less than 10 nm.

[0023] In certain embodiments, the methods of the present invention result in at least a 25% increase in particle recovery after a single treatment, preferably at least a 50% increase. In certain embodiments, the industrial wastewater may be treated multiple times to further increase the amount of recovered particles.

[0024] In some embodiments, the metal, mineral, element, compound or other material is obtained in raw material form. This raw material form may include additional materials or waste rock materials. In certain embodiments, the method may also include, after obtaining the metal, mineral, element, compound or other material, subjecting the metal, mineral, element, compound or other material to one or more beneficiation processes. The one or more beneficiation processes may include crushing, scrubbing, cleaning, screening, flotation and / or hydrocyclone.

[0025] Advantageously, in certain embodiments, the composition according to the present invention can effectively recover toxic compounds from industrial wastewater. 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 such as a mine or oil well. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The present invention generally relates to the recovery of metals, minerals, elements, compounds or other materials from industrial wastewater. More specifically, the present invention provides environmentally friendly compositions and methods for extracting metals, minerals, elements, compounds or other materials (such as copper and lithium) from industrial wastewater. In certain embodiments, metals, minerals, elements, compounds or other materials can be safely discarded using methods known in the art; while in other embodiments, metals, minerals, elements, compounds, or other materials can be recovered and / or processed for other uses to reduce waste and pollution.

[0027] Advantageously, the compositions and methods of the present invention increase the yield of metals, minerals, elements, compounds or other materials in industrial wastewater, which can be used to produce useful products such as jewelry, batteries and electronics. Thus, the present invention can be used to increase the efficiency of recovering metals, minerals, elements, compounds or other materials.

[0028] Selected Definitions

[0029] 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.

[0030] 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.

[0031] As used herein, an "isolated" or "purified" nucleic acid molecule, polynucleotide, polypeptide, protein or small molecule, or other organic compound (e.g., an organic compound described below) is substantially free of other compounds associated with 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 amino acids or sequences that flank it in its naturally occurring state. An isolated microbial strain refers to a strain that is 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.

[0032] 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.

[0033] "Metabolite" refers to any substance produced by metabolism or a substance necessary to participate in a specific metabolic process. Metabolites can be organic compounds that are the starting materials, intermediates or end products 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.

[0034] 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.

[0035] 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%.

[0036] 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. "Biosurfactant" is a surface-active substance produced by living cells and / or using natural extraction substrates.

[0037] 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 aggregated micellar structures in the solution. The formation of micelles provides a physical mechanism for moving oil in the aqueous phase, etc.

[0038] The ability of biosurfactants to form pores and destabilize biofilms also makes them useful as antimicrobial, antifungal and hemolytic agents to control pests and / or microbial growth, among other things.

[0039] 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.

[0040] 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.

[0041] 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).

[0042] 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).

[0043] 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).

[0044] 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 can be obtained with different fatty acid chain lengths (R 3) and, in some cases, in R 1 and / or R 2 Acetylation or protonation occurs at the site.

[0045]

[0046] 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.

[0047] 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.

[0048] SLP is usually produced by yeast, such as Starmerella spp. yeast and / or Candida spp. yeast, 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.

[0049] 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. "Gange" 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 altered deposits, carbonate alkaline igneous rock-related deposits, placer deposits, residual ore deposits, sedimentary deposits, sedimentary hydrothermal deposits, and crater-related deposits. However, ores as defined herein may also include concentrates or tailings, copper, or even other sources of metals or valuable minerals, including but not limited to jewelry, electronic waste, and other waste materials.

[0050] As used herein, "industrial wastewater" refers to water generated by the following industrial activities: including, for example, oil refining, chemical production, mining, oil and gas extraction, power generation, steel production, battery production, paper making, smelting, textile production and municipal wastewater treatment.

[0051] As used herein, "produced water" refers to naturally occurring water that is removed from the ground during the extraction of oil and gas, because formations containing oil and gas gases also contain water.

[0052] 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.

[0053] 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.

[0054] 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".

[0055] The recitation of a list of chemical groups in any definition of a variable herein includes definitions of that variable as any single group or combination of the listed groups. The recitation of an embodiment for a variable or aspect herein includes that embodiment as any single embodiment or in combination with any other embodiment or portion thereof.

[0056] All references cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

[0057] Recycling composition

[0058] In certain embodiments, the invention provides compositions comprising components derived from microorganisms. In certain embodiments, the recovery composition comprises a microbial biosurfactant. In certain embodiments, the composition comprises a biosurfactant, and optionally a chemical surfactant, activated carbon, zeolite, clay, ion exchanger, polymer, adsorbent, salts, acids, or any combination thereof.

[0059] In certain embodiments, the recovery composition comprises a product based on a microorganism, and the product based on the microorganism comprises the biosurfactant used in a rough form. Except for the biosurfactant, the rough form can also include the fermentation liquid of the microorganism that cultivates and generates the biosurfactant, residual microbial cell material or active or inactive microbial cells, residual nutrients and / or other microbial growth by-products. This product can be, for example, at least 1%, 5%, 10%, 25%, 50%, 75% or 100% fermentation liquid by weight. The biomass in the product can be, by weight, 0% to 100% (comprising all percentages between 0% to 100%).

[0060] In some embodiments, the biosurfactant is used after extraction and optional purification from the fermentation broth.

[0061] 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).

[0062] In certain specific embodiments, the biosurfactant is a sophorolipid (SLP), including linear SLP, lactone SLP, acetylated SLP, deacetylated SLP, salt-type 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. 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.

[0063] In certain embodiments, the activated carbon of the composition is derived from bamboo, coconut shell, willow peat, wood, coir, lignite, coal, petroleum asphalt, or any combination thereof.

[0064] In certain embodiments, the zeolite of the composition is clinoptilolite, analcime, chabazite, rhodochrosite, natrolite, phillipsite, stibnite, or any combination thereof.

[0065] In certain embodiments, the clay is a natural clay or an organoclay including kaolinite, montmorillonite-smectite, illite, chlorite, vermiculite, talc, pyrophyllite, or any combination thereof.

[0066] In certain embodiments, ion exchangers can be basic (anionic) or acidic (cationic), depending on the various functional groups of the reagent including, for example, sulfonic acid, quaternary amine, carboxylic acid, or primary, secondary, or tertiary amino groups, etc.

[0067] In certain embodiments, the polymer can be polyethylene oxide, polyacrylamide, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, polytetrafluoroethylene, or any combination thereof.

[0068] In certain embodiments, the adsorbent can be, for example, starch, alginate, chitin, chitosan, or any combination thereof.

[0069] In certain embodiments, the salt can be, for example, a carbonate salt (eg, sodium carbonate) or an aluminum salt (eg, aluminum chloride, potassium aluminum sulfate).

[0070] In certain embodiments, the acid may be acetic acid or a carboxylic acid.

[0071] In some embodiments, the biosurfactant may be included in the composition in a proportion 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 recovery composition.

[0072] In another embodiment, the purified biosurfactant may be added 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).

[0073] In some embodiments, the biosurfactant can be included in the composition at a concentration of, for example, 0.01 ppm to 100,000 ppm, 0.05 ppm to 10,000 ppm, 0.1 ppm to 1,000 ppm, 0.5 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 industrial wastewater being treated.

[0074] In certain embodiments, the chemical surfactant of the recovery composition is a detergent, a wetting agent, an emulsifier, a foaming agent and / or a dispersant. In some embodiments, the chemical surfactant can be included in the composition in a proportion 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 recovery composition.

[0075] The recovery composition may further comprise other additives such as, for example, carriers, other microbial-based compositions, additional biosurfactants, enzymes, catalysts, solvents, buffers, chelating agents, emulsifiers, lubricants, solubility modifiers, preservatives, stabilizers, UV inhibitors, viscosity modifiers, preservatives, tracers, biocides and other microorganisms and other ingredients specific to the intended use.

[0076] In certain embodiments, the chelating agent can 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., erythrine), STPP (sodium tripolyphosphate, Na5P3O10), trisodium phosphate (TSP), water, carbohydrates, organic acids with one coordinating group (e.g., citric acid), lipids, steroids, amino acids or related compounds (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), GLDANa4, 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.

[0077] Method for recovering materials from industrial wastewater

[0078] In certain embodiments, the present invention provides a method for recovering metals, elements, compounds, minerals and other materials from industrial wastewater (including, for example, produced water). In certain specific embodiments, the material is copper or lithium.

[0079] In certain embodiments, the present invention provides a method for recovering metals, minerals, elements, compounds and other materials from industrial wastewater, wherein the method comprises the steps of: (i) contacting a composition according to the present invention with the industrial wastewater for a period of time to produce a mixture comprising treated wastewater; and (ii) separating the metals, minerals, elements, compounds and other materials from the remaining wastewater.

[0080] The method can be performed using columns, filters, membranes, solvents, electrolysis or using any other laboratory or industrial scale reactor.

[0081] In some embodiments, step (i) comprises applying a recovery composition comprising a biosurfactant and optionally other components (such as, for example, chemical surfactants, activated carbon, zeolites, clays, ion exchangers, polymers, adsorbents, salts and / or acids, etc.) to industrial wastewater. In certain embodiments, the mixture may be pumped or otherwise moved through a membrane, column, resin, adsorbent or filter. Step (i) may be repeated as many times as desired to achieve the desired effect of recovering metals, minerals, elements, compounds and other materials from industrial wastewater.

[0082] In certain embodiments, the recovery composition can be contacted with industrial wastewater or a container containing the wastewater for a period of about 1 second to about 1 year, about 1 minute to about 1 year, about 1 minute to about 6 months, about 1 minute to about 1 month, about 1 minute to 1 week, about 1 minute to about 48 hours, about 30 minutes to 40 hours, or preferably about 12 hours to 24 hours. In certain embodiments, the method includes applying the recovery composition in liquid or solid form to industrial wastewater within a period of time generated by industrial wastewater, or until the amount of metals, minerals, elements, compounds or other materials recovered in the industrial wastewater is determined to be satisfactory, or wastewater that can be safely and effectively treated is produced, which can be easily determined by those skilled in the art. The content of metals, minerals, elements, compounds or other materials that can be considered acceptable and / or safe in industrial wastewater depends on the specific circumstances. For example, in a mining field without toxic compounds, the recovery amount of particles may be higher than in an oil well that produces toxic compounds, thereby requiring expensive treatment methods. Therefore, removing a large amount of metals, minerals, elements, compounds or other materials from industrial wastewater before treatment can reduce costs and allow recovery and / or production of additional useful products.

[0083] The methods of the present invention may be performed at ambient temperature and / or at a temperature of about 15° C. to about 50° C., about 20° C. to about 40° C., about 20° C. to about 35° C., about 20° C. to about 30° C., about 25° C., about 40° C. to 120° C., about 50° C. to about 100° C., about 60° C. to about 100° C., about 70° C. to about 100° C., about 80° C. to 100° C., or about 100° C. In certain embodiments, microwaves, ultrasound, induction heating, plasma, electricity, or any combination thereof may be used to provide a temperature higher than ambient temperature.

[0084] The process of the present invention may be carried out at ambient pressure and / or at a pressure of about 50 bar, 75 bar, 100 bar or greater than 100 bar.

[0085] In certain embodiments, the present invention provides a method for recovering metals, minerals, elements, compounds or other materials from various sources of industrial wastewater, including, for example, mining sites, quarries, agricultural lands, oil and gas wells, hydraulic fracturing sites, chemical production plants, petrochemical production plants, offshore oil rigs and industrial sites.

[0086] In certain embodiments, the mining site can be a coal mine, an iron ore mine (e.g., an iron-nickel 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, a phosphate mine, a potash mine, a mica mine, a bentonite mine, or a zinc mine. The mine can be an underground mine, an open-pit mine, a placer mine, or an in-situ mine. In certain embodiments, various compounds can be derived from mining activities. In certain embodiments, according to the method of the present invention, by contacting the recovery composition with various water flows, pipelines, pumps, water storage areas, or other aquatic environments, a method for removing the compound is provided. The compound can include, for example, hydrocarbons, organic acids, cyanides, sulfur-containing minerals, soluble iron, alkali metals (such as, for example, lithium, sodium, and potassium), alkaline earth metals (such as, for example, barium and calcium), and heavy metals (such as, for example, molybdenum, tungsten, copper, chromium, manganese, nickel, arsenic, zinc, mercury, and vanadium). In certain embodiments, a quarry may extract chalk, clay, cinder, coal, sand, gravel, coquina, diabase, gabbro, granite, gritstone, gypsum, limestone, marble, ore, phosphate rock, quartz, sandstone, slate, travertine, or any combination thereof.

[0087] In certain embodiments, water may be pumped or otherwise added to a formation containing a metal, element, mineral, compound, or other material of interest prior to extraction of the metal, mineral, compound, element, or other material of interest. In certain embodiments, the compositions and methods of the present invention may be used to recover metals, elements, minerals, compounds, or other materials from an extracted slurry.

[0088] In certain embodiments, the source of industrial wastewater is produced water. Produced water is naturally occurring water that is removed from the ground during the extraction of oil and gas, because the formations containing oil and gas also contain water.

[0089] In certain embodiments, the source of industrial wastewater is groundwater or precipitation located at industrial sites, including mines, quarries, oil and gas wells, and the like.

[0090] In certain embodiments, the source of industrial wastewater is water that is pumped or otherwise applied to the ground or formation, for example, during hydraulic fracturing.

[0091] In certain embodiments, the microorganism-containing and / or biosurfactant-containing composition can enhance agglomeration between particles or between particles and a surface, such as agglomerating lithium salt particles with each other.

[0092] In certain embodiments, the microorganism-containing composition and / or the biosurfactant-containing composition can form a layer of agglomerated particles around and / or between particles suspended in a liquid.

[0093] These compositions can be applied to liquids or containers containing liquids that exist in a range of temperatures and aquatic environments, for example, streams, rivers, waterways, oceans, seas, lakes, ponds, runoff areas, containment pools, pipes, filters, filter presses, membranes, columns, sieves, cones, dehydrators, classifiers, scrapers, hydrocyclones, agitators, drums, pans, or industrial wastewater treatment tanks / industrial wastewater storage tanks. In certain embodiments, the recovery composition can be added to the container containing the liquid before the liquid composition is added to the container.

[0094] The recovery composition may be applied to the liquid and optionally mixed by adding, pouring or combining.

[0095] In certain embodiments, the amount of the recovery composition applied is about 0.1 to 15%, about 0.1 to 10%, about 0.1 to 5%, about 0.1 to 3%, about 0.1%, or about 1 vol% based on the amount of industrial wastewater.

[0096] In certain embodiments, the methods of the present invention result in at least a 25% increase in particle recovery after a single treatment, preferably at least a 50% increase. In certain embodiments, the industrial wastewater may be treated multiple times to further increase the amount of recovered particles.

[0097] In certain embodiments, the recovered materials may include fats, oils, greases, dissolved organic compounds, volatile organic compounds, heavy metals (e.g., manganese, iron, copper, zinc, lead, nickel, cobalt, cadmium, and chromium), radionuclides, bacteria, and chemical additives used to remove oil or gas from wells (e.g., biocides, scale inhibitors, corrosion inhibitors, emulsifiers), and lithium.

[0098] In certain embodiments, the method includes aerating the wastewater in the presence of a recovery composition according to the present invention. In certain embodiments, the composition is used as a collector to promote the attachment of bubbles to the target metal or mineral particles in the wastewater (e.g., concentrate), thereby allowing the concentrate particles to float to the surface of the wastewater. In alternative embodiments, the composition is used as a collector to promote the attachment of bubbles to fats, oils, greases, or suspended solids in the wastewater, thereby allowing fats, oils, greases, or other suspended solids to float to the surface of the wastewater (i.e., dissolved air flotation (DAF)). In some embodiments, the method is carried out in a storage tank, barrel, column, pool, or other container.

[0099] In a preferred embodiment, the present invention provides a method for maintaining or improving the efficiency of oil refining, natural gas processing or petrochemical production by applying the recovery composition to the wastewater effluent of an oil refinery or chemical production facility. In certain embodiments, the recovery composition can be used in an API oil-water separator that separates oil droplets from water, or in a DAF that separates oil and other solids attached to gas bubbles from water. In certain embodiments, the resulting wastewater can be subjected to additional treatment, such as an activated sludge treatment in which microorganisms oxidize organic pollutants in the water. The resulting water can be reused or processed in, for example, an oil refinery or petrochemical production plant.

[0100] In some embodiments, metals, minerals, elements, compounds or other materials are obtained from industrial wastewater in raw material form. This raw material form may include other materials or gangue. Therefore, in certain embodiments, the method may further include, after obtaining the metal, mineral, element, compound or other material, after treating the industrial wastewater with the recovery composition, one or more beneficiation processes are carried out on the metal, mineral, element, compound or other material. The one or more beneficiation processes may include crushing, scrubbing, cleaning, screening, flotation and / or hydrocyclone.

[0101] Advantageously, in certain embodiments, the recovery composition according to the present invention provides enhanced or improved efficiency in recovering metals, minerals, elements, compounds or other materials from industrial wastewater, while having limited negative impact on the environment. In addition, the method of the present invention does not require complex equipment or high energy consumption, and the production of the recovery composition can be carried out on site (e.g., at a mine or oil or gas well). In certain embodiments, in the process of recovering metals, minerals, elements or other materials from industrial wastewater, the recovery composition of the present invention can reduce the use of chemical surfactants or other potentially harmful chemicals. In addition, the metals, minerals, elements or other materials recovered from industrial wastewater according to the present invention can be used to produce more environmentally friendly products, including wires, batteries, jewelry, electronic components and thermal insulation materials, etc.

[0102] Production of microbial-based products

[0103] 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.

[0104] 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.

[0105] 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, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, Bacillus pumillus, Bacillus cereus, Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus firmus, Bacillus laterosporus, Bacillus 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).

[0106] In a preferred embodiment, the microorganism is a yeast of the genus Starmerella spp. and / or a yeast of the genus Candida spp., such as Starmerella (Candida) bombicola, Candida apicola, Candida batista, Candida floricola, Candida riodocensis, Candida stellate and / or Candida kuoi, etc. In a specific embodiment, the microorganism is Starmerella (Candida) bombicola, such as strain ATCC 22214.

[0107] 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.

[0108] 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).

[0109] 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.

[0110] 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.

[0111] In one embodiment, the method comprises supplementing the culture with a nitrogen source. The nitrogen source can be potassium nitrate, ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulfate, ammonium phosphate, ammonia, urea, and / or ammonium chloride, etc. These nitrogen sources can be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0112] 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.

[0113] 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.

[0114] 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 may be included in the culture medium in the form of fine powder or coarse powder (e.g., corn flour) or in the form of extracts (e.g., yeast extract, potato extract, beef extract, soybean extract, banana peel extract, etc.) or in purified form. Amino acids (e.g., amino acids that can be used for protein biosynthesis) may also be included.

[0115] In one embodiment, the culture medium may also include an inorganic salt. 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, calcium chloride, calcium carbonate, sodium chloride and / or sodium carbonate. These inorganic salts may be used alone or in a combination of two or more.

[0116] In some embodiments, the culturing method may further include adding additional acids 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.

[0117] Additionally, antifoaming agents may be added to prevent the formation and / or accumulation of foam during submerged cultivation.

[0118] 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 chelating agents in the culture medium.

[0119] 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.

[0120] 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 may be subjected to temperature changes.

[0121] 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.

[0122] 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 may be at least 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80% or 90%, etc.

[0123] 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.

[0124] 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.

[0125] The cell concentration can be at least 1×10 6 Up to 1×10 12 , 1×10 7Up to 1×10 11 , 1×10 8 Up to 1×10 10 , or 1×10 9 CFU / ml, etc.

[0126] The methods and apparatus for culturing microorganisms and producing microbial byproducts can be performed in a batch process, a quasi-continuous process, or a continuous process.

[0127] 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.

[0128] In another embodiment, only a portion of the fermentation product is removed at any one 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.

[0129] Advantageously, the method does not require complex equipment or high energy consumption. The microorganisms of interest can be cultured and used on-site on a small or large scale, even while still mixed with their culture medium.

[0130] In certain embodiments, the present invention provides a "microorganism-based composition," which means a composition comprising components produced by the growth of a microorganism or other cell culture. Thus, a microorganism-based composition may include the microorganism itself and / or microorganism growth byproducts. The microorganism may be in an asexual state, in the form of spores, in the form of hyphae, in any other form of propagules, 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, for example, metabolites, cell membrane components, expressed proteins, and / or other cell components. 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 present in at least 1×10 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 13or more CFUs are present.

[0131] 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 additional ingredients may 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 environments. Microorganism-based products may also include mixtures based on microorganism-based compositions. Microorganism-based products may also include one or more components of microorganism-based compositions that have been treated in some way, such as, but not limited to, filtration, centrifugation, lysis, drying, purification, etc.

[0132] 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.

[0133] 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. The microbial-based products can also contain any combination of these forms of microorganisms.

[0134] In one embodiment, different strains of microorganisms are grown separately and then mixed together to produce a microorganism-based product. The microorganisms may optionally be mixed with the medium in which they were grown and dried prior to mixing.

[0135] 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.

[0136] 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.

[0137] 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 recovering metals, minerals, elements or compounds from industrial wastewater, the method comprising: i. contacting the recovered composition comprising the biosurfactant with the industrial wastewater for a period of time to produce treated wastewater; as well as ii. separating said metal, said mineral, said element or said compound from said treated wastewater.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein step ii comprises filtration, centrifugation, flotation, sedimentation, or any combination thereof.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the filtering, the centrifuging, the settling, or any combination thereof comprises moving the treated wastewater through a membrane, a column, a resin, or an adsorbent.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the flotation comprises dissolved air flotation.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the wastewater is mining wastewater, quarrying wastewater or industrial wastewater.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the mining wastewater 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, a phosphate mine, a potash mine, a mica mine, a bentonite mine or a zinc mine.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the industrial wastewater is produced water from an oil or gas well, a hydraulic fracturing site or an offshore oil rig, or water originating from a chemical production plant or a petrochemical production plant.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the recovery composition is in liquid form, and wherein step i comprises stirring, shaking and / or bubbling the recovery composition and industrial wastewater for a period of about 1 minute to about 48 hours.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein step ii further comprises a mineral processing process.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the beneficiation process is crushing, scrubbing, washing, screening, flotation, hydrocyclone, or any combination thereof.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the recovery composition further comprises a chemical surfactant, activated carbon, zeolite, clay, ion exchanger, polymer, adsorbent, salt, acid, or any combination thereof.

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

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the yeast culture is Stamosaccharomyces and / or Candida yeast.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the glycolipid is a sophorolipid, a mannoerythritol lipid, a trehalolipid, a rhamnolipid, or any combination thereof.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the sophorolipid is a linear sophorolipid or a lactone sophorolipid.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein said recovering comprises removing said metal, said mineral, said element or said compound from industrial wastewater by a combination of one or more of: a. Adhere particles to surfaces and / or objects; b agglomerating the particles together; or c. Allow the particles to settle.

17. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: iii. separating fats, oils, grease or suspended solids from said treated wastewater.

18. A method for recovering fats, oils, grease or suspended solids from industrial wastewater, the method comprising: i. contacting the recovered composition comprising the biosurfactant with the industrial wastewater for a period of time to produce treated wastewater; as well as ii. separating the fat, the oil, the grease or the suspended solids from the treated wastewater.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein step ii. comprises filtration, centrifugation, flotation, sedimentation, or any combination thereof.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the filtering, the centrifuging, the settling, or any combination thereof comprises moving the treated wastewater through a membrane, a column, a resin, or an adsorbent.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the flotation comprises dissolved air flotation.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the wastewater is mining wastewater, quarrying wastewater or industrial wastewater.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein the mining wastewater is 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, a phosphate mine, a potash mine, a mica mine, a bentonite mine or a zinc mine.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the industrial wastewater is produced water from an oil or gas well, a hydraulic fracturing site, or an offshore oil rig, or water originating from a chemical production plant or a petrochemical production plant.

25. The method of claim 18, wherein the recovery composition is in liquid form, and wherein step i comprises stirring, shaking and / or bubbling the recovery composition and the industrial wastewater for a period of about 1 minute to about 48 hours.

26. The method of claim 18, wherein the recovery composition further comprises a chemical surfactant, activated carbon, zeolite, clay, ion exchanger, polymer, adsorbent, salt, acid, or any combination thereof.

27. The method of claim 18, wherein the biosurfactant is a glycolipid and / or a yeast culture comprising a glycolipid.

28. The method according to claim 27, wherein the yeast culture is Stamosaccharomyces and / or Candida yeast.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the glycolipid is a sophorolipid, a mannoerythritol lipid, a trehalolipid, a rhamnolipid, or any combination thereof.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the sophorolipid is a linear sophorolipid or a lactone sophorolipid.

31. The method of claim 18, wherein the recovering comprises removing fats, oils, grease, or suspended solids from industrial wastewater by a combination of one or more of: a. adhering the fat, the oil, the grease or the suspended solids to a surface and / or an object; b. agglomerating the fat, oil, grease or suspended solids; or c. Floating the fat, the oil, the grease or the suspended solids to the surface of the industrial wastewater.

32. A recycling composition comprising a biosurfactant and / or a yeast culture comprising a biosurfactant and one or more traditional recycling components.

33. The composition of claim 32, wherein the biosurfactant is a glycolipid and / or a yeast culture comprising a glycolipid.

34. The composition of claim 32, wherein the yeast culture is Stamosaccharomyces and / or Candida yeast.

35. The composition of claim 33, wherein the glycolipid is a sophorolipid, a mannoerythritol lipid, a trehalolipid, a rhamnolipid, or any combination thereof.

36. The composition of claim 35, wherein the sophorolipid is a linear sophorolipid or a lactone sophorolipid.

37. The composition of claim 32, wherein the traditional recycling components are selected from a combination of one or more of the following: a chemical surfactant; bActivated carbon; c zeolite; d clay; e ion exchanger; f polymer; g adsorbent; h salt; or i acid.

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