Compositions and methods for solvent extraction

Abstract

The present invention provides safe, environmentally friendly compositions and efficient methods for solvent extraction. More specifically, the present invention provides compositions for solvent extraction derived from microorganisms that can be used to increase the solvent extraction rate and / or the amount of target metals, minerals, elements or other substances extracted.

Description

[0001] Cross - reference to related applications

[0002] This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 405,548, filed on September 12, 2022, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Background of the Invention

[0003] Various mining and quarrying methods can be used to extract low - grade or low - value ore deposits from the earth. During the mining process, a solvent extractant can be added to separate certain cations or anions and isolate them from the aqueous phase into the organic phase, thereby separating them from other unwanted ionic substances. Currently, chelating agents are used in combination with leaching or percolation methods to gradually concentrate a given element, ore, or mineral from a dilute solution containing a large amount of other ions through a series of chelation and elution stages.

[0004] Currently, only a few commercial solvents are widely used - secondary amines, tertiary amines, and quaternary amines, as well as some alkyl phosphates. The amines function to form organically soluble salts with anions, while the alkyl phosphates react with cations.

[0005] There are generally three conventional types of solvent extractants currently in use. The extractants for copper oxide are oximes and modified aldoximes, usually products of (Solvay) and (BASF). The extractants for uranium processing are tertiary amines, such as the reagent produced by BASF. The third conventional type of extractant is phosphate - derived, such as bis(2 - ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid (D2EHPA), trioctylphosphine oxide (TOPO), and tributyl phosphate (TBP), which are widely commercially available. The third category accounts for the largest share of extractants and is very common, so it is considered general. Phosphine extractants also belong to this large conventional category, such as of Solvay and Hostarex of Clariant TM . These types of chemicals are used to separate rare earth oxides, cobalt, platinum - group metals, etc. Their usage amounts are relatively small and they are the most expensive.

[0006] Solvent extractants are mainly used in the hydrometallurgical treatment of copper and uranium ores. In the application of copper ore mining, solvent extraction is particularly attractive for the treatment of low - grade ores and tailings materials. The hydrometallurgical extraction of copper is particularly attractive today because it is considered the technology most likely to result in low operating costs.

[0007] Therefore, there is a need for new and improved compositions and methods for solvent extraction. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The present invention generally relates to solvent extraction compositions and methods of using such compositions. More specifically, the present invention provides environmentally friendly solvent extraction compositions and methods for solvent extraction, for example, in mining and ore beneficiation processes. In certain embodiments, the present methods can incorporate the subject compositions and methods.

[0009] Advantageously, the compositions and methods of the present invention improve the efficiency of solvent extraction and can reduce the amount of chemicals required for solvent extraction, including the amount of chemical surfactants or organic solvents. Accordingly, the present invention can be used to reduce the time required for mining and subsequent ore beneficiation processes.

[0010] In certain embodiments, the present invention provides compositions comprising components derived from microorganisms. In certain embodiments, the composition comprises a microbial biosurfactant. In certain embodiments, the composition comprises one or more biosurfactants and optionally includes other compounds such as: water; chemical surfactants; organic solvents; oximes; modified aldoximes; amines, including, for example, secondary and tertiary amines; phosphates; phosphines; chelating agents, including, for example, EDTA; acids; diluents; polymers; or any combination thereof.

[0011] In certain embodiments, the biosurfactant of the composition is used in crude form. In addition to the biosurfactant, the crude form may also contain the fermentation broth for culturing the microorganism that produces the biosurfactant, residual microbial cell material or live or inactivated microbial cells, residual nutrients, and / or other microbial growth by-products.

[0012] In some embodiments, the biosurfactant is used after extraction from the fermentation broth and optionally purified.

[0013] The biosurfactant according to the present invention can be a glycolipid (e.g., sophorolipid, rhamnolipid, cellobioselipid, mannosylerythritol lipid, or trehalolipid), a lipopeptide (e.g., surfactin, iturin, fengycin, arthrofactin, or lichenysin), a xantholipid, a phospholipid (e.g., cardiolipin), a fatty acid ester compound, a fatty acid ether compound, and / or a high molecular weight polymer (e.g., lipoprotein, lipopolysaccharide-protein complex, and polysaccharide-protein-fatty acid complex).

[0014] In certain specific embodiments, the biosurfactant is 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 produced by fermentation and / or synthesized or modified. In a preferred embodiment, the SLP is linear SLP or a derived linear SLP.

[0015] In certain embodiments, the present invention provides a solvent extraction method, wherein the method comprises the following steps:

[0016] a) contacting a solvent extraction composition comprising a biosurfactant with a liquid containing a target element, metal, mineral, or other substance; and

[0017] b) recovering the target element, metal, mineral, or other substance from the solvent extraction composition.

[0018] In certain embodiments, centrifugation, filtration, gravity principles (such as sedimentation), or any combination thereof can be used to recover the target element, ore, mineral, or other compound.

[0019] In some embodiments, the method enhances or increases the recovery rate of elements, metals, minerals, or other substances and / or the amount of elements, ores, minerals, or other substances recovered.

[0020] In some embodiments, the method comprises contacting a solvent extraction composition comprising a biosurfactant and optionally other components with a liquid containing a target metal, element, mineral, or other substance. In certain embodiments, the solvent extraction composition can be applied to the liquid for a period of time and / or until an exact volume of the composition has been applied. This step can be repeated as needed multiple times to achieve the recovery rate of elements, metals, minerals, or other substances or until the desired amount of elements, metals, minerals, or other substances has been recovered.

[0021] In certain embodiments, the solvent extraction composition according to the present invention is effective due to improved phase transfer time, reduced scale formation, and / or prevention of extractant loss due to nitration and oxidation.

[0022] In certain embodiments, after a single treatment, the method of the present invention results in an increase in the recovery of the target element, mineral, metal, or other substance of at least 25%, preferably at least 50%. In certain embodiments, the liquid composition can be treated multiple times to further increase the amount of the target element, metal, mineral, or other substance recovered.

[0023] Advantageously, in certain embodiments, the solvent extraction composition according to the present invention can effectively extract low-value target elements, minerals, metals, or other substances. Furthermore, 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 at a mine or industrial site). Detailed Description

[0024] The present invention generally relates to the recovery of purified and / or concentrated target elements, minerals, metals, or other substances. More specifically, the present invention provides environmentally friendly compositions and methods for solvent extraction (e.g., for concentrating and / or purifying target elements, minerals, metals, or other substances from liquids generated at a mining site or obtained from or used in industrial activities). Accordingly, the present invention can be used to improve the efficiency and efficacy of solvent extraction methods. Advantageously, the compositions and methods of the present invention use safe, environmentally friendly compositions to enhance the recovery of target elements, minerals, metals, or other substances.

[0025] Selected Definitions

[0026] As used herein, "applying" a composition or product means bringing it into contact with a target or site such that the composition or product can have an effect on the target or site. The effect can be attributed, for example, to the action of microbial growth and / or biosurfactants or other microbial growth by-products.

[0027] As used herein, "biofilm" is a complex aggregate of microorganisms (e.g., bacteria, yeast, or fungi) in which the cells adhere to each other and / or to a surface via an extracellular matrix. The cells in a biofilm are physiologically different from the planktonic cells of the same organism, which are single cells that can float or swim in a liquid medium.

[0028] As used herein, an "isolated" or "purified" nucleic acid molecule, polynucleotide, polypeptide, protein, or organic compound (e.g., small molecule) (e.g., those described below) is substantially free of other compounds (e.g., cellular material) that are associated with it in nature. A purified or isolated polynucleotide (ribonucleic acid (RNA) or deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)) is free of the genes or sequences that flank it in its natural state. A purified or isolated polypeptide is free of the amino acids or sequences that flank it in its natural state. An isolated microbial strain means that the strain has been removed from the environment in which it occurs in nature. Thus, an isolated strain can exist, for example, as a biopure culture or as a spore (or other form of the strain) bound to a vector.

[0029] In certain embodiments, the purified compound is at least 60 wt% of the target compound. Preferably, the preparation is at least 75 wt% of the target compound, more preferably at least 90 wt%, and most preferably at least 98 wt%. For example, the purified compound is a compound that is at least 80 wt%, 85 wt%, 90 wt%, 91 wt%, 92 wt%, 93 wt%, 94 wt%, 95 wt%, 98 wt%, 99 wt%, or 100 wt% (w / w) of the desired compound. Purity can be measured by any suitable standard method, e.g., by column chromatography, thin layer chromatography, or high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis.

[0030] "Metabolite" refers to any substance produced by metabolism or a substance necessary for participation in a specific metabolic process. Metabolites can be organic compounds that serve as starting materials, intermediates, or end products of metabolism. Examples of metabolites include, but are not limited to, enzymes, acids, solvents, alcohols, proteins, vitamins, minerals, trace elements, amino acids, biopolymers, and biosurfactants.

[0031] The ranges provided herein should be understood as shorthand for all values within that range. For example, a range of 1 to 20 should be understood to include any number, combination of numbers, or sub-range that constitutes 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 intermediate decimal values between the above integers (e.g., 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 1.7, 1.8, and 1.9). With respect to sub-ranges, "nested sub-ranges" extending from either endpoint of the range are specifically contemplated. For example, nested sub-ranges of the exemplary range 1 to 50 can 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 the other direction.

[0032] As used herein, "decrease" represents a negative change and "increase" represents a positive change, where the negative or 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%.

[0033] As used herein, a "surfactant" refers to a compound that reduces the surface tension (or interfacial tension) between two liquids or between a liquid and a solid. Surfactants can be used, for example, as detergents, wetting agents, emulsifiers, foaming agents, and / or dispersants. A "biosurfactant" is a surface-active substance produced by living cells and / or using naturally derived substrates.

[0034] Biosurfactants are a class of structurally diverse surface-active substances that consist of two parts: a polar (hydrophilic) portion and a non-polar (hydrophobic) group. Due to their amphiphilic structure, biosurfactants can, for example, increase the surface area of hydrophobic water-insoluble substances, enhance the aquatic bioavailability of such substances, and alter the properties of bacterial cell surfaces. Biosurfactants can also reduce the interfacial tension between water and oil, thereby reducing the hydrostatic pressure required to move and entrap liquids to overcome capillary effects. Biosurfactants aggregate at the interface, thereby reducing the interfacial tension and resulting in the formation of aggregated micelle structures in solution. The formation of micelles provides a physical mechanism, for example, for loosening oil in a moving aqueous phase.

[0035] The ability of biosurfactants to reduce surface tension also makes them useful as antibacterial, antifungal, and hemolytic agents, for example, for controlling pest and / or microbial growth.

[0036] Typically, the hydrophilic group of a biosurfactant is a sugar (e.g., monosaccharide, disaccharide, or polysaccharide) or a peptide, while the hydrophobic group is typically a fatty acid. Thus, there are countless potential variations of biosurfactant molecules based on, for example, the type of sugar, the number of sugars, the size of the peptide, the amino acids present in the peptide, the length of the fatty acid, the saturation of the fatty acid, additional acetylation, additional functional groups, esterification, the polarity and charge of the molecule.

[0037] This set of molecules resulting from these variations includes various classes, including glycolipids (e.g., sophorolipids, rhamnolipids, cellobiolipids, mannosylerythritol lipids, and trehalolipids), lipopeptides (e.g., surfactin, iturin, fengycin, arthrofactin, and lichenysin), xantholipids, phospholipids (e.g., cardiolipin), fatty acid ester compounds, and high molecular weight polymers, such as lipoproteins, lipopolysaccharide - protein complexes, and polysaccharide - protein - fatty acid complexes. Each type of biosurfactant within each class can also include subtypes with further modified structures.

[0038] Like chemical surfactants, each biosurfactant molecule has its own HLB value depending on its structure; however, unlike the production of chemical surfactants that yield a single molecule with a single HLB value or range, a production cycle of biosurfactants typically yields a mixture of biosurfactant molecules (e.g., its subtypes and isomers).

[0039] The phrases “biosurfactant” and “biosurfactant molecule” include all forms, analogs, orthologs, isomers, and natural and / or man - made modifications of any biosurfactant class (e.g., glycolipids) and / or its subtypes (e.g., sophorolipids).

[0040] As used herein, the terms “sophorolipid,” “sophorolipid molecule,” “SLP,” or “SLP molecule” include all forms of SLP molecules and their isomers, including, for example: acidic (linear) SLP (ASL) and lactone SLP (LSL). Further included are mono - acetylated SLP, di - acetylated SLP, esterified SLP, SLP with different hydrophobic chain lengths, cationic and / or anionic SLP linked with fatty acid - amino acid complexes, esterified SLP, SLP - metal complexes, SLP - salt derivatives (e.g., sodium salt of linear SLP), and others, including those described and / or not described in the present disclosure.

[0041] In certain embodiments, the glycolipid biosurfactant is sophorolipid (SLP). Sophorolipids are glycolipid biosurfactants produced by various yeasts of the Starmerella clade, for example, when cultured in the presence of a hydrocarbon source of one or more fatty acids. SLP generally consists of the disaccharide sophorose linked to a long-chain hydroxy fatty acid. They may contain a partially acetylated 2-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-D-glucopyranose unit, which is linked by a β-glycosidic bond to 17-L-hydroxyoctadecanoic acid or 17-L-hydroxy-Δ9-octadecenoic acid. The hydroxy fatty acids generally have 16 or 18 carbon atoms and may contain one or more unsaturated bonds. In addition, the sophorose residues may be acetylated at the 6- and / or 6'-positions. The fatty acid carboxyl group may be free (acidic or linear form (general formula 2)) or lactonized at the 4″-position (lactone form (general formula 1)). Starmerella bombicola produces a specific enzyme called Starmerella bombicola lactonase, which catalyzes the esterification of linear SLP to produce lactone SLP.

[0042] In a preferred embodiment, the SLP according to the present invention is represented by general formula (1) and / or general formula (2) and is obtained as a collection of 30 or more structural homologues:

[0043]

[0044] wherein R 1 and R 1′ independently represent a saturated hydrocarbon chain or a single or multiple, especially single, unsaturated hydrocarbon chain having 8 to 20 carbon atoms, especially 12 to 18 carbon atoms, more preferably 14 to 18 carbon atoms, which may be straight-chain or branched-chain and may contain one or more hydroxy groups; R 2 and R 2′ independently represent a hydrogen atom or a saturated alkyl functional group or a single or multiple, especially single, unsaturated alkyl functional group having 1 to 9 carbon atoms, more preferably 1 to 4 carbon atoms, which may be straight-chain or branched-chain and may contain one or more hydroxy groups; and R 3 、R 3′ 、R 4 and R 4′ independently represent a hydrogen atom or –COCH3.

[0045] The composition used according to the subject method may contain more than one form of SLP, including linear SLP and lactone SLP. The SLP may be non-acetylated, mono-acetylated and / or di-acetylated SLP.

[0046] In certain specific embodiments, the composition contains SLP according to general formula (1) (linear SLP), wherein R 1and / or R 2 is an acetyl group, and wherein R 3 is derived from stearic acid, oleic acid, and / or linoleic fatty acid.

[0047] SLP is typically produced by yeast, such as yeast of the genus Starmerella and / or Candida, such as Starmerella bombicola (Candida bombicola), Candida mellicola, Candida batistae, Candida inositovora, Candida riodocensis, Candida stellate, and / or Candida kuoi. 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 may have an advantage because their micelle size is small, which helps to facilitate the movement of micelles and the compounds encapsulated therein through nanoscale pores and spaces. In certain embodiments, the micelle size of 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.

[0048] In certain embodiments, the glycolipid is rhamnolipid. Rhamnolipid contains a glycosyl head group (i.e., rhamnose) moiety and a 3-(hydroxyalkanoyloxy) alkanoic acid (HAA) fatty acid tail, such as 3-hydroxydecanoic acid. Rhamnolipid has two main subtypes, namely mono-rhamnolipid and di-rhamnolipid, which contain one or two rhamnose moieties, respectively. The length and degree of branching of the HAA moiety can vary, depending on, for example, the growth medium and environmental conditions. The highest accumulation of rhamnolipid (RLP) has been demonstrated by deep cultivation of the genus Pseudomonas (e.g., Pseudomonas aeruginosa).

[0049] The rhamnolipid according to the present invention may have the following structure according to formula (3):

[0050]

[0051] wherein m is 2, 1, or 0,

[0052] n is 1 or 0,

[0053] R 1 and R 2 are independently of each other the same or different organic functional groups, having 2 to 24 carbon atoms, preferably 5 to 13 carbon atoms, in particular a substituted or unsubstituted, branched or unbranched alkyl functional group, which may also be unsaturated,

[0054] wherein the alkyl functional group is a straight-chain saturated alkyl functional group having 8 to 12 carbon atoms, or a nonyl or decyl functional group or a mixture thereof.

[0055] According to the present invention, salts of these compounds are also included. In the present invention, the term "dirhamnolipid" should be understood to mean the above formula compound or its salt wherein n is 1. Thus, in the present invention, "monorhamnolipid" should be understood to mean the general formula compound or its salt wherein n is 0. In certain specific embodiments, the composition comprises a mixture of monorhamnolipids and dirhamnolipids.

[0056] As used herein, "solvent extraction" refers to the process of purifying and / or concentrating target minerals, elements, metals, or other substances from a deposit or ore or during ore dressing.

[0057] As used herein, "ore dressing" refers to the process of removing gangue materials from a target substance (such as an element, compound, mineral).

[0058] As used herein, "leaching" refers to the process of extracting metals from ores by aqueous solutions, including, for example: ammonia leaching, alkali leaching, acid leaching, cyanidation (i.e., cyanide leaching), or thiosulfate leaching.

[0059] As used herein, "scaling" refers to the accumulation of impurities, metals, ores, elements, and / or minerals on equipment (such as settlers) used in the solvent extraction process.

[0060] As used herein, the term "metal" refers to any element (or species thereof) in the periodic table with an oxidation state higher than 0 and related to the group selected from main metals, transition metals, alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, metalloids, rare earth metals, lanthanides, actinides, semimetals, and semiconductors.

[0061] As used herein, "ore" refers to a naturally occurring solid material from which valuable substances, minerals, and / or metals can be advantageously extracted. Ores are typically mined from deposits, which include ore minerals containing valuable substances. "Gangue" minerals are minerals present in the deposit that do not contain valuable substances. Examples of deposits include hydrothermal deposits, magmatic deposits, laterite deposits, volcanogenic deposits, metamorphic reworked deposits, carbonate-alkaline igneous rock-related deposits, placer deposits, residual deposits, sedimentary deposits, sedimentary hydrothermal deposits, and impact crater-related deposits. However, ore as defined herein may also include concentrates or tailings.

[0062] The transitional terms "comprising" 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 and novel characteristics of the claimed invention". The use of the term "comprising" contemplates other embodiments "consisting of" or "consisting essentially of" the recited components.

[0063] Unless expressly stated or obvious from context, as used herein, the term "or" shall be understood to be inclusive. Unless expressly stated or obvious from context, as used herein, the terms "a", "and" and "the" shall be understood to be singular or plural.

[0064] Unless expressly stated or obvious from context, as used herein, the term "about" shall be understood to be within the normal tolerances in the art, for example within 2 standard deviations of the mean. About can be understood to be within 10%, 9%, 8%, 7%, 6%, 5%, 4%, 3%, 2%, 1%, 0.5%, 0.1%, 0.05% or 0.01% of the stated value. Unless the context clearly dictates otherwise, all numerical values provided herein are modified by the term "about".

[0065] The recitation of a list of chemical groups in any definition of a variable herein includes defining 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 portions thereof.

[0066] All references cited herein are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0067] Solvent extraction composition

[0068] In certain embodiments, the present invention provides a composition comprising a component derived from a microorganism. In certain embodiments, the composition comprises a microbial biosurfactant. In certain embodiments, the composition comprises one or more biosurfactants, and optionally includes other compounds such as water, chemical surfactants, extractants, acids, organic solvents, oximes, modified aldoximes, amines (e.g., secondary and tertiary amines), phosphates, phosphines, chelating agents (e.g., EDTA), diluents, polymers or any combination thereof.

[0069] In certain embodiments, the chemical surfactant of the solvent extraction composition is a detergent, wetting agent, emulsifier, foaming agent, and / or dispersant. In certain embodiments, the chemical surfactant is an ionic or non-ionic surfactant.

[0070] In certain embodiments, the organic solvent is ethyl acetate (EtOAc), methanol (MeOH), kerosene, toluene, dichloromethane, diethyl ether, N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF), di-2-ethylhexyl phosphoric acid (D2EHPA), tributyl phosphate (TBP), 1-phenyl-3-heptyl-1,3-propanedione, 1-phenyl-4-ethyl-1,3-octanedione, 1-(4'-dodecyl)phenyl-3-tert-butyl-1,3-propanedione, LIX-63, LIX-64, LIX-64N, chloroform, dichloromethane, 1,2-dichloroethane, or any combination thereof.

[0071] In certain embodiments, the polymer can include natural or synthetic polymers, water-soluble polymers, cationic polymers, anionic polymers, or non-ionic polymers. The polymer can be, for example, anionic polyacrylamide, modified polyacrylamide, non-ionic polyacrylamide, starch, guar gum, oil moringa seed extract, clean strychnos seed extract, gelatin (such as fish glue), alginate (such as sodium alginate), or polymeric ferric sulfate.

[0072] In certain embodiments, the acid is hydrochloric acid, ascorbic acid, oxalic acid, citric acid, sulfuric acid, or any combination thereof.

[0073] In certain embodiments, the oxime or modified aldoxime is dimethylglyoxime, salicylaldoxime, 5-nonylsalicylaldoxime, 5-nonyl-2-hydroxyacetophenone oxime, 5-dodecylsalicylaldoxime, amide oxime (such as polyacrylamide oxime), or any combination thereof.

[0074] In certain embodiments, the chelating agent can be: ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA), nitrilotris(methylene)triphosphonic acid (NTTA), trimethylenedinitrilotetraacetic acid (TMDTA), L-5-glutamyl-L-cysteinyl-glycine (GCG), calcium trisodium diethylenetriaminepentaacetate, sodium nitrilotriacetate, phosphonate, dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA), diethylenetriaminepentaacetate (DTPA), N-acetylcysteine, n-hydroxyethylethylenediaminetriacetic acid (HEDTA), organic acids having more than one coordinating group (e.g., rubeanic acid), STPP (sodium tripolyphosphate, Na5P3O 10)), trisodium phosphate (TSP), water, carbohydrates, organic acids having more than one coordinating group (e.g., citric acid), lipids, steroids, amino acids or related compounds (e.g., glutathione), peptides, phosphates, nucleotides, tetrapyrroles, ferrichromes, ionophores, orphenolics, sodium citrate, sodium gluconate, ethylenediaminedisuccinic acid (EDDS), iminodisuccinic acid (IDS), L-glutamic acid diacetic acid (GLDA), GLDA-Na4, methylglycine diacetic acid (MGDA), polyaspartic acid (PASA), hemoglobin, chlorophyll, lipophilic β-diketones, (14,16)-hentriacontanedione, ethylenediamine-N,N'-dipentanedioic 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), titanoni or any combination thereof, but not limited to this.

[0075] In certain embodiments, the diluent can be an aromatic or aliphatic diluent, such as: n-heptane, methylcyclohexane, toluene, decalin, n-octanol, and isopropyl ether.

[0076] In certain embodiments, the solvent extraction composition includes a microbially-derived product, which includes biosurfactants used in crude form. In addition to biosurfactants, the crude form can also include the fermentation broth of the microorganisms that produce biosurfactants, residual microbial cell matter or live or inactive microbial cells, residual nutrients, and / or other microbial growth by-products. The product can be, for example, at least 1 wt%, 5 wt%, 10 wt%, 25 wt%, 50 wt%, 75 wt%, or 100 wt% of the broth. By weight, the amount of biomass in the product can be any value from 0% to 100%, including all percentages therebetween.

[0077] In some embodiments, the biosurfactant is used after extraction from the fermentation broth and optionally purification.

[0078] The biosurfactant according to the present invention can be glycolipids (e.g., sophorolipids, rhamnolipids, cellobiolipids, mannosylerythritol lipids, and trehalolipids), lipopeptides (e.g., surfactin, iturin, fengycin, arthrofactin, and lichenysin), xantholipids, phospholipids (e.g., cardiolipin), fatty acid ester compounds, fatty acid ether compounds, and / or high molecular weight polymers, such as lipoproteins, lipopolysaccharide-protein complexes, and polysaccharide-protein-fatty acid complexes.

[0079] In certain specific embodiments, the biosurfactant is sophorolipid (SLP), including linear SLP, lactone SLP, acetylated SLP, deacetylated SLP, salt form SLP derivatives, 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 linear SLP or derivatized linear SLP. In certain embodiments, the subject composition may contain lactone and 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 the linear form and the remainder comprises the lactone form.

[0080] In some embodiments, the biosurfactant may be included in the composition at 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 solvent extraction composition.

[0081] In another embodiment, the purified biosurfactant may be added in combination with an acceptable carrier, wherein the concentration of the biosurfactant present may be 0.001% to 50% (v / v), preferably 0.01% to 20% (v / v), more preferably 0.02% to 5% (v / v).

[0082] In some embodiments, the biosurfactant may be included in the composition at 0.01 to 100000 ppm, 0.05 to 10000 ppm, 0.1 to 1000 ppm, 0.5 to 750 ppm, 1.0 to 500 ppm, 2.0 to 250 ppm or 3.0 to 100 ppm, for example, relative to the amount of the liquid being treated.

[0083] In certain embodiments, the chemical surfactant of the solvent extraction composition is a detergent, wetting agent, emulsifier, foaming agent, and / or dispersant. In some embodiments, the chemical surfactant may be included in the composition at 0.01 wt% to 99.9 wt%, 0.1 wt% to 90 wt%, 0.5 wt% to 80 wt%, 0.75 wt% to 70 wt%, 1.0 wt% to 50 wt%, 1.5 wt% to 25 wt% or 2.0 wt% to 15 wt% relative to the total solvent extraction composition.

[0084] The solvent extraction composition may also contain other additives such as carriers, other microbe-based compositions, additional biosurfactants, enzymes, catalysts, solvents, salts, buffers, emulsifiers, lubricants, solubility control agents, preservatives, stabilizers, UV agents, viscosity modifiers, preservatives, tracers, and other microbes, as well as other ingredients specific to the intended use.

[0085] Solvent extraction method

[0086] In certain embodiments, the present invention provides a method for recovering target metals, minerals, elements, or other compounds using solvent extraction from various sources, including, for example, mining sites and industrial sites.

[0087] In certain embodiments, the present invention provides a method for solvent extraction of ore from a mine. The method includes adding the composition of the present invention to the ore (including, for example, ore tailings or ore slurries) and recovering metals, minerals, or elements from the ore. Using the solvent extraction method, the metals, minerals, or elements can reach higher concentrations upon extraction. In a preferred embodiment, the ore is a low-grade ore, where the ore contains less than about 50%, about 40%, about 35%, about 30%, or about 25% of the target substance (e.g., the metal, mineral, compound, or element being mined), and the remainder includes gangue.

[0088] In certain embodiments, the mining site can be a coal mine, an iron mine (e.g., taconite), 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., bauxite, cyanite mine), a lead-zinc mine, a tungsten mine, a phosphate mine, a potash mine, a mica mine, a bentonite mine, a uranium mine, a vanadium mine, a thorium mine, a gallium mine, and a borax mine or a zinc mine. In certain embodiments, the ore slurries or ore tailings from a copper mine and / or a nickel mine contain silver, gold, platinum, selenium, tellurium, or any combination thereof. The mine can be an underground mine, an open-pit mine, a placer mine, or an in-situ mine.

[0089] In certain embodiments, the subject method provides a method for recovering toxic compounds: contacting the solvent extraction compound with various ores, tailings, or other solutions containing the target metal, mineral, or element. In certain embodiments, the various toxic compounds can be from mining activities. In certain embodiments, the subject method provides a method for removing the toxic compounds: contacting the solvent extraction compound with various liquids (e.g., liquids generated during smelting and / or refining processes) containing toxic substances contained in water streams, pipes, pumps, storage areas, or other aquatic environments. The toxic compounds can include, for example, cyanides, sulfur-containing minerals, soluble iron, and heavy metals such as molybdenum, tungsten, cadmium, chromium, manganese, nickel, arsenic, and vanadium.

[0090] In certain embodiments, a liquid can be pumped or otherwise added to a geological formation containing a target element, mineral, metal, or other material prior to extracting the target mineral, compound, or other material. In certain embodiments, the subject compositions and methods can be used to concentrate and / or purify the target metal, element, mineral, or other compound being sought.

[0091] In certain embodiments, the subject compositions and methods can be used to extract a target metal, element, mineral, or other compound from a mining site or industrial facility by applying the composition in situ to a solution containing the target metal, element, mineral, or other compound.

[0092] A solvent extraction composition can be applied to a solution containing a target element, mineral, metal, or other compound and optionally mixed by addition, pouring, shaking, or combination. In certain embodiments, a mechanical shaker is used to mix the solution and the solvent extraction composition.

[0093] In certain embodiments, the period of time during which the solvent extraction composition can be contacted and / or mixed with the liquid containing the target element, mineral, metal, or other compound is from 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 about 1 week, about 1 minute to about 48 hours, about 30 minutes to 40 hours, or preferably from about 1 hour to about 24 hours. In certain embodiments, the method includes applying the solvent extraction composition in liquid or solid form to the liquid for the period of time during which the liquid containing the target metal, element, mineral, or other compound is being produced or until a satisfactory amount of the recovered target metal, element, mineral, or other compound is determined, which can be readily determined by one of ordinary skill in the art.

[0094] In certain embodiments, the amount of the solvent extraction composition applied is from 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 the liquid being treated.

[0095] In certain embodiments, the method of the present invention increases the recovery of the target metal, element, mineral, or other compound by at least 25%, preferably by at least 50% after a single treatment. In certain embodiments, the liquid can be treated multiple times to further increase the amount of the recovered target metal, element, mineral, or other compound.

[0096] In certain embodiments, the solvent extraction composition according to the present invention is effective due to the amphiphile-mediated separation of target minerals, metals, elements, or other substances from other dissolved or suspended components. In some embodiments, sophorolipids or other biosurfactants are used as carriers to facilitate the solvent extraction of minerals, metals, or elements. For example, in some embodiments, sophorolipids will form micelles containing minerals, metals, or elements, where the size of the micelles is less than 1 mm, 100 μm, 50 μm, 20 μm, 10 μm, 1 μm, 100 nm, less than 50 nm, less than 25 nm, less than 15 nm, or less than 10 nm. The small size and amphiphilic nature of the micelles allow for enhanced sequestration of minerals, metals, elements, thereby enabling greater recovery of minerals, metals, or elements, and thus allowing for a more efficient solvent extraction process to occur.

[0097] In certain embodiments, the solvent extraction composition can be used in methods for treating ores, slurries, or other materials obtained by mining. In certain embodiments, the solvent extraction composition can be used for solvent extraction after grinding, tailings filling, or any combination thereof.

[0098] In certain embodiments, the solvent extraction composition can be used in ore beneficiation processes, particularly in low-grade ores containing low concentrations of target elements, minerals, metals, or other substances (such as copper, nickel, cobalt, or uranium). To extract the target element, mineral, metal, or compound, it may be necessary to crush and grind the ore and pre-concentrate or separate the target element or substance from the ore by flotation or gravity separation (i.e., sedimentation).

[0099] In certain embodiments, the solvent extraction composition can be used in leaching methods or as an alternative to leaching methods (such as the gold cyanidation process). The extraction process by leaching includes leaching (e.g., cyanide leaching), washing and filtering of the leaching slurry, extraction of metals from the leaching solution or slurry, and smelting of the finished product. In certain embodiments, the solvent extraction composition can be used instead of cyanide to recover gold from gold-containing ores.

[0100] In certain embodiments, the present invention provides a method for recovering a target metal, mineral, compound, or other substance from an aqueous solution containing the target metal, mineral, element, or other substance, the method comprising contacting the aqueous solution with an organic solution comprising a biosurfactant and an organic solvent, thereby extracting at least a portion of the target metal, mineral, compound, or other substance from the aqueous phase into the organic phase; and separating the metal, mineral, or element from the aqueous phase, thereby recovering the metal, mineral, or element.

[0101] The method according to the present invention can be applied to any stream containing a target metal, element, mineral or other compound. It is advantageously applied to streams containing a target metal, element, mineral or other compound resulting from existing leaching operations, where the target metal, element, mineral or other compound is present in solution. In such an embodiment, the target metal, element, mineral or other compound can be recovered without having a downstream impact on the leaching operation or other solvent extraction operations. Additionally, since the target metal, element, mineral or other compound is already present in solution, the target metal, element, mineral or other compound can be economically recovered without further mining costs. In certain embodiments, the concentration of the target metal, element, mineral or other compound in the leaching solution can be increased by acidifying an existing heap / waste / tailings containing the target metal, element, mineral or other compound. Other sources of the target metal, element, mineral or other compound can also be used, and in these cases additional leaching steps may be required. In such an embodiment, this additional leaching solution can be added to the existing leaching solution and processed before returning to the main leaching inventory.

[0102] Accordingly, in certain embodiments of the present invention, different acidic aqueous solutions can be used as the aqueous feed solution, such as leaching solutions from existing solvent extraction operations (i.e., copper solvent extraction operations), wash liquors from pickling equipment / smelting operations, leaching solutions from fume treatment, filter cakes, metal oxide ores, spent catalyst reprocessing, or other waste streams containing a target metal, element, mineral or other substance (such as, but not limited to, lubricant waste). More than one source of metal-containing aqueous solution can be used.

[0103] In one embodiment, prior to entering the extraction step, the metal-containing aqueous feed solution can be acidified (i.e., leached) to limit the loading of other impurities. While in current solvent extraction processes it is common practice to add acid to the leaching solution (after solvent extraction) to enhance metal dissolution, the present invention provides for adding acid to the stream of an existing solvent extraction operation before, during and / or after the extraction of the target metal, mineral or element, and before the leaching solution is returned to the main metal extraction process, to improve selectivity and recovery. The pH of the solution containing the target metal, element, mineral or other compound can be less than about 6, less than about 4, less than about 2.5 or less than about 1.

[0104] In certain embodiments, the solvent extraction composition according to the present invention is effective because it improves the phase transfer time (i.e., the transfer of the target substance from the aqueous phase to the organic phase), reduces the formation of fouling, particularly during the settling of the aqueous and organic phases, and / or prevents the loss of the extractant due to nitration and oxidation.

[0105] Advantageously, in certain embodiments, the solvent extraction compositions according to the present invention provide enhanced or improved efficiency in recovering target metals, minerals, compounds, or other substances, while having limited negative environmental impacts. Additionally, the methods of the present invention do not require complex equipment or high energy consumption and can produce the solvent extraction compositions on-site (e.g., at a mine or industrial site). In certain embodiments, the solvent extraction compositions of the present invention can enable a reduction in the use of chemical surfactants, synthetic solvent extractants, or other potentially harmful chemicals used in solvent extraction.

[0106] Production of microbial-based products

[0107] In certain embodiments, the present invention provides methods for culturing microorganisms and producing microbial metabolites and / or other by-products of microbial growth. The present invention also utilizes culturing methods that are suitable for culturing microorganisms and producing microbial metabolites on a desired scale. These culturing methods include, but are not limited to: submerged culture / fermentation, solid-state fermentation (SSF), and their modifications, mixtures, and / or combinations.

[0108] The microorganisms can be, for example, bacteria, yeast, and / or fungi. These microorganisms can be natural or genetically modified microorganisms. For example, microorganisms can be modified with specific genes to exhibit specific characteristics. The microorganisms can also be mutants of the desired strains. As used herein, "mutant" refers to a strain, genetic variant, or subtype of a reference microorganism, wherein the mutant has one or more genetic variations (e.g., point mutations, missense mutations, nonsense mutations, deletions, duplications, frameshift mutations, or repeat expansions) compared to the reference microorganism. Procedures for making mutants are well known in the field of microorganisms. For example, ultraviolet mutagenesis and nitrosoguanidine are widely used for this purpose.

[0109] In certain embodiments, the microorganism is capable of producing an amphiphile, an enzyme, a protein, and / or a biopolymer. Microbial biosurfactants are specifically produced by a variety of microorganisms, such as bacteria, fungi, and yeasts, including, for example: Agrobacterium (e.g., Agrobacterium radiobacter); Arthrobacter; Aspergillus; Aureobasidium (e.g., Aureobasidium pullulans); Azotobacter (e.g., Azotobacter vinelandii, Azotobacter chroococcum); Azospirillum (e.g., Azospirillum brasilense); Bacillus (e.g., Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, Bacillus pumilus, Bacillus cereus, Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus firmus, Bacillus laterosporus, Bacillus megaterium); Blakeslea; Candida (e.g., Candida albicans, Candida rugosa, Candida tropicalis, Candida lipolytica, Candida glabrata); Clostridium (e.g., Clostridium butyricum, Clostridium tyrobutyricum, Clostridium acetobutylicum, and Clostridium beijerinckii); Campylobacter; Corynebacterium; Cryptococcus; Debaryomyces (e.g., Debaryomyces hansenii); Entomophthora; Flavobacterium; Gordonia; Hansenula; Hanseniaspora (e.g., Hanseniaspora uvarum); Issatchenkia; Kluyveromyces; Meyerozyma (e.g., Meyerozyma guilliermondii); Mortierella; Mycorrhiza; Mycobacterium; Nocardia; Pichia (e.g., Pichia anomala, Pichia guilliermondii, Pichia occidentalis, Pichia kudriavzevii); Phycomyces; Pythium; Pseudomonas (e.g., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Pseudomonas chlororaphis, Pseudomonas putida, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Pseudomonas fragi, Pseudomonas syringae); Pseudozyma (e.g., Pseudozyma aphidis); Ralstonia (e.g., Ralstonia eutropha); Rhodococcus (e.g., Rhodococcus erythropolis); Rhodospirillum (e.g., Rhodospirillum rubrum); Rhizobium; Rhizopus; Saccharomyces (e.g., Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Saccharomyces boulardii, Saccharomyces torulas); Sphingomonas (e.g., Sphingomonas paucimobilis); Starmerella (e.g., Starmerella bombicola); Thraustochytrium; Torulopsis; Ustilago (e.g., Ustilago maydis); Wickerhamomyces (e.g., Wickerhamomyces anomalus); Williopsis; and / or Zygosaccharomyces (e.g., Zygosaccharomyces bailii).

[0110] In a preferred embodiment, the microorganism is a yeast of the genus Starmerella and / or Candida, such as Starmerella bombicola (Candida), Candida mellicola, Candida batistae, Candida inositovora, Candida ryodensis, Candida stellata, and / or Candida guilliermondii. In a specific embodiment, the microorganism is Starmerella bombicola, such as strain ATCC 22214.

[0111] As used herein, "fermentation" refers to the cultivation or growth of cells under controlled conditions. The growth can be aerobic or anaerobic. In a preferred embodiment, SSF and / or its modified versions are used to cultivate microorganisms.

[0112] In one embodiment, the present invention provides materials and methods for producing biomass (such as living cell matter), extracellular metabolites (such as small molecules and secreted proteins), residual nutrients, and / or intracellular components (such as enzymes and other proteins).

[0113] The microbial growth container used according to the present invention can be any industrial fermenter or culture reactor. In one embodiment, the container can have functional controls / sensors or can be connected to functional controls / sensors to measure important factors during the cultivation process, such as pH, oxygen, pressure, temperature, humidity, microbial density, and / or metabolite concentration.

[0114] In another embodiment, the container can also monitor the growth of microorganisms within the container (e.g., measuring cell number and growth stage). Alternatively, daily samples can be taken from the container and counted by techniques known in the art (such as the dilution plate technique). The dilution plate technique is a simple technique for estimating the number of organisms in a sample. This technique can also provide an index for comparing different environments or treatments.

[0115] In one embodiment, the method includes supplementing the cultivation with a nitrogen source. The nitrogen source can be, for example, potassium nitrate, ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulfate, ammonium phosphate, ammonia, urea, and / or ammonium chloride. These nitrogen sources can be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0116] The method can provide oxygen for the growing culture. One embodiment utilizes the slow movement of air to remove low-oxygen air and introduce oxygen-rich air. In the case of deep fermentation, the oxygen-rich air can be ambient air supplemented daily through a mechanism including an impeller for mechanically agitating the liquid and an air sparger for providing bubbles to the liquid to dissolve oxygen into the liquid.

[0117] The method can also include supplementing the cultivation with a carbon source. The carbon source is typically: carbohydrates, such as glucose, sucrose, lactose, fructose, trehalose, mannose, mannitol, and / or maltose; organic acids, such as acetic acid, fumaric acid, citric acid, propionic acid, malic acid, malonic acid, and / or pyruvic acid; alcohols, such as ethanol, propanol, butanol, pentanol, hexanol, isobutanol, and / or glycerol; oils and fats, such as soybean oil, rapeseed oil, rice bran oil, olive oil, corn oil, sesame oil, and / or linseed oil, etc. These carbon sources can be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0118] In one embodiment, the culture medium contains growth factors and micronutrients for the microorganism. This is particularly preferred when culturing microorganisms that cannot produce all the vitamins they require. The culture medium may also contain inorganic nutrients, including trace elements such as iron, zinc, copper, manganese, molybdenum, and / or cobalt. In addition, sources of vitamins, essential amino acids, and trace elements may be included, for example, in the form of flour or meal (such as cornmeal), or in the form of extracts (such as yeast extract, potato extract, beef extract, soybean extract, banana peel extract, etc.), or in purified form. Amino acids, such as those useful for protein biosynthesis, may also be included.

[0119] In one embodiment, inorganic salts may also be included. Usable inorganic salts may be potassium dihydrogen phosphate, dipotassium hydrogen phosphate, disodium hydrogen phosphate, magnesium sulfate, magnesium chloride, ferrous sulfate, ferric chloride, manganese sulfate, manganese chloride, zinc sulfate, lead chloride, copper sulfate, calcium chloride, sodium chloride, calcium carbonate, and / or sodium carbonate. These inorganic salts may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0120] In some embodiments, the culturing method may further include adding additional acids and / or antibacterial agents to the culture medium before and / or during the culturing process. Antibacterial agents or antibiotics are used to protect the culture from contamination.

[0121] In addition, an antifoaming agent may be added to prevent the formation and / or accumulation of foam during the deep culturing process.

[0122] The pH of the mixture should be suitable for the target microorganism. Buffers and pH regulators (such as carbonates and phosphates) may be used to stabilize the pH value near the preferred value. When metal ions are present at high concentrations, chelating agents may be required in the culture medium.

[0123] The microorganism may grow in the form of plankton or as a biofilm. In the case of a biofilm, there may be a substrate inside the container on which the microorganism can grow in a biofilm state. The system may also have the ability to apply stimuli (such as shear stress) that promote and / or improve the biofilm growth characteristics.

[0124] In one embodiment, the microorganism culturing method is carried out at about 5° to about 100 °C, preferably 15 to 60 °C, more preferably 25 to 50 °C. In another embodiment, the culturing may be carried out continuously at a constant temperature. In another embodiment, the culturing may be subjected to varying temperatures.

[0125] In one embodiment, the method and the equipment used in the culturing process are sterile. The culturing equipment (e.g., reactor / vessel) can be separated but connected to a sterilization unit (e.g., autoclave). The culturing equipment can also have a sterilization unit that sterilizes in situ before inoculation begins. 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, the culture medium can be pasteurized, or alternatively no heat can be added at all, where low water activity and low pH can be utilized to control unwanted bacterial growth.

[0126] In one embodiment, the present invention also provides a method for producing a microbial metabolite and optionally purifying the metabolite by culturing a microbial strain of the present invention under conditions suitable for growth and metabolite production, the metabolite being, for example: biosurfactant, enzyme, protein, ethanol, lactic acid, β-glucan, peptide, metabolic intermediate, polyunsaturated fatty acid, and lipid. The metabolite content produced by this method can be, for example, at least 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, or 90%.

[0127] Microbial growth by-products produced by the target microorganism 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 by-products.

[0128] The biomass content of the fermentation medium can be, for example, 5 g / l to 180 g / l or more, or 10 g / l to 150 g / l.

[0129] The cell concentration can be, for example, at least 1x10 6 to 1x10 12 、1x10 7 to 1x10 11 、1x10 8 to 1x10 10 、or 1x10 9 CFU / ml.

[0130] The method and equipment for culturing microorganisms and producing microbial by-products can be carried out batchwise, semi-continuously, or continuously.

[0131] In one embodiment, after culturing is completed (e.g., after reaching the desired cell density or the density of the specified metabolite), all microbial culture compositions are removed. In this batch procedure, a completely new batch is initiated after the first batch is harvested.

[0132] In another embodiment, only a portion of the fermentation product is removed at any one time. In this embodiment, the biomass having live cells, spores, conidia, hyphae, and / or mycelia is retained in the vessel as an inoculum for a new culture batch. The removed composition can be a cell-free medium or can contain cells, spores, or other propagules and / or combinations thereof. In this way, a quasi-continuous system is created.

[0133] Advantageously, the method does not require complex equipment or high energy consumption. The target microorganism can be cultured and utilized on-site on a small or large scale, even while it is still mixed with the medium.

[0134] In certain embodiments, the present invention provides a "microorganism-based composition", meaning a composition containing components produced by the growth of microorganisms or other cell cultures. Thus, a microorganism-based composition can include the microorganisms themselves and / or by-products of microorganism growth. The microorganisms can be in a vegetative state, spore form, hyphal form, any other form of propagule, or a mixture thereof. The microorganisms can be in a planktonic or biofilm form, or a mixture of both. By-products of growth can be, for example, metabolites, cell membrane components, expressed proteins, and / or other cellular components. The microorganisms can be intact or lysed. The microorganisms can be present in the composition or removed from the composition. The microorganisms can be present in the microorganism-based composition together with the broth in which they were grown. The concentration of cells present can be, for example, at least 1x10 3 、1x10 4 、1x10 5 、1x10 6 、1x10 7 、1x10 8 、1x10 9 、1x10 10 、1x10 11 、1x10 12 、1x10 13 CFU or more.

[0135] The present invention also provides "microbial-based products", which are products that are applied in practice to achieve the desired results. Microbial-based products can simply be microbial-based compositions harvested from a microbial culture process. Alternatively, microbial-based products can include other added ingredients. These additional ingredients can include, for example, stabilizers, acids, buffers, carriers (such as water, salt solutions, or any other suitable carrier), added nutrients to support further microbial growth, non-nutritional growth promoters, and / or agents to facilitate the tracking of the microbes and / or the composition in the environment in which it is applied. Microbial-based products can also include mixtures of microbial-based compositions. Microbial-based products can also include one or more components of a microbial-based composition that have been processed in some way (such as but not limited to filtration, centrifugation, lysis, drying, purification, etc.).

[0136] A microbial-based product of the present invention is simply a fermentation medium containing microbes and / or microbial metabolites produced by the microbes and / or any residual nutrients. The fermentation product can be used directly without extraction or purification. If needed, extraction and purification can be easily achieved using standard extraction and / or purification methods or techniques described in the literature.

[0137] The microbes in the microbial-based product can be in an active or inactive form, or in the form of: vegetative cells, reproductive spores, conidia, mycelia, hyphae, or any other form of microbial propagules. The microbial-based product can also contain any combination of these forms of microbes.

[0138] In one embodiment, microbes of different strains are grown separately and then mixed together to produce a microbial-based product. The microbes can optionally be mixed with the medium in which they are grown and dried before mixing.

[0139] Microbial-based products can be used without further stabilization, preservation, and storage. Advantageously, directly using these microbial-based products can maintain the high viability of the microbes, reduce the possibility of foreign agent and unwanted microbial contamination, and maintain the activity of microbial growth by-products.

[0140] After harvesting the microbial-based composition from the growth vessel, other ingredients can be added when placing the harvested product in a container or otherwise transporting it for use. The additives can be, for example, buffers, carriers, other microbial-based compositions produced in the same or different equipment, viscosity modifiers, preservatives, nutrients for microbial growth, surfactants, emulsifiers, lubricants, solubility control agents, tracers, solvents, antimicrobial agents, antibiotics, pH regulators, chelating agents, stabilizers, anti-ultraviolet agents, other microbes, and other suitable additives commonly used in such preparations.

[0141] Optionally, the product can be stored before use. The storage time is preferably short. Thus, the storage time can 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 live cells are present in the product, the product is stored at a low temperature, such as below 20 °C, 15 °C, 10 °C or 5 °C. On the other hand, the biosurfactant composition can generally be stored at ambient temperature.

Claims

1. A solvent extraction method, the method comprising: a) contacting a solvent extraction composition comprising an extractant and an organic solvent with a liquid containing a metal, a mineral or an element; and b) recovering the metal, the mineral or the element from the liquid, wherein the extractant is a biosurfactant.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the recovery comprises settling a mixture of the solvent extraction composition and a liquid containing a metal, a mineral or an element.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein at least two different phases are formed during the settling, wherein the first phase is an organic phase containing a metal, a mineral or an element, and the second phase is an aqueous phase.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the contacting comprises mixing the solvent extraction composition and the liquid for at least about 1 minute to about 24 hours.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the liquid is an ore tailing or an ore slurry.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the ore slurry or the ore tailing is from a coal mine, an iron mine, a copper mine, a cobalt 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 potassium salt mine, a mica mine, a bentonite mine, a uranium mine, a vanadium mine, a thorium mine, a gallium mine, a borax mine or a zinc mine.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the aluminum mine is a cyanite mine or a bauxite mine.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the ore slurry or the ore tailing from a copper mine and / or a nickel mine comprises silver, gold, platinum, selenium, tellurium or any combination thereof.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the solvent extraction composition further comprises a chemical surfactant, an extractant, an acid, an organic solvent, an oxime, a modified aldoxime, an amine, a phosphate, a phosphine, a chelating agent, a diluent, a polymer, water or any combination thereof.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the solvent extraction composition is in liquid form.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the biosurfactant is a glycolipid and / or an inactivated yeast culture containing a glycolipid.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the inactivated yeast culture is a yeast of the genus Starmerella and / or the genus Candida.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the glycolipid is sophorolipid, mannosylerythritol lipid, trehalose lipid, rhamnolipid or any combination thereof.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the sophorolipid is a linear sophorolipid or a lactone sophorolipid.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the liquid further comprises a toxic substance or gangue.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the toxic substance is cyanide, sulfur-containing minerals, soluble iron, molybdenum, tungsten, cadmium, chromium, manganese, nickel, arsenic or vanadium.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein the solvent extraction comprises recovering an element, mineral or metal from the liquid by one or a combination of the following: a) intercepting the element, mineral or metal from the aqueous phase into the organic phase; b) forming an organically soluble salt with an anion; or c) reacting with a cation; or d) sedimenting the element, mineral or metal.

18. A solvent extraction composition comprising a glycolipid and / or an inactivated yeast culture containing a glycolipid, and one or more conventional solvent extraction components.

19. The composition according to claim 18, wherein the inactivated yeast culture is a yeast of the genus Starmerella and / or Candida.

20. The composition according to claim 18, wherein the glycolipid is sophorolipid, mannosylerythritol lipid, trehalolipid, rhamnolipid or any combination thereof.

21. The composition according to claim 20, wherein the sophorolipid is linear sophorolipid or lactone sophorolipid.

22. The composition according to claim 18, wherein the conventional solvent extraction components are selected from one or a combination of the following: a) a chemical surfactant; b) a polymer; c) water; d) an extractant; e) an acid; f) an organic solvent; g) an oxime; h) a modified aldoxime; i) an amine; j) a phosphate; k) a phosphine; l) a chelating agent; m) a diluent; or n) a polymer.

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