Production of adhesives and other glue-like materials from unextracted sewage treatment plant sludges, animal manures and animal manure-based sludges, and bacterial/fungal cells and cell components s as derived from culturing operations
Inventors
Chirdon, William • Zappi, Mark • Hernandez, Rafael • Trahan, Chelsea
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-11891547-B2
Publication Date
2024-02-06
Expiration Date
Abstract
A system and method for treatment of biomass originating from wastewater treatment biosolids to obtain valuable adhesives and composite materials is described herein. Some embodiments do not require purification of a biomass product or residue to produce an adhesive.
Core Innovation
The invention relates to a method for producing an adhesive from biomass by denaturing proteins in the biomass to generate an adhesive product without requiring any prior extractions. The denaturing step is a heated, alkaline-based process while under high shear, and the resulting adhesive product is characterized by a shear strength of greater than 350 psi.
The described approach addresses the conversion of unextracted wastewater biosolids/sludges, animal manures/manure-based sludges, and bacterial/fungal cells, including cultured microbial materials, into protein-based adhesives without prior protein extraction or delipification. The process seeks extensive protein denaturation while limiting hydrolysis by operating within a defined process window for heated alkaline high-shear conditions.
The implementation includes alkaline conditions of pH 10-14 and heated temperatures of 0-120°C with reaction times ranging from seconds to hours. Reported findings link reaction time to adhesive strength and indicate improved adhesive performance when purified plant protein is mixed with biosolids, supported by gel permeation chromatography evidence of increased molecular weight after denaturing.
Claims Coverage
The content includes two independent claims. Both independent claims center on denaturing proteins in biomass using a heated, alkaline-based high-shear process without prior extractions, and both require adhesive performance of greater than 350 psi, with the second independent claim adding a molecular weight requirement and a defined protein/biomass mixing ratio.
Heated, alkaline-based protein denaturing without prior extraction under high shear
Denaturing proteins in biomass to generate an adhesive product without requiring any prior extractions, wherein the denaturing step is a heated, alkaline-based process while under high shear.
Adhesive product shear strength greater than 350 psi
The adhesive product has a shear strength of greater than 350 psi.
Mixing purified plant protein with waste-source biomass before denaturing
Mixing 20-62.5% purified plant protein with 37.5%-80% biomass obtained from a waste source to form a biomass and protein mixture.
Heated, alkaline-based high-shear denaturing with defined reaction time to achieve molecular weight greater than 50,000 daltons
Denaturing the biomass and protein mixture without any prior extractions in a heated, alkaline-based process while under high shear with a reaction time of between 30 seconds to 20 minutes to form an adhesive with a shear strength of greater than 350 psi and a molecular weight greater than 50,000 daltons.
Waste-source biomass selected from primary sludge, secondary sludge, and biosolids
The biomass obtained from a waste source is wastewater treatment sludge selected from primary sludge, secondary sludge, and biosolids.
Across the independent claims, the core claim coverage requires protein denaturation in biomass using a heated alkaline high-shear process without prior extractions to produce an adhesive with shear strength greater than 350 psi. The second independent claim additionally requires denaturing a defined mixture of purified plant protein and waste-source biomass for 30 seconds to 20 minutes to yield an adhesive with molecular weight greater than 50,000 daltons, where the waste-source biomass is wastewater treatment sludge selected from primary sludge, secondary sludge, and biosolids.
Stated Advantages
Documented Applications
No documented applications found
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