Published February 1970
This report is concerned with the production of edible proteins from petroleum hydrocarbons. Although "commercial" production has been reported in the USSR and several large scale operations have been proposed or are being built in the United Kingdom, France, Japan, and India, commercialization of these "petro-proteins" or "single cell proteins" is still in the early stages of development.
The scope of this report is limited to a survey of current activities in the field and the current state of the art and technology. Processes for producing proteins using gas oil (and other petroleum fractions), purified n-paraffins, and natural gas as a carbon source for yeast or bacteria growth are reviewed. A representative design and cost estimates have been made for each feedstock based on certain design and operating assumptions. A brief survey of the work done on the cultivation of microorganisms from other "nonconventional" sources, e.g., sulfite waste liquor, fish, oilseed, cellulosic wastes, algae, coal-derived materials, and starch, also is included in this report.
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