Research lab at California State University Long Beach collaborated on methodology
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--OriginOil, Inc. (OOIL), the developer of a breakthrough technology to transform algae, the most promising source of renewable oil, into a true competitor to petroleum, today announced that Single Step Extraction™, OriginOil's low energy process to extract oil from algae, has reached the highest industry standards for oil extraction efficiency.
In a long-running collaboration with an advanced research lab at California State University, Long Beach, OriginOil has optimized its Single Step Extraction process to reach the highest industry level for algae oil extraction. The typical efficiency for oil extraction is 94-97%. OriginOil's recent breakthrough can extract up to 97% of the oil from algae cells.
"This level of efficiency is astonishing for a process that requires less than a tenth of the energy of conventional processes, and without needing chemicals," said Riggs Eckelberry, OriginOil's CEO. "I congratulate our lead researcher, Dr. Dheeban Kannan, and the team at Cal-State Long Beach IIRMES for their achievement and very hard work."
"We have been working with OriginOil of Los Angeles for the past several months developing a method for lipid determination and we now feel that we have a very reliable method," said Richard Gossett, Director of the Institute for Integrated Research in Materials, Environments and Societies (IIRMES), an advanced research and analytical laboratory at California State University, Long Beach. "Using this method, we have tested OriginOil's Single-Step Extraction process with excellent results. With the optimization of this procedure, we look forward to welcoming other algae companies to use our laboratory."
A time-lapse video of OriginOil's Single Step Process is available at www.originoil.com, beginning with a batch of algae that has just gone through the process. In less than an hour, the oil, water and biomass separate by gravity alone. Unlike conventional systems, no chemicals or heavy machinery are used in this single-step process, and no initial dewatering is required.
OriginOil chief scientist Dr Vikram Pattarkine said, "With the performance efficiency of our process now validated, we can proceed with system level optimizations and pilot scale development with our commercial partners."
Harvesting algae is a challenge. Algae grows suspended in large volumes of water. Once ready for harvest, the algae culture must be concentrated and the oil extracted from each cell. Then, the oil, water and biomass must all be separated for processing. OriginOil's Single Step Extraction achieves all these steps in one pass.
In the process, the company's Quantum Fracturing™ technology combines with electromagnetic pulses and pH modification to break down cell walls, thereby releasing the oil within these cells. Algae oil rises to the top for skimming and refining, while the remaining biomass settles to the bottom for further processing as fuel and other valuable products.
About OriginOil, Inc.
OriginOil, Inc. is developing a breakthrough technology that will transform algae, the most promising source of renewable oil, into a true competitor to petroleum. Much of the world's oil and gas is made up of ancient algae deposits. Today, our technology will produce "new oil" from algae, through a cost-effective, high-speed manufacturing process. This endless supply of new oil can be used for many products, such as diesel, gasoline, jet fuel, plastics and solvents, without the global warming effects of petroleum. Other oil-producing feedstock, such as corn and sugarcane, often destroy vital farmlands and rainforests, disrupt global food supplies and create new environmental problems. Our unique technology, based on algae, is targeted at fundamentally changing our source of oil without disrupting the environment or food supplies. To learn more about OriginOil™, please visit our website at www.originoil.com.
Safe Harbor Statement:
Matters discussed in this press release contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. When used in this press release, the words "anticipate,believe,estimate,may,intend,expect" and similar expressions identify such forward-looking statements. Actual results, performance or achievements could differ materially from those contemplated, expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements contained herein, and while expected, there is no guarantee that we will attain the aforementioned anticipated developmental milestones. These forward-looking statements are based largely on the expectations of the Company and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. These include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties associated with: the impact of economic, competitive and other factors affecting the Company and its operations, markets, product, and distributor performance, the impact on the national and local economies resulting from terrorist actions, and U.S. actions subsequently; and other factors detailed in reports filed by the Company.
Abstract:
OriginOil's collaboration with CSU Long Beach to optimize algae to oil leader's Single Step Extraction™ technology results in highest industry efficiency standards.
Keywords:
algae to oil, algae oil, csulb algae, dheeban kannan, iirmes, iirmes algae, originoil, ooil, renewable oil, riggs eckelberry, vikram pattarkine
