Abstract: Growth of Acinitobacter Sp. ATCC 31012 on certain substrates produces a new class of extracellular microbial protein-associated lipopolysaccharides (the ".alpha.-emulsans"). .alpha.-Emulsans exhibit a high degree of specificity in the emulsification of hydrocarbon substrates which contain both aliphatic and aromatic or cyclic components, which are typical of the hydrocarbonaceous residues found in oil-contaminated vessels, such as tankers, barges, storage tanks, tank cars and trucks, pipelines and other oil-contaminated containers used to transport or store crude oil in petroleum fractions. These oil-contaminated vessels may be cleaned by washing the oil-contaminated surfaces of such vessels with an aqueous solution in sea water or fresh water containing from about 10 mcg/ml to about 20 mg/ml of .alpha.

Abstract: Growth of Arthrobacter Sp. ATCC 31012 on ethanol has been used to produce a new class of extracellular micro bial protein-associated lipopolysaccharides (the ".alpha.-emulsans") which, on a weight-for-weight basis, are probably the most efficient emulsifiers discovered and which possess certain characteristics that permit these unique extracellular microbial lipopolysaccharides to be widely used in cleaning oil-contaminated vessels, oil spill management, and enhanced oil recovery by chemical flooding. Deproteinization of .alpha.-emulsans by hot phenol extraction produces the lipopolysaccharide components (the "apo-.alpha.-emulsans") of such .alpha.-emulsans, which components have been shown to be completely N-acylated and partially O-acylated heteropolysaccharides made up of major amounts of D-galactosamine and an aminouronic acid, the O-lipoacyl portions of such apo-.alpha.

Abstract: Growth of Arthrobacter Sp. ATCC 31012 on fatty acid substrates produces a new class of extracellular microbial protein-associated lipopolysaccharides (the ".alpha.-emulsans"). Deproteinization of .alpha.-emulsans by hot phenol extraction produces the lipopolysaccharide components (the "apo-.alpha.-emulsans") of such emulsans, which components have been shown to be completely N-acylated and partially O-acylated heteropolysaccharides made up of major amounts of D-galactosamine and an aminouronic acid, such apo-.alpha.-emulsans containing at least 5 percent by weight of O-substituted fatty acid esters in which the fatty acids contain from about 10 to about 18 carbon atoms. .alpha.-Emulsans and apo-.alpha.-emulsans, both of which biopolymers are strongly anionic, exhibit a high degree of specificity in the emulsification of hydrocarbon substrates which contain both aliphatic and cyclic components.