Patents by Inventor Kenneth Yee

Kenneth Yee has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 7226765
    Abstract: Processes for the extraction of PHAs from biomass, said processes comprising: combining the biomass containing the PHAs with a single main solvent to form a biomass liquor; heating the biomass liquor to at least partially solubilize the PHAs from the biomass to form a PHA liquor; separating the biomass from the PHA liquor to form a PHA-enriched liquor; evaporating from 0% to about 50% of the single main solvent from the PHA-enriched liquor to form a solvent vapor and a concentrated PHA-enriched liquor; and cooling the concentrated PHA-enriched liquor to form precipitated PHAs and an impure solvent liquor. Optionally, further recovering the precipitated PHAs from the impure solvent liquor by filtration under pressure. A PHA-enriched liquor and a concentrated PHA-enriched liquor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2007
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: Karunakaran Narasimhan, Kenneth Yee, Angella Christine Cearley, Donald Levengood, Guo-Qiang Chen
  • Patent number: 7153928
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for easily obtaining a biodegradable polyhydroxyalkanoate by a solvent extraction method. A method for producing a polyhydroxyalkanoate crystal comprises mixing a solution of a polyhydroxyalkanoate in a good solvent with a poor solvent at 50 to 130° C. to precipitate a polyhydroxyalkanoate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2006
    Assignees: Kaneka Corporation, The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: Koichi Kinoshita, Fumio Osakada, Yasuyoshi Ueda, Karunakaran Narasimhan, Angella Christine Cearley, Kenneth Yee, Isao Noda
  • Patent number: 7098298
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for conveniently obtaining a biodegradable polyhydroxyalkanoate by a solvent extraction method. A method for producing a polyhydroxyalkanoate crystal comprises precipitating a polyhydroxyalkanoate crystal using a monohydric alcohol having 4 to 10 carbon atoms as a extraction solvent, keeping a polyhydroxyalkanoate solution containing 0.1 to 10% by weight of water relative to the total amount of the solution warm at 70° C. or higher, and cooling the solution to below 70° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2006
    Assignees: Kaneka Corporation, Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: Koichi Kinoshita, Fumio Osakada, Yasuyoshi Ueda, Karunakaran Narasimhan, Angella Christine Cearley, Kenneth Yee, Isao Noda
  • Publication number: 20050287653
    Abstract: Processes for the extraction of PHAs from biomass, said processes comprising: combining the biomass containing the PHAs with a single main solvent to form a biomass liquor; heating the biomass liquor to at least partially solubilize the PHAs from the biomass to form a PHA liquor; separating the biomass from the PHA liquor to form a PHA-enriched liquor; evaporating from 0% to about 50% of the single main solvent from the PHA-enriched liquor to form a solvent vapor and a concentrated PHA-enriched liquor; and cooling the concentrated PHA-enriched liquor to form precipitated PHAs and an impure solvent liquor. Optionally, further recovering the precipitated PHAs from the impure solvent liquor by filtration under pressure. A PHA-enriched liquor and a concentrated PHA-enriched liquor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2005
    Publication date: December 29, 2005
    Inventors: Karunakaran Narasimhan, Kenneth Yee, Angella Cearley, Donald Levengood, Guo-Qiang Chen
  • Publication number: 20050239998
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for obtaining a biodegradable polyhydroxyalkanoate by a solvent extraction method without causing a significant molecular weight decrease. The present invention relates to a method for producing a polyhydroxyalkanoate which comprises extracting a polyhydroxyalkanoate from a polyhydroxyalkanoate-containing biomass having the water content of 5% by weight or less using an extraction solvent, crystallizing, and recovering the resultant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2005
    Publication date: October 27, 2005
    Inventors: Koichi Kinoshita, Yoshifumi Yanagida, Fumio Osakada, Yasuyoshi Ueda, Karunakaran Narasimhan, Angella Cearley, Kenneth Yee, Isao Noda
  • Publication number: 20050228168
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for conveniently obtaining a biodegradable polyhydroxyalkanoate by a solvent extraction method. A method for producing a polyhydroxyalkanoate crystal comprises precipitating a polyhydroxyalkanoate crystal using a monohydric alcohol having 4 to 10 carbon atoms as a extraction solvent, keeping a polyhydroxyalkanoate solution containing 0.1 to 10% by weight of water relative to the total amount of the solution warm at 70° C. or higher, and cooling the solution to below 70° C.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2004
    Publication date: October 13, 2005
    Inventors: Koichi Kinoshita, Fumio Osakada, Yasuyoshi Ueda, Karunakaran Narasimhan, Angella Cearley, Kenneth Yee, Isao Noda
  • Publication number: 20050222373
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for easily obtaining a biodegradable polyhydroxyalkanoate by a solvent extraction method. A method for producing a polyhydroxyalkanoate crystal which comprises mixing a solution of a polyhydroxyalkanoate in a good solvent with a poor solvent at 50 to 130° C. to precipitate a polyhydroxyalkanoate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2004
    Publication date: October 6, 2005
    Inventors: Koichi Kinoshita, Fumio Osakada, Yasuyoshi Ueda, Karunakaran Narasimhan, Angella Cearley, Kenneth Yee, Isao Noda