Answers to the questions buyers ask most often about biological deodorisers, wastewater cultures, oilfield bio-additives, sampling, pricing, shipping and trials. If your question is not here, send it with your operating data and we will answer in writing.
About 91bio How the products work Samples, MOQ and pricing Shipping, documents and payment Application, storage and shelf life Trials, support and next steps Oilfield products: which one, and when
For anything not covered below: sales@z001.com.cn or the inquiry form. We reply the same working day.
Frequently asked questions
40 questions grouped by stage of the buying process. Last updated 8 October 2026.
About 91bio
Are you a manufacturer or a trading company?
We are a manufacturer. Strains are selected and screened in-house, fermentation and formulation run on our own plant, and the key cultures and glycolipid surfactants are produced there rather than bought in and blended. You can verify this from the fermentation and quality documentation supplied with the quotation.
Where are you based, and how much can you produce?
Our plant is in Zibo, Shandong, China, with an annual fermentation capacity of 80,000 tonnes, and four subsidiaries covering formulation, application engineering and export. The company profile and the qualification list are on the About page.
What certifications and qualifications do you hold?
We are certified as a National High-Tech Enterprise and hold 10+ granted patents, with a strain library of 200+ characterised strains. Certificates and quality-system documents are listed on our Documents page — if you need a specific certificate for a tender, ask for it and we will tell you plainly whether we hold it.
Which countries do you export to?
We supply customers in the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Africa, and we arrange the export documentation for the destination country as part of the order. If your country requires an import permit for live microbial products, tell us at the quotation stage so there is time to obtain it.
Is there published research behind the products?
Yes. We work with university partners on peer-reviewed studies relevant to biofilm control, eutrophication and composting, and we publish plain-language summaries in our Research section. These are research references and background reading, not product performance claims.
How the products work
How does a biological deodoriser work?
A biological deodoriser is built on a compound microbial community. The microbes metabolise ammonia, hydrogen sulphide and methanethiol — the substances that cause the odour — into carbon dioxide, water and inorganic salts. Because the pollutant is broken down at source rather than masked or absorbed, no secondary waste stream is produced.
Where do wastewater treatment cultures get used?
They are used in municipal wastewater treatment, livestock wastewater, food-processing wastewater and landfill leachate. The cultures degrade chemical oxygen demand (COD), ammonia nitrogen and total phosphorus, and are selected for their tolerance to shock loading.
Botanical extract or biological deodoriser — which one?
Botanical extract products are compounded from plant extracts. They act quickly and suit short-lived, high-concentration odour events, such as waste transfer stations and public toilets. Biological deodorisers rely on sustained microbial degradation and suit sites that need stable, long-term control. Selection depends on the odour composition, its concentration and the required service period.
What is a biological foaming agent used for in oil and gas?
It is used in gas-well deliquification: it lowers the pressure of the liquid column in the wellbore so the well can carry liquid more effectively, supporting production from wells that have accumulated liquid. Bio-based foaming agents are biodegradable and place a lower burden on the formation and the environment. Dosage and process design are determined from well data and field trials.
Are samples and technical support available?
Product samples can be supplied for trial use, together with selection advice and on-site application guidance. The technical proposal is prepared against the water quality data or operating conditions of your site.
Samples, MOQ and pricing
What is your minimum order quantity?
MOQ depends on the product and the packaging. Biological cultures are supplied in the smallest viable pack for a trial first order, and bulk quantities are quoted once the required dose and the size of the installation are known. Tell us the application and we will state the MOQ and the packaging options in the quotation.
Can you supply samples before a bulk order?
Yes. Samples for trial use can be supplied together with selection advice and on-site application guidance, so the product is tested under your own operating conditions before a bulk order is committed.
Are samples free of charge?
Trial-size samples are normally supplied against the freight cost, and where a sample charge applies it is credited against your first bulk order. State the product and the quantity and we will confirm the exact terms in writing before anything is dispatched.
How much does a biological product cost?
We do not publish a price list, because the dose — and therefore the cost per cubic metre or per tonne treated — depends on the load and the application, not on the product alone. Send the application data and the quantity and we will quote the unit price together with the estimated cost per unit treated, so you can compare it against your current programme.
Do you supply under our own label?
Yes. Products can be filled and labelled to your specification, subject to a minimum quantity per SKU. The route from formulation to artwork to filling is described on the Customisation page.
Can you develop a formulation for our specific problem?
Yes. Customisation covers strain selection, viable count, carrier, packaging and dosing regime, and it starts from your operating data rather than from a catalogue. See Customisation, or send the problem directly and we will tell you whether microbiology is the right tool for it.
Shipping, documents and payment
How are the products shipped, and what documents are supplied?
Products are quoted FOB or CIF. MSDS / SDS is issued per product, and a COA is issued per production batch and supplied with the shipment. Export quarantine approval and the non-dangerous goods assessment are arranged for the destination country before shipment. Tell us the destination country and we will confirm exactly which documents apply.
What payment terms do you accept?
T/T is standard — a deposit with the order and the balance before shipment — and L/C at sight is accepted for larger orders. The exact split depends on the order value and the destination, and it is stated in the proforma invoice rather than left to be agreed later.
What is the lead time?
Lead time is quoted per order. Stocked products ship within days of payment, while made-to-order formulations follow the fermentation and filling schedule. The firm delivery date is written into the proforma invoice rather than given as a range.
Are live microbial products restricted in transport?
They are normally shipped as non-dangerous goods, but several countries require import quarantine approval or a permit for live microbial products. We obtain the non-dangerous goods assessment and prepare the export quarantine documents for your destination before shipment — which is why we ask for the destination country early.
Which Incoterms do you quote?
FOB and CIF are quoted as standard, and other terms can be discussed for regular volumes. The Incoterm and its validity period are both stated in the quotation.
Application, storage and shelf life
How should a biological product be stored and applied?
Storage and dosing depend on the product and the application — culture activity, carrier, water content and the dosing regime all matter. We supply the handling and storage instructions with the shipment, and the dosing guidance is prepared against your water or air data so it reflects your installation rather than a generic protocol.
What is the shelf life?
Shelf life is product-specific and is stated on the label and on the COA of the batch you receive, assuming sealed, cool, dry and shaded storage as set out in the handling instructions. We do not quote one figure for the whole catalogue, because the carrier and the viable count differ by product.
What temperature and pH do the cultures need?
Operating ranges are product-specific and are given in the product specification. Send us your water or air temperature and pH and we will select a culture matched to them — this is the main reason we ask for operating data before quoting.
Can biological products be used alongside disinfectants or chlorine?
Not at the same point or the same time: oxidising biocides, chlorine and disinfectants will kill the culture you have just added. In practice the biological dose is separated from chemical dosing in time or in location, and we will specify the separation needed for your process.
How soon will we see a result?
Typical onset is days for odour control and weeks for a wastewater or water-body programme, and it depends on dose, temperature and load rather than on the product alone. Before the trial starts we agree what to measure and when, so the result is judged on data rather than on impression.
Trials, support and next steps
How do we run a trial, and how is success measured?
We agree the trial before it starts: the baseline, the dosing point and rate, the parameters to be measured — H2S or NH3 concentration for odour, COD, ammonia nitrogen and total phosphorus for water — and the measurement frequency. Success is then judged against those agreed parameters, not against a generic percentage.
What happens if the product does not perform?
We diagnose rather than argue. Send the operating data and the dosing record and we will check whether the selection, the dose or the application point is wrong, then adjust the programme or the product. This is why we ask for operating data before quoting rather than after.
What technical support comes after delivery?
Written handling and dosing guidance is supplied with the shipment, followed by remote support by email or phone. On-site commissioning and operator training can be provided and are quoted as separate line items.
How long does a quotation take?
A written technical proposal is returned within 48 hours of receiving the operating data. That proposal states the product selection, the dosing approach, the packaging and the Incoterm with its validity, so you can evaluate it against your own technical file.
What information do you need to quote a biological product?
For an odour application: the odour source, the air volume or flow rate, and the concentration and duration of the odour event. For a wastewater application: COD, ammonia nitrogen, total nitrogen and phosphorus, retention time and the current treatment process. For an oilfield application: fluid properties, well or reservoir conditions, and the problem to be solved. If you have incomplete data, send what you have and we will tell you what is still needed.
How do we start?
Send the problem in one message — the application, whatever operating data you already have, the quantity and the destination country — using the inquiry form or sales@z001.com.cn. Incomplete data is fine; we will tell you what is still missing and reply the same working day.
Oilfield products: which one, and when
Lipopeptide (surfactin) or rhamnolipid — which should I use?
They solve different problems. The lipopeptide is the stronger foamer and the more efficient surface-tension reducer: it pulls water surface tension from 72 down to 27 mN/m at 10 mg/L, with a critical micelle concentration below 10 mg/L. Rhamnolipid is the one built for oil displacement — it takes oil-water interfacial tension from 43 mN/m down to 1 mN/m on its own, and to the 10⁻³ mN/m range once blended into a surfactant-polymer system. If your problem is foam and fluid stability, start with the lipopeptide; if it is interfacial tension and recovery factor, start with rhamnolipid. Both are described on the oilfield chemicals page.
How much temperature and salinity can these products take?
Both biosurfactants are reported stable up to 121 °C. The lipopeptide tolerates mineralisation up to 10,000 mg/L and alkali up to 10% NaOH; rhamnolipid is reported stable at 10% salt. The HL polymer answers a different question — it is a thickener rather than a surfactant, and it keeps about 40% of its viscosity at 80 °C while tolerating 50,000 mg/L mineralisation, and even a 20-fold dilution of the fermentate holds that tolerance. Send us your temperature and salinity and we will tell you which of these actually fits.
Is the lipopeptide safe to use in alkaline frac fluids?
Yes — alkali tolerance up to 10% NaOH is one of its stronger features, and that is why it is used in alkaline frac and injection systems. There is one limitation to plan for: it precipitates below pH 3, so in strongly acidic systems the selection has to be revisited. Tell us the pH of your fluid and we will confirm before you order.
How does the HL polymer compare with guar gum, xanthan gum and welan gum?
Guar gum, xanthan gum and welan gum are the biopolymers normally used in oilfield fluids; xanthan and welan are fermentation products. HL sits alongside them rather than replacing them. At equal concentration its apparent viscosity is higher than that of welan gum, and it retains roughly 40% viscosity at 80 °C and works up to 50,000 mg/L mineralisation — but welan gum holds viscosity better at high temperature. Treat the two as complementary and tell us which fluid you are building.
When is a chemical breaker still the right choice?
A bio-enzymatic breaker is not automatically better. Chemical oxidiser breakers are very effective in deep reservoirs where the fluid is above about 60 °C. The enzyme advantage shows up in low-temperature frac systems and in flowback fluid below roughly 45 °C, especially where the fluid is alkaline — there a chemical breaker is largely ineffective while a mannanase enzyme works quickly. Give us the temperature and the pH of your fluid, and we will tell you which route makes sense, including when the answer is the chemical one.
What field data do you have for these oilfield products?
We publish the measured laboratory data on each product page, and we will share the field-trial background behind them at the quotation stage — reservoir and core-flood results, and the operating envelope in which they were obtained. Those field results come from partner operators and research institutes rather than from trials we ran ourselves, and we attribute them accordingly instead of presenting them as our own. Ask for the data pack and you will get the actual conditions, not a summary.
Are the oilfield products different from the biological cultures?
Yes, and the distinction matters for documentation. The bacterial cultures are live organisms and may need an import permit depending on the destination. The oilfield products here — the lipopeptide, the rhamnolipid, the HL polymer and the breaker enzyme — are fermentation-derived chemical products, not live organisms, so they normally move as ordinary industrial goods with an MSDS. If you are importing into a specific country, tell us at the quotation stage so the classification can be checked properly.
Which oilfield products are available immediately?
The rhamnolipid, the HL polymer and the high-temperature breaker are supplied from stock. The low-temperature breaker is a made-to-order grade with no stock held, so it needs at least 10 working days of notice. We will state the supply position for every line in the quotation rather than leaving it to be discovered at the shipping stage.
Ask a question
Still deciding? Send us the problem — the odour source and air volume, or the water quality and flow — plus the quantity and the destination country. We will come back with a product selection and a quotation.