Abstract: A method for manufacturing furan-2,5-dicarboxylic acid (FDCA) by converting a furan-2,5-dicarboxylate salt (MFDC) into FDCA, including the steps of combining an aqueous solution of MFDC with a concentration of at least 5 wt. % with an inorganic acid (HY), to form a reaction mixture including solid FDCA in a concentration of 1-15 wt. % in a salt solution resulting from the cation of furan-2,5-dicarboxylate salt and the anion of the inorganic acid (MY solution), removing solid FDCA from the reaction mixture in a solid/liquid separation step, and providing part of the MY solution resulting from the solid/liquid separation step to the step of combining MFDC with HY. The step of providing part of MY salt solution resulting from the solid/liquid separation step to the step of combining MFDC with HY makes it possible to obtain a stable and economic process which results in an FDCA product with good quality and high yield.

Abstract: A method for conversion of magnesium chloride into magnesium oxide and HCl includes the steps of providing a magnesium chloride compound to a thermohydrolysis reactor, the reactor being at a temperature of at least 300° C., withdrawing MgO from the thermohydrolysis reactor in solid form, and withdrawing an HCl containing gas stream from the thermohydrolysis reactor. The magnesium chloride compound provided to the thermohydrolysis reactor may be a solid magnesium chloride compound which comprises at least 60 wt. % of MgCl2.4H2O.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for preparing a carboxylic acid, which method includes the steps of providing magnesium carboxylate, wherein the carboxylic acid corresponding with the carboxylate has a solubility in water at 20° C. of 80 g/100 g water or less; acidifying the magnesium carboxylate with HCl, thereby obtaining a solution comprising carboxylic acid and magnesium chloride (MgCl2); optionally a concentration step, wherein the solution comprising carboxylic acid and MgCl2 is concentrated; precipitating the carboxylic acid from the solution comprising the carboxylic acid and MgCl2, thereby obtaining a carboxylic acid precipitate and a MgCl2 solution.

Abstract: A fermentation product manufacturing process includes fermenting under fermentation conditions in an aqueous fermentation medium in a fermentation reactor a carbohydrate source with a microorganism capable of converting the carbohydrate into a fermentation product which is a salt or a product with a boiling point above the boiling point of water, during the process withdrawing part of the medium including biomass from the reactor in the form of a recycle stream, providing the stream including biomass to a pressure vessel wherein the pressure is such that the temperature of the stream decreases 1-8° C., as compared to the temperature of the medium in the reactor, by the evaporation of water, and recycling the cooled recycle stream to the reactor. The process makes it possible to obtain a homogeneous temperature profile of the fermentation medium with limited occurrence of hot or cool spots within the reactor which results in improved fermentation performance.

Abstract: A method for producing lactide including the steps of: providing a solution of lactic acid in a volatile organic solvent, subjecting the solution to an evaporation step to remove volatile organic solvent and water, resulting in the formation of a composition including lactic acid oligomer, adding catalyst to the composition including lactic acid oligomer, and bringing the mixture to reaction conditions, to form lactide. It has been found that the process results in the efficient production of lactide with a high production rate and a good product quality.

Abstract: A method for preparing a fermentation product including lactic acid, the method including: a) treating lignocellulosic material with caustic magnesium salt in the presence of water to provide treated aqueous lignocellulosic material; b) saccharifying the treated aqueous lignocellulosic material in the presence of a hydrolytic enzyme to provide a saccharified aqueous lignocellulosic material comprising fermentable carbohydrate and a solid lignocellulosic fraction; c) simultaneously with step b), fermenting the saccharified aqueous lignocellulosic material in the presence of both a lactic acid forming microorganism and caustic magnesium salt to provide an aqueous fermentation broth comprising magnesium lactate and a solid lignocellulosic fraction; d) recovering magnesium lactate from the broth, wherein the saccharification and the fermentation are carried out simultaneously.

Abstract: A process for preparing lactic acid and/or a lactate salt via the fermentation of carbohydrates obtained from lignocellulosic material.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for preparing a carboxylic acid, which method includes the steps of providing magnesium carboxylate, wherein the carboxylic acid corresponding with the carboxylate has a solubility in water at 20° C. of 80 g/100 g water or less; acidifying the magnesium carboxylate with HCl, thereby obtaining a solution comprising carboxylic acid and magnesium chloride (MgCl2); optionally a concentration step, wherein the solution comprising carboxylic acid and MgCl2 is concentrated; precipitating the carboxylic acid from the solution comprising the carboxylic acid and MgCl2, thereby obtaining a carboxylic acid precipitate and a MgCl2 solution.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing furan-2,5-dicarboxylic acid (FDCA) by converting a furan-2,5-dicarboxylate salt (MFDC) into furan-2,5-dicarboxylic acid (FDCA), includes the steps of combining solid MFDC with an inorganic acid (HY), to form a reaction mixture having solid FDCA in a concentration of 1-15 wt. % in a solution of a salt resulting from the cation of the furan-2,5-dicarboxylate salt and the anion of the inorganic acid (MY solution), removing solid FDCA from the reaction mixture in a solid/liquid separation step, and providing at least 40 vol. % of the MY solution resulting from the solid/liquid separation step to the step of combining MFDC with HY. The step of providing part of the MY salt solution resulting from the solid/liquid separation step to the step of combining MFDC with HY makes it possible to obtain a stable and economic process which results in an FDCA product with good quality, and obtained in high yield.

Abstract: A method for processing MgCl2 solutions including the steps of: providing an aqueous solution including 5-25 wt. % of MgCl2 and optionally organic contaminants to a step, wherein water and present, organic components are evaporated; withdrawing aqueous solution with a MgCl2 concentration of 25-35 wt. % from an evaporation step and providing it to a preconcentrator where it is contacted with a HCl containing gas stream at least 300° C.; providing aqueous solution with a MgCl2 concentration of 35-45 wt. % resulting from the preconcentrator to a thermohydrolysis reactor, being at at least 300° C.; withdrawing MgO from the thermohydrolysis reactor in solid form, and withdrawing a HCl containing gas stream from the thermohydrolysis reactor, said HCl-containing gas stream at least 300° C.; providing the HCl-containing gas stream with at least 300° C. to the preconcentrator; withdrawing a HCl-containing gas stream with a temperature of at most 150° C. from the preconcentrator.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for preparing a carboxylic acid, which method includes the steps of providing magnesium carboxylate, wherein the carboxylic acid corresponding with the carboxylate has a solubility in water at 20° C. of 80 g/100 g water or less; acidifying the magnesium carboxylate with HCl, thereby obtaining a solution comprising carboxylic acid and magnesium chloride (MgCl2); optionally a concentration step, wherein the solution comprising carboxylic acid and MgCl2 is concentrated; precipitating the carboxylic acid from the solution comprising the carboxylic acid and MgCl2, thereby obtaining a carboxylic acid precipitate and a MgCl2 solution.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a method for recovering carboyxlic acid from an magnesium carboxylate containing aqueous mixture, including the steps of: contacting the aqueous mixture with an acidic ion exchanger, thereby forming a carboxylic acid mixture and an ion exchanger loaded with magnesium ions; contacting the ion exchanger loaded with magnesium ions with a hydrochloric acid solution, thereby forming a magnesium chloride solution; and thermally decomposing the magnesium chloride solution at a temperature of at least 300° C., thereby forming magnesium oxide (MgO) and hydrogen chloride (HCl).

Abstract: A method and a device for manufacturing lactide, whereby crude lactide, being prepared by means of depolymerization of lactic acid oligomers, is purified by means of a distillation step. The prepared crude lactide is maintained for a period of at least 5 hours in a reaction vessel at a temperature between 97° C. and 200° C. prior to the distillation step. Keeping the lactide during a period of time in a reaction vessel leads to a decrease of the lactic acid content and an increase of the lactic acid oligomer concentration, so that the resulting crude lactide can be more efficiently purified during subsequent distillation. A pre-distilling step gives additional advantages.

Abstract: A method for separation of fatty acid from a mixture having fatty acid, the corresponding acyl lactylate and lactic acid, method having steps of: a) providing dispersion of mixture in polar carrier; b) adjusting dispersion mixture to pH from 5-9; and, c) extracting fatty acid from dispersion carrier mixture into solvent immiscible with polar carrier, obtaining fatty acid solution and aqueous raffinate having lactic acid and fatty acid lactylate. Polar carrier has from 70-100 wt. % of water and from 0-30 wt. % of one or more miscible, polar co-solvents. Aqueous raffinate may be further processed by: i) acidifying raffinate to pH from 0-3; and, either ii)a) allowing acidified raffinate to separate into two layers and separating lower, aqueous layer from residual layer of acyl lactylate, or ii)b) extracting fatty acid lactylate from acidified raffinate into second solvent which is immiscible with aqueous raffinate, obtaining an acyl lactylate solution.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for preparing a carboxylic acid, which method includes the steps of providing magnesium carboxylate, wherein the carboxylic acid corresponding with the carboxylate has a solubility in water at 20° C. of 80 g/100 g water or less; acidifying the magnesium carboxylate with HCl, thereby obtaining a solution comprising carboxylic acid and magnesium chloride (MgCl2); optionally a concentration step, wherein the solution comprising carboxylic acid and MgCl2 is concentrated; precipitating the carboxylic acid from the solution comprising the carboxylic acid and MgCl2, thereby obtaining a carboxylic acid precipitate and a MgCl2 solution.

Abstract: A method for recovering lactic acid from an aqueous mixture including the steps of: providing an aqueous mixture including lactic acid and at least 5 wt. % dissolved magnesium chloride, based on the total weight of water and dissolved material in the aqueous mixture; extracting the lactic acid from the aqueous mixture into a first organic liquid including an organic solvent selected from the group consisting of C5+ ketones, diethylether and methyl-tertiary-butyl-ether, thereby obtaining an organic lactic acid solution and an aqueous waste liquid including magnesium chloride; and extracting the lactic acid from the organic lactic acid solution into an aqueous liquid, thereby obtaining an aqueous lactic acid solution and a second organic liquid. The method according to the invention allows a combined purification and concentration step for feed solutions of lactic acid.

Abstract: A method and a device for manufacturing lactide, whereby crude lactide, being prepared by means of depolymerization of lactic acid oligomers, is purified by means of a distillation step. The prepared crude lactide is maintained for a period of at least 5 hours in a reaction vessel at a temperature between 97° C. and 200° C. prior to the distillation step. Keeping the lactide during a period of time in a reaction vessel leads to a decrease of the lactic acid content and an increase of the lactic acid oligomer concentration, so that the resulting crude lactide can be more efficiently purified during subsequent distillation. A pre-distilling step gives additional advantages.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing furan-2,5-dicarboxylic acid (FDCA) by converting a furan-2,5-dicarboxylate salt (MFDC) into furan-2,5-dicarboxylic acid (FDCA), includes the steps of combining solid MFDC with an inorganic acid (HY), to form a reaction mixture having solid FDCA in a concentration of 1-15 wt. % in a solution of a salt resulting from the cation of the furan-2,5-dicarboxylate salt and the anion of the inorganic acid (MY solution), removing solid FDCA from the reaction mixture in a solid/liquid separation step, and providing at least 40 vol. % of the MY solution resulting from the solid/liquid separation step to the step of combining MFDC with HY. The step of providing part of the MY salt solution resulting from the solid/liquid separation step to the step of combining MFDC with HY makes it possible to obtain a stable and economic process which results in an FDCA product with good quality, and obtained in high yield.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing furan-2,5-dicarboxylic acid (FDCA) by converting a furan-2,5-dicarboxylate salt (MFDC) into FDCA, including the steps of combining an aqueous solution of MFDC with a concentration of at least 5 wt.% with an inorganic acid (HY), to form a reaction mixture including solid FDCA in a concentration of 1-15 wt.% in a salt solution resulting from the cation of furan-2,5-dicarboxylate salt and the anion of the inorganic acid (MY solution), removing solid FDCA from the reaction mixture in a solid/liquid separation step, and providing part of the MY solution resulting from the solid/liquid separation step to the step of combining MFDC with HY. The step of providing part of MY salt solution resulting from the solid/liquid separation step to the step of combining MFDC with HY makes it possible to obtain a stable and economic process which results in an FDCA product with good quality and high yield.

Abstract: A method for producing lactide including the steps of: providing a solution of lactic acid in a volatile organic solvent, subjecting the solution to an evaporation step to remove volatile organic solvent and water, resulting in the formation of a composition including lactic acid oligomer, adding catalyst to the composition including lactic acid oligomer, and bringing the mixture to reaction conditions, to form lactide. It has been found that the process results in the efficient production of lactide with a high production rate and a good product quality.