Abstract: The present invention pertains to a process for separating monochloroacetic acid and dichloroacetic acid from one another via extractive distillation, comprising the steps of (i) contacting a mixture comprising monochloroacetic acid and dichloroacetic acid with an extractive agent which is chemically stable and which has a BF3 affinity of between 65 kJ/mole and 110 kJ/mole, (ii) distilling the mixture to obtain a monochloroacetic acid stream and a stream comprising dichloroacetic acid and the extractive agent, and (iii) regenerating the extractive agent.

Abstract: A method for preparing a carboxylic acid, includes the steps of: providing magnesium carboxylate, wherein the carboxylic acid corresponding with the carboxylate is selected from the group made of 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid, fumaric acid, adipic acid, itaconic acid, citric acid, glutaric acid, maleic acid, malonic acid, oxalic acid and fatty acids having more than 10 carbon atoms; acidifying the magnesium carboxylate with hydrogen chloride (HCl), thereby obtaining a solution including carboxylic acid and magnesium chloride (MgCl2); optionally a concentration step, wherein the solution including carboxylic acid and MgCl2 is concentrated; and precipitating the carboxylic acid from the solution including 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: The present invention pertains to a fermentation process for the production of an organic acid salt including the steps of fermenting a microorganism in a fermentation medium in a fermentation reactor to form a fermentation broth having an organic acid salt, wherein part of the organic acid salt is present in the solid state and part of the organic acid salt is dissolved in the fermentation broth; withdrawing at least part of the fermentation broth from the fermentation reactor, providing the broth to a hydrocyclone, and withdrawing a top effluent and a bottom effluent from the hydrocyclone; providing the bottom effluent from the hydocyclone to a solid/liquid separation step, to form a solid fraction and a liquid fraction, providing at least 30 vol.% of the total of the top effluent from the hydrocyclone and the liquid fraction from the solid-liquid separation step to the fermentation reactor.

Abstract: A method for preparing a carboxylic acid by acidification of a liquid feed including a carboxylate salt, which method includes the steps of providing a liquid feed including magnesium carboxylate; providing a gas feed including gaseous hydrogen chloride; and acidifying the carboxylate to carboxylic acid by bringing the liquid feed into contact with the gas feed, thereby forming a liquid effluent including carboxylic acid and magnesium chloride, wherein the gas feed including gaseous hydrogen chloride is derived from a thermal decomposition step wherein an aqueous liquid including magnesium chloride is subjected to a temperature of at least 300° C., thereby decomposing magnesium chloride into magnesium oxide and hydrogen chloride, thus obtaining a solid including magnesium oxide and a gas comprising gaseous hydrogen chloride.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing carboxylic acid that includes the following steps is provided. First, subjecting an aqueous mixture, including carboxylic acid and at least 5 wt. % dissolved magnesium chloride, to a forward extraction step using a first organic liquid, including an organic solvent, the organic solvent being selected from the group of C5+ ketones, thereby obtaining an organic carboxylic acid solution and an aqueous waste liquid including magnesium chloride. Second, subjecting the organic carboxylic acid solution to a back extraction step wherein the carboxylic acid is extracted from the organic carboxylic acid solution into an aqueous liquid, thereby obtaining an aqueous carboxylic acid solution and a second organic liquid. Third, subjecting the aqueous waste liquid including magnesium chloride derived from the forward extraction to a thermal decomposition step at a temperature of at least 300° C., thereby decomposing the magnesium chloride to magnesium oxide and HCl.

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 preparing a carboxylic acid, includes the steps of: providing magnesium carboxylate, wherein the carboxylic acid corresponding with the carboxylate is selected from the group made of 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid, fumaric acid, adipic acid, itaconic acid, citric acid, glutaric acid, maleic acid, malonic acid, oxalic acid and fatty acids having more than 10 carbon atoms; acidifying the magnesium carboxylate with hydrogen chloride (HCl), thereby obtaining a solution including carboxylic acid and magnesium chloride (MgCl2); optionally a concentration step, wherein the solution including carboxylic acid and MgCl2 is concentrated; and precipitating the carboxylic acid from the solution including the carboxylic acid and MgCl2, thereby obtaining a carboxylic acid precipitate and a MgCl2 solution.

Abstract: The invention pertains to method for recovering polycarboxylic acid from an aqueous mixture including the steps of: providing an aqueous mixture including polycarboxylic acid and at least 5 wt. % dissolved halide salt, based on the total weight of water and dissolved material in the aqueous mixture; extracting the polycarboxylic acid from the aqueous mixture into a first organic liquid including an organic solvent selected from the group consisting of ketones and ethers, thereby obtaining an organic polycarboxylic acid solution and an aqueous waste liquid including the halide salt; and extracting the polycarboxylic acid from the organic carboxylic acid solution into an aqueous liquid, thereby obtaining an aqueous polycarboxylic acid solution and a second organic liquid. The method according to the invention allows a combined purification and concentration step for feed solutions of polycarboxylic acids.

Abstract: A process for removing free carboxylic acid from an aqueous solution including a mass fraction of less than 1% wt of the free carboxylic acid. The process includes the steps of: (a) contacting the aqueous solution with a depleted solvent including a polyamine extractant to obtain an extract enriched in free carboxylic acid and a raffinate having a reduced free carboxylic acid content; and (b) separating the raffinate from the extract, wherein the polyamine extractant is a compound containing at least two nitrogen atoms, and at least one double bond between a nitrogen atom and a carbon atom.

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: The present invention provides a continuous process of manufacturing polyester comprising introducing a polyol (7) and a polycarboxylic acid (9) into a pre-reactor (1) and allowing the polyol and the polycarboxylic acid to react to obtain a pre-polymer mixture including a polyfunctional ester; introducing the pre-polymer mixture (10) into the inlet section (13) of a distillation column (5) having a stripping section (15) and a rectifying section (16); supplying stripping gas (20) into the bottom of the distillation column (5); allowing the polyfunctional ester to polymerize in the stripping section (15) so as to form polyester and a gaseous mixture including water and unreacted reactants; removing polyester (30) from the distillation column (15); and allowing the gaseous mixture to pass through the rectifying section (16), removing from the top of the distillation column (5) a gaseous phase (35), at least partially condensing the gaseous phase and returning (46) part of the condensed gaseous phase as reflux i

Abstract: The invention provides a method for preparing a succinic acid, which method includes the steps of: providing magnesium succinate; acidifying the magnesium succinate with hydrochloric acid (HCl), thereby obtaining a solution including succinic acid and magnesium chloride (MgCl2); optionally a concentration step, wherein the solution including succinic acid and MgCl2 is concentrated; precipitating succinic acid from the solution including succinic acid and MgCl2, thereby obtaining a succinic acid precipitate and a MgCl2 solution. The addition of HCl to a magnesium salt of succinic acid and subsequent precipitation of succinic acid from the solution leads to a very efficient separation of succinic acid from a magnesium succinate solution.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to a process for separating monochloroacetic acid and dichloroacetic acid from one another via extractive distillation, comprising the steps of (i) contacting a mixture comprising monochloroacetic acid and dichloroacetic acid with an extractive agent which is chemically stable and which has a BF3 affinity of between 65 kJ/mole and 110 kJ/mole, (ii) distilling the mixture to obtain a monochloroacetic acid stream and a stream comprising dichloroacetic acid and the extractive agent, and (iii) regenerating the extractive agent.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of extracting a carbohydrate from a carbohydrate juice, said method comprising the steps of: a) providing an adsorbent having unsaturated hydrocarbon groups exposed on its surface wherein said groups are capable of adsorbing a carbohydrate to the (internal) surface of the adsorbent by CH/p interaction, and optionally in addition by hydrogen bonding; b) contacting said raw carbohydrate juice with said adsorbent under conditions by which said carbohydrate is adsorbed to said adsorbent by CH/p interaction, and c) desorbing said carbohydrate from said adsorbent by increasing the temperature of the carbohydrate-adsorbent complex.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of extracting a carbohydrate from a carbohydrate juice, said method comprising the steps of: a) providing an adsorbent having unsaturated hydrocarbon groups exposed on its surface wherein said groups are capable of adsorbing a carbohydrate to the (internal) surface of the adsorbent by CH/p interaction, and optionally in addition by hydrogen bonding; b) contacting said raw carbohydrate juice with said adsorbent under conditions by which said carbohydrate is adsorbed to said adsorbent by CH/p interaction, and c) desorbing said carbohydrate from said adsorbent by increasing the temperature of the carbohydrate-adsorbent complex.