Reactive extraction of itaconic acid using tri-n-butyl phosphate and aliquat 336 in sunflower oil as a non-toxic diluent

✍ Scribed by Kailas L. Wasewar; Diwakar Shende; Amit Keshav

• Publisher: Wiley (John Wiley & Sons)
• Year: 2010
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 80 KB
• Volume: 86
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0268-2575
• DOI: 10.1002/jctb.2500

✦ Synopsis

Itaconic acid finds a place in various industrial applications. It can be produced by biocultivation in a clean and environment friendly route but recovery of the acid from the dilute stream of the bioreactor is an economic problem. Reactive extraction is a promising method to recover carboxylic acid but suffers from toxicity problems of the diluent and extractant employed. So there is need for a non-toxic extractant and diluent or a combination of less toxic extractants in a non-toxic diluent that can recover acid efficiently. Effect of different extractants: tri-n-butylphosphate (TBP) (an organophosporous compound) and Aliquat 336 (a quaternary amine) in sunflower oil was studied to find the best extractant-sunflower oil combination. Equilibrium complexation constant, K E , values of 1.789 and 2.385 m 3 kmol -1 , respectively, were obtained for itaconic acid extraction using TBP and Aliquat 336 in sunflower oil. The problem of toxicity in reactive extraction can be reduced by using a natural non-toxic diluent (sunflower oil) with the extractant.