SEPARATION OF ORGANIC ACIDS FROM MIXTURES CONTAINING AMMONIUM SALTS OF ORGANIC ACIDS

摘要

The invention relates to a process for separation of organic acids from mixture of ammonium salts of one or more organic acids and other compounds via an integrated process.The process involves suspending mixture of ammonium salts of one or more organic acids and other compounds in dry hydrocarbon solvent/s or mixtures thereof; wherein the selected hydrocarbon solvent/s or mixtures thereof have boiling point more than 100°C and forms an azeotrope with water. The reaction mixture thus obtained is dehydrated azeotropically followed by esterification of basic salt of the organic acids by addition of alcohol in presence of metal or metal salt; thereafter the individual esters formed are separated by distillation and hydrolysed to obtain corresponding organic acids having more than 98% purity.