METHOD FOR THE CHEMICAL PROCESSING OF OUTER BIRCH BARK AND APPARATUS FOR ITS REALISATION

摘要

The invention relates to methods and apparatus, designed for the chemical processing of outer birch bark for obtaining triterpene compounds – betulin and lupeol as well as suberinic acids, used in the chemical and pharmaceutical, food and cosmetic industries.The technical task to be solved with this invention is to develop a simple and efficient method for the chemical processing of outer birch bark for obtaining betulin, lupeol and suberinic acid salts in one apparatus and one outer birch bark processing cycle.According to the present invention, the advanced technical task is attained, whereby, in a method for chemical processing of outer birch bark with isolating of betulin from the previously ground outer birch bark with organic solvents (in a closed extraction technological complex with the solvent’s recovery and the return of the condensate in the recycle) the extract flow is passed through a crystalliser, and then the extract is passed through an evaporator, a heater and a condenser, and the condensed liquid is introduced to the extractor again. In the crystalliser, the crystalline betulin is settled, but lupeol is isolated by crystallisation from the precipitate in the evaporator. After accomplishing the extraction process, the outer birch bark residue in the extractor is depolymerised, using KOH.The apparatus for realising the method consists of a flowing through type extractor, an evaporator. A heater and a condenser for feeding the recovered solvent in the extractor additionaly contains a crystalliser that is connected to the extractor and an additional heater, connected to the evaporator (Fig.1).The proposed method and apparatus enabled realising the complex obtaining of betulin and lupeol, as well as suberin derivatives in a continuous process with the solvent recycle. The yield of betulin and lupeol is enhanced, in comparison with the known methods. Besides, this method made it possible to shorten many times the extraction time.