PROCESS FOR PRODUCTION OF HIGH-PURITY CRYSTALS OF GLYCOLIC ACID

摘要

A process for production of high-purity crystals of glycolic acid, characterized by comprising the step (1) of forming an aqueous solution (A) of glycolic acid satisfying the following requirements (a), (b) and (c): (a) the water content is 5 to 20 % by mass, (b) the mass ratio of glycolic acid in terms of monomer [(the mass of monomeric glycolic acid contained in the solution (A) + the mass of glycolic acid monomer constituting the glycolic acid condensates contained in the solution (A))/the mass of the solution (A)] is 0.60 to 1.00, and (c) the monomeric glycolic acid content is 20 to 57 % by mass, the step (2) of precipitating crystals of glycolic acid from the solution (A), and the step (3) of separating the crystals from the solution (A).