PROCESS TO PRODUCE AMINOCARBOXYLIC ACIDS CONTAINING LOW RESIDUAL SALT

摘要

A method for producing an aqueous solution of an aminocarboxylic acid from an aqueous solution of an alkali metal salt of the aminocarboxylic acid is disclosed. The first step of the method is to adjust the pH of the aqueous solution of the alkali metal salt of the aminocarboxylic acid to between 1.0 and 3.0. This is done by adding a monovalent inorganic acid to the aqueous solution of the alkali metal salt of the aminocarboxylic acid to form an aqueous feed solution containing protonated aminocarboxylic acid and an inorganic alkali salt having an inorganic anion and an alkali metal cation. The second step of the method is to pass the aqueous feed solution through at least one membrane using a diafiltration process to separate the aqueous feed solution into an aqueous permeate solution, containing the alkali metal cation, and an aqueous retentate solution containing the aminocarboxylic acid.