PROCESS OF EXTRACTIVE SEPARATION OF CITRIC ACID FROM FERMENTATION BROTH

摘要

The method of the extractive separation of citric acid from fermentation broth containing 8 to 20% by weight of citric acid during which the fermentation broth is put into intensive contact with a concentrated solution of trialkylamine with alkyl groups with 8 to 12 carbon atoms in a mixed diluent containing 20 to 50% by weight of n-octanol or 2-ethyl hexanol as the polar high-boiling constituent, and 10 to 55% by weight of n-hexan, n-heptan or a mixture of aliphatic hydrocarbons as the inert constituent, and the obtained organic phase is then diluted with the inert constituent in a ratio of 0.5 to 2 in relation to the original content of the mixed diluent and is put into counter-current contact with water at a temperature of 65 to 100 degrees C and the added inert constituent is removed from the organic phase by distillation, and the resulting concentrated trialkylamine solution is cooled and then used again for countercurrent contact with the fermentation broth.