Reilly Industries, Inc.

Gina Fitzpatrick

Donald W McQuigg

Charles R Marston

Ernest Crowe

Susan L Vorhies

Ramiah Murugan

Thomas D Bailey

Described are preferred processes for recovering citric acid from a medium in which it is contained. The citric acid is recovered both effectively and in a form which is readily purifiable. In one preferred process, the citric acid-containing medium is contacted with a solid-phase free base resin having tertiary amine groups to adsorb the citric acid. The citric acid is then desorbed by displacement with a stronger acid, and a citric acid-containing fraction is collected substantially free from contamination by the stronger acid. In another preferred process, a citric acid-containing medium is contacted with a solid-phase divinylbenzene-crosslinked polymer having pyridine or aliphatic tertiary amine functions to adsorb citric acid, the contacting being at a temperature below about 40.degree. C. Adsorbed citric acid is then desorbed with hot H.sub.2 O at a temperature of at least about 75.degree. C. Unnecessary impurities such as those arising from the use of organic solvent or throughput inorganic acid desorbents are thereby avoided while at the same time achieving a commercially attractive recovery of the citric acid. Additional preferred modes and process features are also described.

Processes for recovering citric acid

Described is a process for recovering phytic acid or phytic acid salt from a medium in which it is contained. This process includes contacting the medium with a solid-phase free base polymer having tertiary amine functions to adsorb the phytic acid or salt thereof. In one preferred mode, the medium to be treated also contains lactic acid, and separate fractions predominant in (i) lactic acid and (ii) phytic acid or phytic acid salt, respectively, are recovered. Also described are preferred processes for treating mediums to recover lactic acid therefrom, and a favored process for obtaining inositol directly by hydrolyzing phytic acid or phytic acid salt while adsorbed on a pyridine-containing polymer.

Process for recovering phytic acid, lactic acid or inositol

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Indianapolis, IN, United States of America

Gina Fitzpatrick