Futerro S.a.

Galactic S.a.

Brussels Biotech

Sulzer Chemtech Ag

Total Research & Technology Feluy

Philippe Coszach

Jean-Christophe Bogaert

Jonathan Willocq

Pierre-Antoine Mariage

Philippe Dubois

Manfred Stepanski

Denis Mignon

Michael Alexandre

Gloria Vendrell

Philippe Degee

Christian Penu

Angelo Chianese

Frédéric Van Gansberghe

Michaël Alexandre

Fr&eacute;d&eacute;ric Van Gansberghe

Patricia Di Salvatore

Frederic Van Gansberghe

Delphine Hottois

Maria-Paola Parisi

Jean Marie Raquez

Ibrahim Barakat

Arnaud Delrue

Marie-Astrid Feron

Peter Fässler

Alexandre Bruneau

A process for the continuous production of lactic acid (a first fermentation product) and of a second fermentation product selected from the group consisting of alcohols and biogas, may include starting from the milling, necessarily carried out under dry conditions, of cereals and more particularly of corn. In the context of this process, a main flow and a flow of wastes which are difficult to ferment are recovered from the milling. These two flows are treated separately but simultaneously so as to produce, by fermentation, on the one hand, lactic acid and, on the other hand, an alcohol and/or biogas.

Method for simultaneously producing lactic acid and alcohol or biogas from cereals

The present invention concerns a method for purifying an aqueous lactic acid solution, obtained from a fermentation medium or from any other source previously cleared of solid substances and/or of biomass that may be present and ionic substances, characterised in that it comprises the two following steps: a. Concentration of the lactic acid solution until a concentration of between 85 and 95% is reached, preferably of between 90 and 95%, i.e. between 15 and 5% free water or preferably between 10 and 5% free water; b. Distillation in a multi-stage column comprising three areas and allowing the separation, in a single step, of the lactic acid, volatile compounds and the heaviest impurities.

Method for purifying an aqueous lactic acid solution

The invention relates to a process for purification of a stream containing a cyclic ester of an alpha-hydroxycarboxylic acid of formula (I), wherein each R independently represents hydrogen or an aliphatic hydrocarbon having 1 to 6 carbon atoms comprising the steps of: (a) separating the cyclic ester-containing stream into one or more cyclic ester-containing vapor fractions and one or more cyclic ester-containing liquid fractions; (b) condensing a cyclic ester-containing vaporized fraction as obtained in step (a) to obtain a cyclic ester-containing condensate; (c) subjecting at least part of the cyclic ester-containing condensate as obtained in step (b) to melt crystallization to obtain a purified cyclic ester-containing stream and a residue stream; and (d) recovering the purified cyclic ester-containing stream as obtained in step (c). The invention further relates to an apparatus suitable for carrying out the present process.

Process and apparatus for purification of a stream containing a cyclic ester of an alpha-hydroxycarboxylic acid

The present invention relates to an improved process for producing polylactide where the goal is to recover a maximum of useful matters in order to recycle without loss and so significantly improving the global yield of the production process of polylactide when starting from lactic acid.

Process for producing polylactide

A process for the recovery and production of meso-lactide from a crude lactide containing stream may include subjecting a starting crude lactide stream to a first distillation step to obtain: a top stream mainly containing meso-lactide; a bottom stream; and a side stream mainly containing L-lactide and meso-lactide. The process may include recovering the side stream and subjecting the side stream to a melt crystallization step to obtain: a first purified stream mainly containing L-lactide; and a drain stream mainly containing meso-lactide and L-lactide. The process may include recovering the top stream and drain stream, and subjecting the top stream and drain stream to a second distillation step to obtain a second purified stream containing L-lactide and meso-lactide.

Process for recovering and improving production of meso-lactide from a crude lactide containing stream

The process of obtaining a polylactide-urethane copolymer is described which includes contacting an &#x3b1;, &#x3c9; dihydroxyl polylactide prepolymer of general formula I wherein X is NH or O, R is an alkyl or an aryl group, n and n' are integer numbers which are substantially the same and are in the range from 20 to 140, with a diisocyanate compound of general formula IIO&#x2550;C&#x2550;N&#x2014;R&#x2032;&#x2014;N&#x2550;C&#x2550;Owherein R&#x2032; is an alkyl or an aryl group and with an amine or an alcohol of general formula IIIR&#x2033;X&#x2032;]wherein R&#x2033; is an alkyl or an aryl group and X&#x2032; is NHor OH, and with the proviso that at least one of R or R&#x2033; is an aryl group.

Polylactide-urethane copolymers

The present invention relates to a method for the stereospecific chemical recycling of a mixture of polymers based on polylactic acid PLA, in order to reform the monomer thereof or one of the derivatives thereof. The latter may enter the traditional lactate market or once again serve as a raw material for synthesizing PLA.

Method for stereospecifically recycling a PLA polymer mixture

Processes for producing lactide from lactic acid oligomers are described herein. The processes generally include heating a lactic acid oligomer in the presence of a catalyst at a temperature of between 150&#xb0; C. and 300&#xb0; C. under a pressure of less than 0.01 MPa to form a lactide; distilling the lactide; and condensing and recovering the lactide, wherein the catalyst is a metal salt of the phosphite anion POin which the metal is selected from the group consisting of tin, aluminum, zinc, titanium and zirconium.

Method for obtaining lactide

A process for recycling a polymer blend necessarily containing PLA, comprising grinding, compacting, dissolving in a solvent of PLA, removing the undissolved contamining polymers, alcoholysis depolymerisation reaction and purification steps.

Chemical recycling of PLA by alcoholysis

Method for purifying lactic acid by crystallization in one or a plurality of steps, characterized in that crystals are formed from an impure aqueous lactic acid solution having a color of &#x3e;500 Hazen, at a concentration between 85 and 95% by controlling the lactic acid oligomer content expressed in terms of a relative monomer content greater than 80% and controlling the degree of supersaturation of the solution between 1 and 60% in order to obtain lactic acid crystals having a specific surface area by mass of &#x3c;0.05 m/g.

Method of purifying lactic acid by crystallization

A process for recycling a polymer blend necessarily containing PLA, comprising grinding, compacting, dissolving in a solvent of PLA, removing the undissolved contaminating polymers, hydroloysis depolymerization reaction and purification steps.

Chemical recycling of PLA by hydrolysis

Method for purifying a conventional polymer stream (PE, PP, PET, PVC, etc.) contaminated with not more than 50% PLA, comprising steps for the suspension of the polymer with solubilisation of the PLA fraction and the recovery of the purified polymer after separation.

Purification of a conventional polymer flow contaminated with PLA

The present invention relates to a method of obtaining lactide by means of a solvent of the ether class from a mixture that is in liquid form comprising lactide, meso-lactide, and other impurities.

Method of obtaining lactide

A process for the production of polylactide, the stages of which for the production and purification of lactide, starting from an aqueous solution of lactic acid or of its derivatives, includes evaporation of water with formation of oligomers, depolymerization to give lactide, condensation and then crystallization of the crude lactide product to give purified lactide, aqueous treatment of the residual fractions from the crystallization and polymerization of purified and/or prepurified lactide to give polylactide in an extruder and in the presence of catalysts. An alternative process includes carrying out the aqueous treatment before the crystallization.

Method for the production of polyactide from a solution of lactic acid or one of the derivatives thereof

The invention concerns a method for purifying the dimeric cyclic esters of lactic (or glycolic) acid starting from a raw lactide (or glycolide) comprising impurities, the method consisting in: extractive and controlled crystallization of the raw lactide, in aqueous medium, controlling the geometry of the formed crystals and carrying out a separation of phases into lactide and impurities; separation of the resulting suspension of crystals, into a phase poor in lactide and loaded with impurities, and a wet cake rich in lactide crystals; drying the resulting wet cake; and recrystallization in melted medium of the resulting dried impure lactide and recuperating the purified lactide.

Growing community of inventors

Escanaffles, Belgium

Philippe Coszach