The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 17, 2002
Filed:
May. 18, 2000
Mitsuhiro Kouno, Arai, JP;
Noboru Kamei, Himeji, JP;
Daicel Chemical Industries, Ltd., Osaka, JP;
Abstract
A process produces sorbic acid or its salt and includes the step of retaining a slurry or solution containing sorbic acid or its salt while holding an oxygen concentration of a gaseous phase at 4% by volume or less, the gaseous phase being in contact with the slurry or solution containing sorbic acid or its salt. In the process, the oxygen concentration of the gaseous phase may be held at 4% by volume or less while introducing an inert gas into a gaseous phase of a reservoir holding the slurry or solution and/or of a conduit adjacent to the reservoir. Such an inert gases includes, for example, nitrogen gas. The oxygen concentration of the gaseous phase is preferably held at 1% by volume or less. The process can prevent the formation of new color-inducing substances in a purification operation of sorbic acid or its salt, and the obtained sorbic acid or its salt has a minimized degree of coloring and a minimized deterioration of hue over time.