(393b) Separation of Pyruvic Acid:- Influence of Active and Inactive Diluents On Extraction Equilibria

Separation of Pyruvic Acid:-  Influence of Active and Inactive Diluents on Extraction Equilibria

Dharm Pal & Dr. Amit  Keshav

Assistant Professor,

Department of Chemical Engineering, NIT Raipur - 492010 C.G. (India)

E mail: dpsingh.che@nitrr.ac.in, Mob. +91- 95847 51651

Abstract

Recently, fermentation technology have started to replace conventional synthesis. Apart from central role in energy metabolism, pyruvic acid (PA) serves as an effective starting material for the synthesis of many drugs and agrochemicals and recently being utilized as a fat burner.

On an industrial scale, pyruvic acid is produced by dehydration and decarboxylation of tartaric acid. This process is simple to realize but not cost-effective. With the reception of biotechnological production of pyruvic acid, the recovery of pure acid from fermentation broth poses big hurdle in commercialization of biotechnological production.

In order to develop new synergistic recovery system of pyruvic acid, reactive liq.–liq. equilibrium with liquid ion exchanger in different diluents was carried out. The  aim of present work is to investigate the effect of diluents on reactive extraction of pyruvic acid using phosphine based solvent Tri-n-butylphosphate (TBP, 10-70 Vol  %) at ambient temperature (T=25 ± 0.1 ^oC). The physical and chemical extraction was performed at various initial aq. acid concentration (0.1 - 0.7 mol/m³) to visualise the effects of different diluents (MIBK, n-heptane, toulene on complexation.  Only (1:1) acid : extractant complex formation was observed with  loading ratio (Z < 0.5). The higher extraction efficiency with active diluents is attributed to greater salvation and more stability of complex in organic phase.