Patent ID: 7141154
Filing Date: 2006-11-28
Classification: B01D,C07C

Abstract:
1. A method of continuously making an organic ester from a lower alcohol and an organic acid, comprising, introducing an organic acid or an organic salt into and/or producing an organic acid or an organic salt in an electrodeionization (EDI) stack having an anode and a cathode and a plurality of reaction chambers each formed from a porous solid ion exchange resin wafer interleaved between anion exchange membranes or an anion exchange membrane and a cation exchange membrane or an anion exchange membrane and a bipolar exchange membrane, providing mechanism for establishing an electric potential between the EDI anode and cathode, wherein at least some reaction chambers are esterification chambers and/or bioreactor chambers and/or chambers containing an organic acid or salt, whereby an organic acid or organic salt present in the EDI stack disassociates into a cation and an anion with the anion migrating into an associated esterification chamber through an anion exchange membrane if required and reacting with a lower alcohol in the esterification chamber to form an organic ester and water with at least some of the water splitting into a proton and a hydroxyl anion with at least some of the hydroxyl anion migrating to an adjacent chamber, said migration of ions being facilitated by establishing an electric potential across the EDI anode and cathode.