Patent ID: 7718070
Filing Date: 2010-05-18
Classification: B01D,B01J,C07C,C07H

Abstract:
1. A process for obtaining one or more than one organic salt or organic acid from an aqueous sugar stream comprising one or more than one mineral acid, one or more than one organic acid, and a sugar selected from the group consisting of xylose, glucose, arabinose, galactose, mannose and a combination thereof, said process comprising: (i) introducing the aqueous sugar stream to a first anion exchange unit comprising one or more than one bed comprising an anion exchange resin, wherein the mineral acid, an anion of the mineral acid, or a combination thereof, binds to the resin; (ii) producing an effluent stream comprising the sugar and the organic acid from the first anion exchange unit and regenerating the anion exchange resin with one or more regenerants, thereby producing one or more outlet streams comprising the mineral acid, a salt of the mineral acid or a combination thereof; (iii) feeding the effluent stream comprising the sugar and the organic acid to a second anion exchange unit comprising one or more than one bed comprising an anion exchange resin, wherein the organic acid or an anion of the organic acid binds to the resin; (iv) obtaining a stream from the second anion exchange unit comprising the sugar, which stream is substantially free of the mineral acid and the organic acid and regenerating the second anion exchange unit with one or more regenerants, thereby producing one or more product streams comprising a salt of the organic acid, the organic acid or a combination thereof; and (v) recovering the one or more product streams, wherein the organic acid is selected from the group consisting of acetic acid, formic acid, glucuronic acid, galacturonic acid and a combination thereof and the mineral acid is selected from the group consisting of sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, sulfurous acid, phosphoric acid and a combination thereof.