Patent ID: 8865438

Claim:
A process for the preparation of a sodium and/or potassium succinate salt comprising the steps of: a) fermenting a carbohydrate source to succinic acid with a micro-organism, b) adding a alkaline earth metal hydroxide, carbonate and/or hydrogencarbonate, the alkaline earth metal being calcium or magnesium, as a neutralising agent during the fermentation in an aqueous medium and causing the formation of an alkaline earth metal succinate salt comprising calcium succinate or magnesium succinate, c) reacting the alkaline earth metal succinate salt in the aqueous medium with a sodium and/or potassium hydroxide, carbonate and/or hydrogencarbonate base to form an alkaline earth metal hydroxide, carbonate and/or hydrogencarbonate and a sodium and/or potassium succinate salt, d) separating the sodium and/or potassium succinate salt from the alkaline earth metal hydroxide, carbonate and/or hydrogencarbonate, e) recycling the alkaline earth metal hydroxide, carbonate and/or hydrogencarbonate to step b, wherein the medium comprising the alkaline earth metal succinate is subjected to a step to remove the biomass from the medium before effecting the reaction with the hydroxide, carbonate or hydrogencarbonate base.