Patent ID: 7019170

Claim:
A process for the recovery of lactic acid from an aqueous solution containing lactic acid and a lactate salt, said process comprising: (a) contacting said aqueous solution with a water-immiscible basic amine extractant to form an amine extract containing lactic acid and an aqueous raffinate solution containing a lactate salt; (b) separating said amine extract from said aqueous raffinate; (c) stripping lactic acid from said amine extract to form a solution of lactic acid and a stripped extractant; (d) extracting said aqueous raffinate solution separated in step (b) with said stripped extractant formed in step (c) to extract lactic acid from said aqueous raffinate solution, forming a lactic acid-containing stripped extractant; and (e) after extracting lactic acid from said aqueous raffinate solution in step (d), forming a lactic acid-containing stripped extractant, using said lactic acid-containing stripped extractant formed in step (d) as said water-immiscible basic amine extractant in step (a).