Patent ID: 8193375

Claim:
A process for making a hydrogenated product comprising: (a) providing a clarified fermentation broth containing an ammonium salt of succinic acid; (b) distilling the broth to form a first overhead that comprises water and ammonia, and a first liquid bottoms that comprises MAS, at least some DAS, and at least about 20 wt % water; (c) cooling and/or evaporating the first bottoms, and optionally adding an antisolvent to the bottoms, to attain a temperature and composition sufficient to cause the first bottoms to separate into a DAS-containing liquid portion and a MAS-containing first solid portion that is substantially free of DAS; (d) separating the first solid portion from the first liquid portion; (e) recovering the first solid portion; (f) dissolving the first solid portion in water to produce an aqueous MAS solution; (g) distilling the aqueous MAS solution at a temperature and pressure sufficient to form a second overhead that comprises water and ammonia, and a second bottoms that comprises a major portion of SA, a minor portion of MAS, and water; (h) cooling the second bottoms to cause the second bottoms to separate into a second liquid portion and a second solid portion that consists essentially of SA and is substantially free of MAS; (i) separating the second solid portion from the second liquid portion; (j) recovering the second solid portion; (k) hydrogenating the second solid portion in the presence of at least one hydrogenation catalyst to produce the hydrogenated product comprising at least one of THF, GBL or BDO; and (l) recovering the hydrogenated product.