earticle

영어

Lactic acid is an important chemical that can be used to synthesize biodegradable polymers, such as polylactic acid (PLA) and its copolymers. Precipitation was employed to recover lactic acid from a calcium lactate solution using sulfuric acid. In this study, we optimized process parameters of precipitation to obtain a high yield and purity of lactic acid from a calcium lactate solution. Also, we observed the influence of the main process parameters on precipitate formation during the course of precipitation using a video microscope. The optimal calcium lactate/sulfuric acid molar ratio and pH were 1/1 and 6.8, respectively. Also, the effect of mixing
method on the efficiency of precipitation and the formation of precipitate were evaluated. When the sample was mixed continuously after adding sulfuric acid, lactic acid was obtained in high yield. By mixing the sample, we were able to significantly reduce the precipitation time, the length of which has been a problem inherent in the conventional precipitation process. The yield of recovered lactic acid was 92% with a purity of 71%.