Patent · US Expired

Fermentation and purification process for succinic acid

US5168055A · kind A · utility

100Cited by
3References
7Claims
0Family size

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 28, 1989
Grant dateDec 1, 1992
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 28, 2009

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S435/822
  • WIPO fieldOrganic fine chemistry
  • WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

A process for economically producing highly purified succinic acid comprises growing a succinate-producing microorganism on a low cost carbohydrate substrate; simultaneously neutralizing the fermentation broth and precipitating the succinate as calcium succinate by adding a calcium ion source to form calcium succinate; isolating the calcium succinate; slurrying the calcium succinate in water and treating it with sulfuric acid to form calcium sulfate and succinic acid; and then treating the succinic acid with first a strongly acidic ion exchanger and then a weakly basic ion exchanger to remove impurities and obtain a highly purified succinic acid product. In a preferred embodiment, the calcium succinate is isolated from the fermentation broth by filtration; the filtrate is heated to precipitate additional calcium succinate; and, the spent filtrate which contains nutrients is recycled to the fermentor.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.