Explore the competency of natural diluents with Tri-n-octylamine for the extractive separation of malonic acid

Abstract

Abstract Since last 50 years, the malonic acid is produced from petroleum feedstock while recently a patent is filed by Lygos, Inc., a lab in Berkeley, California to produce malonic acid through genetically natural yeast cells by biological fermentation. Like all fermentation process the proposed method is both environment and economically friendly. The study is explore the reactive extraction of malonic acid from aqueous phase with nontoxic natural diluents for instance sunflower oil, rice bran oil, sesame oil and tri-n-octylamine as an extractant in view of novel finding in fermentation technology. The physical extraction (extraction with diluents) failed to extract any acid from aqueous solution so the extracting power depends only on extractant. The results are tabulated in terms of distribution coefficient, δ (9.633–34.436 for sunflower oil, 12.089–33.014 for sesame oil, and 11.151–37.655 for rice bran oil), loading factor, φ (0.280–4.067 for sunflower oil, 0.280–4.086 for sesame oil, and 0.280–4.123 for rice bran oil) and extraction efficiency, ƞ (90.595–97.178% for sunflower oil, 92.360–97.060% for sesame oil, and 91.770–97.413% for rice bran oil). Further overall equilibrium constant values, ɛ are in the range of 0.213–0.670 L/mol for sunflower oil, 0.208–0.671 L/mol for sesame oil, and 0.212–0.673 L/mol for rice bran oil for 0.23–0.69 mol/L of TOA. The results show that up-to 30% TOA in nontoxic diluents is suitable for the reactive extraction of malonic acid. Further, water co-extraction phenomenon also discussed and found that water co-extraction was observed more for rice bran oil.