Abstract
Separation of itaconic acid from aqueous solution has been explored using various carbon-based adsorbents obtained from the pyrolysis and KOH activation of coconut shell biomass. The best preparation conditions to obtain a tailored adsorbent for itaconic acid purification were identified via a Taguchi experimental design, where its adsorption properties were maximized. The best activated carbon was obtained via coconut shell pyrolysis at 750 °C for 4 h plus an activation with 0.1 KOH and a final treatment at 800 °C for 2 h. This adsorbent showed an adsorption capacity of 4.31 mmol/g at 20 °C and pH 3 with a surface area of 466 m2/g. Itaconic acid separation was exothermic and pH-dependent where electrostatic forces and hydrogen bonding were the main adsorption interactions. Calculated adsorption rate constants for itaconic acid adsorption were 0.44–1.20 h-1. Results of adsorbent characterization analysis indicated the presence of a crystallization of itaconic acid molecules onto the activated carbon surface where 3–4 molecules could interact to form the clusters. This organic acid was recovered from the adsorbent surface via desorption with water or ethanol, thus facilitating its final purification. The best activated carbon obtained in this study is a promising alternative to perform sustainable and energy-efficient downstream separation and purification of itaconic acid produced via fermentation.
Highlights
Itaconic acid (IA) is considered as a sustainable chemical with a wide range of industrial applications that includes its promising potential to replace acrylic acid and its derivatives in the manufacturing of plastics and polymeric products obtained from the petroleum [1–5]
CSS adsorbent obtained from the biomass pyrolysis at 600 °C and 4 h showed IA adsorption capacity of 0.72 mmol/g, while CSK adsorbent prepared from coconut shell pyrolysis at 750 °C and 4 h plus KOH activation (0.1 M) achieved the highest IA separation corresponding to 2.47 mmol/g
The variance analysis indicated that this biomass pyrolysis parameter showed a statistically significant effect on the IA separation (i.e., p level < 0.05), which was associated with the impact of thermal treatment on the surface chemistry of CSS adsorbents where the functional groups were reduced as the pyrolysis temperature increased
Summary
Itaconic acid (IA) is considered as a sustainable chemical with a wide range of industrial applications that includes its promising potential to replace acrylic acid and its derivatives in the manufacturing of plastics and polymeric products obtained from the petroleum [1–5]. This chemical is an unsaturated crystalline dicarboxylic acid containing double bonds having valuable properties in polymerization reactions and versatility as a block of polymer construction with ethylene dicarboxylate side chain functionality [6, 7]. Different strains (e.g., Aspergillus terreus, Pseudozyma antartica, and Ustilago maydis) and substrates (e.g., glucose, sucrose, corn starch, xylose, and sugars) have been employed during the fermentation process to obtain this acid [2, 8–10]. Industries related to the production of chemicals from the biological sources are continuously facing challenges in terms of increments of their manufacturing costs
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