METHOD OF PROCESSING AMMONIUM LACTATE INTO LACTIC ACID AND ESTERS THEREOF Russian patent published in 2018 - IPC C07C59/08 C07C51/02 C07C69/68 C07C67/08 

FIELD: food industry.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to the production of organic products from renewable raw materials, in particular to methods for processing ammonium lactate, obtained by microbiological synthesis, into lactic acid and esters thereof (alkyl lactates). Method of processing ammonium lactate into lactic acid and esters thereof is performed by contacting a flow of ammonium lactate with a flow of a hydroxyl-containing compound at elevated temperature and pressure in adiabatic mode in a vertical mass exchange apparatus, when withdrawing the reaction by-products, mainly with a flow of stream and target products, mainly, with a flow of liquid, and before being fed to the top of the reactor, heated streams of an aqueous solution of ammonium lactate and hydroxyl-containing compound are mixed in a mixer. Process is carried out in vertical mass exchange apparatus in adiabatic mode at 125–180 °C and 1–5 atm. Reaction by-products (water and ammonia) are withdrawn with a vapor stream, and target products (lactic acid and alkyl lactate) are withdrawn with a liquid stream.

EFFECT: technical result: increased specific process productivity.

1 cl, 1 dwg, 4 ex, 1 tbl