 Method for screening microorganisms for the production of amylolytic enzymes |
| OF THE INVENTION One criterion of strain improvement is a change in the activity and/or amount of ... |
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| Process for obtaining glucose-isomerase |
| We claim: 1. Process for producing glucose-isomerase, which comprises culturing continuously or ... |
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| Method for the preparation of sorbic acid by oxidizing 2,4-hexadienal with a microorganism |
| OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The microorganism utilizable in the present invention is a ... |
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| Citric acid producing mutant yeast strains |
| What is claimed is: 1. A biologically pure culture of mutant yeast strain, Candida zeylanoides ATCC ... |
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| Process for preparing L-glucosone |
| We claim: 1. A process for oxidizing L-glucose to L-glucosone which comprises contacting L-glucuose ... |
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| Assay for tumor promoting agents |
| We claim: 1. A test process for identifying a composition of interest as being within the class ... |
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| Synthetic method |
| What is claimed is: 1. A process for the preparation of the compound AQ4 of formula 3: ##STR16## or ... |
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| Process of enzymatic conversion of polysaccharides |
| OF THE INVENTION The B. megaterium is preferably that strain deposited in the National Collection ... |
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| Urea silicon product and uses thereof |
| What is claimed is: 1. The hydrolyzate of: ##STR20## 2. The hydrolyzate of: ##STR21## 3. The ... |
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Production of esters of lactic acid, esters of acrylic acid, lactic acid, and acrylic acid
| Details |
Inventors: Walkup, Paul C.; Rohrmann, Charles A.; Hallen, Richard T.; Eakin, David E.;
Assignee: Battelle Memorial Institute (Richland, WA)
Primary Examiner: Robinson; Douglas W.
Assistant Examiner: Geckle; C.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Wells, St. Johns & Roberts
Processes are disclosed for producing lactic acid, esters of lactic acid, acrylic acid, and esters of acrylic acid, primarily from fermentable carbohydrate materials. An overall process for producing esters of acrylic acid comprises: a) fermenting carbohydrate material with a lactic-acid-forming organism in the presence of NH.sub.3 to produce ammonium lactate; b) combining the ammonium lactate with an alcohol; c) combining the ammonium lactate and alcohol with an effective catalyzing amount of gaseous CO.sub.2 to catalytically esterify the ammonium lactate and alcohol into a lactic acid ester containing solution; d) recovering purified lactic acid ester; and e) vaporizing the lactic acid ester and passing it through a solid catalyst bed comprised of an effective catalyzing amount of crystalline hydrated and partially calcined calcium sulfate to catalytically convert lactic acid ester into an acrylic acid ester. Step "d" would be useful in a process for making low-cost, purified lactic acid. Similarly, step "e" would be useful in a process for making low cost, purified acrylic acid. |
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The following disclosure of the invention is submitted in furtherance with the constitutional purpose of the Patent Laws "to promote the progress of science and useful arts" (Article 1, Section 8).
The invention comprises any one or more of, a) a method of producing lactic acid from ammonium lactate; b) a method of producing lactic acid from fermentable carbohydrate materials; c) a method of producing esters of lactic acid (lactate esters) from ammonium lactate; d) a method of producing esters of lactic acid (lactate esters) from fermentable carbohydrate materials; e) a method of producing esters of acrylic acid (acrylate esters) from lactic acid esters; f) a method of producing esters of acrylic acid (acrylate esters) from fermentable carbohydrate materials.
g) a method of producing acrylic acid from esters of lactic acid (lactate esters); and h) a method of producing acrylic acid from fermentable carbohydrate materials.
The invention is expected to be useful for the production of lower cost concentrated lactic acid, lactate esters, acrylic acid, and acrylate esters from crude ammonium lactate fermentation liquors.
In those applications for the production and purification of lactate esters, acrylate esters, and acrylic acid, the direct production of the intermediate lactic acid can be avoided.
It is anticipated that any of a wide variety of fermentable carbohydrate materials will be usable as feed materials in accordance with the invention to produce ammonium lactate fermentation liquors.
Furthermore, certain aspects of the invention as claimed have applicability to ammonium lactate solutions independent of whether the ammonium lactate was obtained from a fermentation process.
Purified lactic acid, producible in accordance with one aspect of the invention, may provide a suitable basic raw material useful for producing biodegradable polymers that have yet to be developed by the patentee or others.
The discussion proceeds with reference to FIG
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Molecular Biology 
