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Updated: Jul 3, 2026

Continuous Liquid-Liquid Extraction of Medium-Chain Fatty Acids from Fermentation Broth Using Hollow-Fiber Membranes
Published on: August 9, 2024
Emulsion liquid membrane extraction of lactic acid from aqueous solutions and fermentation broth
C Schöller1, J B Chaudhuri, D L Pyle
1Biotechnology Group, Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading RG6 2AP, UK.
Abstract:
Studies on the batch extraction of lactic acid using an emulsion liquid membrane system are reported. The membrane phase consists of the tertiary amine carrier Alamine 336 and the surfactant Span 80 dissolved in n-heptane/paraffin and aqueous solutions of sodium carbonate in the internal phase. The effects of internal phase reagent, extraction temperature, and initial external phase pH on the extraction efficiency and the emulsion swelling are examined. A statistical factorial experiment on extraction from clarified lactic acid fermentation broth was carried out to obtain knowledge of the performance of the extraction system from a broth. The extraction efficiency from the fermentation broth is found to be lower as compared to aqueous solutions of pure lactic acid. The effect of pH and the presence of other ionic species on selectivity are discussed.
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