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Two-way Valorization of Blast Furnace Slag: Synthesis of Precipitated Calcium Carbonate and Zeolitic Heavy Metal Adsorbent
Published on: February 21, 2017
Extraction of calcium cation and production of lactic acid from calcium lactate fermentation broth using
Shengchao Xu1, Wanting Ma2, Junxiong Zhao3
1School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China; School of Marine Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology at Weihai, Weihai 264209, China; Weihai Key Laboratory of Marine Biological Extraction and Separation Technology, Shandong Institute of Shipbuilding Technology, Weihai 264209, China.
Abstract:
Lactic acid (LA) is a crucial platform chemical for biodegradable plastics, primarily produced via microbial fermentation. However, the conventional purification process via calcium salt precipitation generates substantial calcium sulfate waste. This study proposes a novel solvent extraction method using di-(2-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid (P204) to extract calcium ions from calcium lactate, thereby releasing LA into the aqueous phase. Under multistage counter-current conditions, calcium extraction and stripping efficiencies exceeded 99.7 % and 98.5 %, respectively, yielding a high-purity CaCl2·2H2O by-product instead of calcium sulfate. The process demonstrated broad applicability to calcium salts of weak organic acids (pKa > ∼3.40). Mechanistic studies revealed a 2:1:1 (P204:Ca:LA) coordination complex. Green chemistry assessment confirmed the process's environmental sustainability and practical viability. This work presents an efficient strategy for LA production that avoids calcium sulfate waste, contributing to greener biorefinery processes.
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