ANALYSIS OF ORGANIC EXTRACTANT SYSTEMS FOR ACETIC-ACID REMOVAL FOR CALCIUM MAGNESIUM ACETATE PRODUCTION

A process for the Production of the deicing salt, calcium magnesium acetate, is described. A crucial step for technical and economic feasibility is the organic extraction of acetic acid from dilute aqueous streams. This work focuses on selection of two organic systems chosen for pilot studies: a phosphine oxide (50%) and a tertiary amine (20%) in an aliphatic hydrocarbon (30%); a tertiary amine (40%) in cyclohexanone. Almost 50 candidate systems were screened, the equilibrium behavior of each system . determined experimentally or from the literature, and the extraction capabilities of several classes of candidate systems were characterized. An equilibrium model was used to compare the relative efficiency of the systems. Their relative efficiency, economy, physical interphase behavior, tendency toward side reactions, and toxicity were employed to select the above two candidates.