REACTIVE EXTRACTION OF LEVULINIC ACID FROM AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS WITH TRI-n-OCTYLAMINE (TOA) IN 1-OCTANOL: EQUILIBRIA, KINETICS, AND MODEL DEVELOPMENT

Levulinic acid, a carboxylic acid containing a ketone structure, can be used as an acidulant in foods and beverages. Reactive extraction is a promising alternative for the recovery of carboxylic acids from aqueous streams. The design of an amine extraction process requires kinetic data for the acid-amine+solvent system used. In this study, equilibrium and kinetic data on the extraction of levulinic acid from aqueous solutions using tri-n-octylamine (TOA) in 1-octanol have been determined. The mass transfer coefficients of levulinic acid, TOA, and 2:1 levulinic acid-amine complex in 1-octanol were calculated from the acetic acid mass transfer coefficient, which was determined by measuring its fluxes of simple diffusion from kerosene to water. Based on the Hatta number and the criterion given by Doraiswamy and Sharma, the reaction regime has been found to be instantaneous reaction regime occurring at the interface on the organic phase side. An extraction model comprising equilibrium complexation constant w.r.t 2:1 levulinic acid-TOA complex formation, KE2i (14.794 (m3kmol-1)2), and complex mass transfer coefficient, kB2A (2.193x10-6 ms-1), has been developed.