A PROCESS FOR THE RECOVERY OF A LOW MOLECULAR WEIGHT ALCOHOL FROM AN AQUEOUS FERMENTATION MEDIUM CONTAINING NO MORE THAN 40 BY VOLUME OF THE ALCOHOL

摘要

A process for the separation of weak organic acids such as ethanol or methanol from dilute aqueous solutions thereof. The process comprises dissolving in the solution an amount of at least 26 grams/100 ml of solution of a base or a basic salt, such as potassium carbonate, the conjugate acid of which has a pKa value of above 6 and which has a solubility of at least 26 grams/100 ml. of solution and is substantially more soluble in water than in the organic acid, and separating from the solution a phase rich in the organic acid and an aqueous phase rich in the base or basic salt. The process is particularly applicable to the separation of ethanol from fermentation media as the high ionic strength of the dissolved base or basic salt causes flocculation of the dissolved solids component of dunder.