REACTIVE EXTRACTION OF LACTIC-ACID IN A PACKED-COLUMN

Reactive extraction of lactic acid was performed continuously in a pac ked column. The 0.6 M trioctylamine (TOA)/1-chlorobutane system was us ed as an extractant. The initial concentration of lactic acid was 10 w t% based on fermentation results. Raschig rings (5 and 7 mm diameter) were used to measure hydrodynamic data. Disperse phase holdup was near ly constant at V-d<0.8V(d,f). It can be seen that the flooding data ob tained from this study were consistent with the literature, NTU and HT U were calculated. NTU varied from 1 to 2 and HTU from 96 cm to 44 cm with variation of V-d. The overall mass transfer coefficients of the c ontinuous phase were nearly constant to 8.98 x 10(-5) mol/cm(2)s will variation of V-d.