Process for the purification of levulinic acid

Abstract

A process for the purification of levulinic acid including the following steps: a. providing a composition 1, comprising at least 75 wt. % of levulinic acid; b. cooling composition 1 to at least one temperature Tc, wherein Tc is a temperature in the range 1.23*(W1)−104.5≤Tc (° C.)≤1.23*(W1)−89.5, wherein W1 is the weight % of levulinic acid in composition 1, to obtain a cooled composition 1; c. performing melt crystallization of composition 1 including the steps of: i. bringing the cooled composition 1 into contact with levulinic acid crystal seeds, ii. allowing the levulinic acid in composition 1 to crystallize at at least one temperature Tc to obtain crystals 1 and liquid 1, and iii. draining of liquid 1; d. optionally, treating crystals 1, after draining of liquid 1, by sweating, according to the following steps: i. heating the crystals 1 at a temperature between 5 and 40° C. to obtain crystals 2 and liquid 2, and ii. draining of liquid 2; e. melting the crystals 1 or 2, after draining of liquid 1 or 2, to obtain composition 2, f. determining the levulinic acid concentration in composition 2 and, in case the levulinic acid concentration is below a predetermined value, repeating steps b, c, optionally d, and e, as many times as necessary to obtain a final composition with a predetermined levulinic acid concentration.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.