# US 2019/0169144 A1 · Acesulfame Potassium Compositions and Processes for Producing Same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0169144 A1 - Document ID: US20190169144A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/273,376 - Filed: 2019-02-12 - Published: 2019-06-06 - Earliest claimed: 2016-09-21 - Assignees: Celanese International Corporation - Applicants: Celanese International Corporation - Inventors: Christoph Mollenkopf; Peter Groer; Arvind Yadav - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190169144A1 ## CPC - C07D 291/06: Six-membered rings - A23L 27/30: Artificial sweetening agents - A23L 27/31: {containing amino acids, nucleotides, peptides or derivatives} - A23V 2002/00: Food compositions, function of food ingredients or processes for food or foodstuffs - C07D: HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS (macromolecular compounds C08) - A23L: FOODS, FOODSTUFFS OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; PREPARATION OR TREATMENT THEREOF (preservation thereof A23B) - A23V: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO FOODS, FOODSTUFFS OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES AND LACTIC OR PROPIONIC ACID BACTERIA USED IN FOODSTUFFS OR FOOD PREPARATION ## Abstract Compositions and processes for producing high purity acesulfame potassium are described. One process comprises the steps of forming a cyclic sulfur trioxide adduct; hydrolyzing the cyclic sulfur trioxide adduct to form an acesulfame-H composition comprising acesulfame-H; neutralizing the acesulfame-H in the acesulfame-H composition to form a crude acesulfame potassium composition comprising acesulfame potassium and less than 2800 wppm acetoacetamide-N-sulfonic acid, wherein the neutralizing step is conducted or maintained at a pH at or below 11.0; and treating the crude acesulfame potassium composition to form the finished acesulfame potassium composition comprising acesulfame potassium and less than 37 wppm acetoacetamide-N-sulfonic acid. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A process for producing a finished acesulfame potassium composition, the process comprising the steps of: (a) forming a cyclic sulfur trioxide adduct; (b) hydrolyzing the cyclic sulfur trioxide adduct to form an acesulfame-H composition comprising acesulfame-H; (c) neutralizing the acesulfame-H in the acesulfame-H composition to form a crude acesulfame potassium composition comprising acesulfame potassium and less than 2800 wppm acetoacetamide-N-sulfonic acid, wherein the neutralizing step is conducted at a pH at or below 11.0; and (d) treating the crude acesulfame potassium composition to form the finished acesulfame potassium composition comprising acesulfame potassium and less than 37 wppm acetoacetamide-N-sulfonic acid. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the neutralizing step (c) comprises: reacting acesulfame-H with a neutralizing agent in an acesulfame-H/neutralizing agent reaction mixture to form the acesulfame potassium composition. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The process of claim 2, wherein the neutralizing agent comprises potassium hydroxide. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The process of claim 3, wherein the potassium hydroxide is produced via a membrane process and the finished acesulfame potassium composition comprises less than 10 wppm mercury. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The process of claim 2, wherein the acesulfame-H/neutralizing agent reaction mixture comprises from 1 wt % to 95 wt % neutralizing agent and from 1 wt % to 95 wt % acesulfame-H, based on the total weight of the acesulfame-H/neutralizing agent reaction mixture. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the neutralizing step (c) comprises neutralizing the acesulfame-H in the acesulfame-H composition to form the crude acesulfame potassium composition further comprising acetoacetamide. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The process of claim 6, wherein the crude acesulfame potassium composition comprises from 500 wppm to 2375 wppm acetoacetamide-N-sulfonic acid and the finished acesulfame potassium composition comprises less than 25 wppm acetoacetamide-N-sulfonic acid and further comprises less than 25 wppm acetoacetamide. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The process of claim 6, wherein the neutralizing step (c) is conducted at a pH ranging from 9.0 to 11.0 and the crude acesulfame potassium composition comprises from 20 wppm to 2500 wppm acetoacetamide-N-sulfonic acid and the finished acesulfame potassium composition comprises less than 25 wppm acetoacetamide-N-sulfonic acid and less than 15 wppm acetoacetamide. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The process of claim 6, wherein the neutralizing step (c) is conducted at a pH ranging from 8 to 10.3 and the crude acesulfame potassium composition comprises from 600 wppm to 1200 wppm acetoacetamide-N-sulfonic acid, and the finished acesulfame potassium composition comprises less than 10 wppm acetoacetamide-N-sulfonic acid and less than 10 wppm acetoacetamide. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) The process of claim 6, wherein the neutralizing step (c) is conducted at a pH ranging from 8 to 10.3 and the crude acesulfame potassium composition comprises less than 2400 wppm acetoacetamide-N-sulfonic acid, and the finished acesulfame potassium composition comprises less than 10 wppm acetoacetamide-N-sulfonic acid and less than 10 wppm acetoacetamide. ### Claim 11 (depends on 6) The process of claim 6, wherein the finished acesulfame potassium composition comprises less than 37 wppm acetoacetamide. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the neutralizing step (c) is conducted at a pH ranging from 9.0 to 11.0. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the neutralizing step (c) is conducted at a pH ranging from 9.0 to 10.5. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the neutralizing step (c) is conducted at a pH ranging from 8.0 to 10.3. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the treating step (d) is conducted at a temperature below 90° C. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the treating step (d) comprises an evaporating step with a residence time less than 180 minutes. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the neutralizing step is maintained at a pH at or below 11.0. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) A finished acesulfame potassium composition produced by the process of claim 1. ### Claim 19 A process for producing a finished acesulfame potassium composition, the process comprising the steps of: (a) reacting sulfamic acid and triethylamine to form an amidosulfamic acid salt; (b) reacting the amidosulfamic acid salt and diketene to form acetoacetamide salt; (c) contacting dichloromethane and a sulfur trioxide to form a cyclizing agent composition; (d) reacting the acetoacetamide salt with sulfur trioxide in the cyclizing agent composition to form a cyclic sulfur trioxide adduct; (e) hydrolyzing the cyclic sulfur trioxide adduct to form an acesulfame-H composition comprising acesulfame-H; (f) neutralizing the acesulfame-H in the acesulfame-H to form a crude acesulfame potassium composition comprising acesulfame potassium and less than 2800 wppm acetoacetamide-N-sulfonic acid, wherein neutralizing step is conducted at a pH at or below 11.0, (g) treating the crude acesulfame potassium composition to form the finished acesulfame potassium composition comprising acesulfame potassium and less than 37 wppm acetoacetamide-N-sulfonic acid, wherein steps (a), (b), and (c) can be performed in any order before the performance of step (d). ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The process of claim 19, wherein the finished acesulfame potassium composition further comprises less than 20 wppm acetoacetamide. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The process of claim 20, wherein the neutralizing step (f) is conducted at a pH ranging from 9.0 to 11.0 and the crude acesulfame potassium composition comprises from 20 wppm to 2500 wppm acetoacetamide-N-sulfonic acid and the finished acesulfame potassium composition comprises less than 25 wppm acetoacetamide-N-sulfonic acid and less than 15 wppm acetoacetamide. ### Claim 22 An acesulfame potassium composition comprising acesulfame potassium and less than 25 wppm acetoacetamide-N-sulfonic acid and less than 25 wppm acetoacetamide. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The acesulfame potassium composition of claim 22, further comprising 0.001 wppm to 5 wppm organic impurities and/or 0.001 wppm to 5 wppm of at least one heavy metal. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The acesulfame potassium composition of claim 23, wherein the at least one heavy metal is selected from the group consisting of mercury, lead and mixtures thereof. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The acesulfame potassium composition of claim 24, wherein the mercury is present in an amount of 1 wppb to 20 wppm. ### Claim 26 (depends on 24) The acesulfame potassium composition of claim 24, wherein the lead is present in an amount of 1 wppb to 25 wppm.