Process for obtaining an organic acid from an organic acid ammonium salt, an organic acid amide, or an alkylamine organic acid complex

A process for obtaining an organic acid from a feed stream comprising at least one of an organic acid ammonium salt, an organic acid amide, or a alkylamine-organic acid complex, comprising the steps of:

• mixing a feed stream and at least one azeotroping agent, wherein the feed stream comprises at least one of an organic acid ammonium salt, an organic acid amide, or a alkylamine-organic acid complex, and wherein the organic acid of the salt, amide or complex is selected from the group consisting of monocarboxylic acids, dicarboxylic acids, and tricarboxylic acids having from 2 to 8 carbon atoms;
• and
• distilling the feed stream by a method comprising the steps of
• (i) heating at least one of the feed stream, the at least one azeotroping agent, or the mixture thereof, thereby a decomposing the ammonium salt, the amide, or the alkylamine-organic acid complex to produce organic acid, and (b) producing a first vapor stream that comprises at least one first azeotrope comprising the organic acid and the at least one azeotroping agent;
• (ii) separating the first vapor stream from the mixture;
• (iii) producing a first bottoms stream as the first vapor stream is separated, wherein the first bottoms stream comprises at least one of an organic acid ammonium salt, an organic acid amide, or an alkylamine-organic acid complex;
• (iv) adjusting the temperature of the first vapor stream such that a second vapor stream that comprises a second azeotrope that comprises water and the at least one azeotroping agent is produced;
• and
• (v) separating the second vapor stream from the first vapor stream, thereby producing a second bottoms stream, wherein the second bottoms stream comprises organic acid.

A process for obtaining an organic acid from a feed stream comprising at least one of an organic acid ammonium salt, an organic acid amide, or a alkylamine-organic acid complex, comprising the steps of:

• mixing a feed stream and at least one azeotroping agent, wherein the feed stream comprises at least one of an organic acid ammonium salt, an organic acid amide, or a alkylamine-organic acid complex, and wherein the organic acid of the salt, amide or complex is selected from the group consisting of monocarboxylic acids, dicarboxylic acids, and tricarboxylic acids having from 2 to 8 carbon atoms;
• and
• distilling the feed stream by a method comprising the steps of
• (i) heating at least one of the feed stream, the at least one azeotroping agent, or the mixture thereof, thereby (a) decomposing the ammonium salt, the amide, or the alkylamine-organic acid complex to produce organic acid, and (b) producing a first vapor stream that comprises at least one first azeotrope that is a heteroazeotrope comprising the organic acid and the at least one azeotrope agent;
• (ii) separating the first vapor stream from the mixture;
• (iii) condensing the first vapor stream to form a first liquid stream, wherein the first liquid stream is capable of being separated into a first phase and a second phase, wherein the first phase comprises a higher concentration of organic acid than the second phase, and wherein the second phase comprises the at least one azeotroping agent;
• (iv) separating the first liquid stream into a first phase and a second phase, wherein the first phase comprises a higher concentration of organic acid than the second phase, and wherein the second phase comprises the at least one azeotroping agent;
• and
• (v) recovering the organic acid by separating the first phase from the second phase.

A process for obtaining an organic acid from a feed stream comprising at least one of an organic acid ammonium salt, an organic acid amide, or a alkylamine-organic acid complex, comprising the steps of:

• mixing a feed stream and at least one azeotroping agent, wherein the feed stream comprises a fermentation broth wherein the fermentation broth comprises at least one of an organic acid ammonium salt, an organic acid amide, or a alkylamine-organic acid complex and wherein the organic acid of the salt, amide or complex is selected from the group consisting of monocarboxylic acids, dicarboxylic acids, and tricarboxylic acids having from 2 to 8 carbon atoms;
• and
• distilling the feed stream by a method comprising the steps of
• (i) heating at least one of the feed stream, the at least one azeotroping agent, or the mixture thereof, thereby (a) decomposing the ammonium salt, the amide, or the alkylamine-organic acid complex to produce organic acid, and (b) producing a first vapor stream that comprises at least one first azeotrope comprising the organic acid and the at least one azeotroping agent;
• and
• (ii) separating the first vapor stream from the mixture;
• wherein the fermentation broth is at least partially purified prior to the mixing of the feed stream and the at least one azeotroping agent.

A process for obtaining an organic acid from a feed stream comprising at least one of an organic acid ammonium salt, an organic acid amide, or a alkylamine-organic acid complex, comprising the steps of:

• mixing a feed stream and at least one azeotroping agent, wherein the feed stream comprises an extract of a fermentation broth that comprises at least one of an organic acid ammonium salt, an organic acid amide, or a alkylamine-organic acid complex, and wherein the organic acid of the salt, amide or complex is selected from the group consisting of monocarboxylic acids, dicarboxylic acids, and tricarboxylic acids having from 2 to 8 carbon atoms;
• and
• distilling the feed stream by a method comprising the steps of
• (i) heating at least one of the feed stream, the at least one azeotroping agent, or the mixture thereof, thereby (a) decomposing the ammonium salt, the amide, or the alkylamine-organic acid complex to produce organic acid, and (b) producing a first vapor stream that comprises at least one first azeotrope comprising the organic acid and the at least one azeotroping agent;
• and
• (ii) separating the first vapor stream from the mixture.