Method of obtaining an organic salt or acid from an aqueous sugar stream

A process for obtaining an organic salt or organic acid from an aqueous sugar stream comprising a mineral acid, an organic acid, and a sugar selected from the group consisting of xylose, glucose, arabinose, galactose, mannose and a combination thereof, said process comprising the steps of:

• (i) introducing the aqueous sugar stream to a separation system comprising one or more beds of anion exchange resin and obtaining at least one stream therefrom comprising the sugar;
• (ii) regenerating the one or more beds of anion exchange resin in one or more stages, thereby producing at least one stream comprising the mineral acid, a salt of the mineral acid, or a combination thereof, and at least one separate product stream comprising the organic acid, a salt of the organic acid, or a combination thereof;
• and
• (iii) recovering the at least one product stream, wherein the organic acid is selected from the group consisting of acetic acid, formic acid, glucuronic acid, galacturonic acid and a combination thereof and the mineral acid is selected from the group consisting of sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, sulfurous acid, phosphoric acid and a combination thereof,
• wherein steps (i) and (ii) are carried out by anion exchange.

A process for obtaining acetate salt, acetic acid or a combination thereof, from a lignocellulosic feedstock, comprising the steps of:

• (i) obtaining an aqueous sugar stream resulting from hydrolysis of the lignocellulosic feedstock, said hydrolysis comprising one or more stages of sulfuric acid addition, said sugar stream comprising acetic acid, acetate salt, or a combination thereof, sulfuric acid and one or more sugars selected from xylose, glucose, arabinose, galactose, mannose and a combination thereof;
• (ii) introducing the aqueous sugar stream to a Simulated Moving Bed separation system comprising one or more beds of anion exchange resin and obtaining at least one stream therefrom comprising the one or more sugars;
• (iii) regenerating the one or more beds of anion exchange resin with sulfuric acid, thereby producing at least one organic acid product stream comprising the acetic acid and, thereafter, regenerating the one or more beds of anion exchange resin with ammonium hydroxide to produce at least one separate outlet stream comprising ammonium sulfate;
• and
• (iv) recovering the at least one product stream.