Processes for the production of hydrogenated products

A process for making a hydrogenated product comprising:

• a. providing a clarified SA-containing fermentation broth;
• b. adding at least one of MAS, DAS, SA, NH3 and NH4+ to the broth depending on pH of the broth;
• c. distilling the broth to form an overhead that comprises water and, optionally, ammonia and a first liquid bottoms that includes MAS, at least some DAS, and at least about 20 wt % water;
• d. cooling and/or evaporating the first bottoms, and optionally adding an antisolvent to the first bottoms to attain a temperature and a composition sufficient to cause the bottoms to separate into a DAS-containing liquid portion and a MAS-containing solid portion that is substantially free of DAS;
• e. separating the solid portion from the liquid portion;
• f. dissolving the first solid portion in water to produce an aqueous MAS solution;
• g. distilling the aqueous MAS solution at a temperature and pressure sufficient to form a second overhead that comprises water and ammonia, and a second bottoms that comprises a major portion of SA, a minor portion of MAS, and water;
• h. cooling and/or evaporating the second bottoms to cause the second bottoms to separate into a second liquid portion and a second solid portion that consists essentially of SA and is substantially free of MAS;
• i. separating the second solid portion from the second liquid portion;
• j. recovering the second solid portion;
• k. hydrogenating the second solid portion in the presence of at least one hydrogenation catalyst to produce the hydrogenated product comprising at least one of THF, GBL or BDO;
• and
• l. recovering the hydrogenated product.