FOOD SCIENCE ›› 2008, Vol. 29 ›› Issue (1): 165-168.

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Study on Optimum Technology of Lactic Acid Esterification

 XU  Bin, PAN  Li-Jun, JIANG  Shao-Tong, LUO  Shui-Zhong   

  1. 1.Department of Biology and Chemical Engineering, Nanyang Institute of Technology, Nanyang 473000, China; 2.School of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230009, China
  • Online:2008-01-15 Published:2011-07-28

Abstract: Synthesis of ethyl lactate with rectification was designed and optimized by central composite rotable design (CCRD). And predicted values on the contour plots were tested. Results showed that the ethanol/lactic acid ratio was the significant factor for esterification yield, and the interactions between ethanol/lactic acid ratio and cyclohexane/lactic acid ratio, ethanol/lactic acid ratio and heating temperature were less significant. The correlation coefficient of predict values and experiment values was 0.988.The optimum conditions in the experiment rang: ethanol/lactic acid ratio 4:1, cyclohexane/lactic acid ratio 0.8:1, catalyst loading 2%, incubation period 3 h and heating temperature 110 ℃. The esterification yield is 94% under these conditions.

Key words: lactic acid, esterification, technology, central composite rotable design