Ethyl Lactate → Lactic Acid

Participants

Reaction Steps

The compositions of biosolvents are obtained by mixing ethyl lactate with the desired fatty acid esters. Ethyl lactate is produced by esterification of lactic acid with ethanol. However, a major problem of this reaction is that it is balanced. It is therefore necessary to displace the equilibrium for obtaining a suitable yield. This is notably possible by using excess ethanol or by continuously drawing off the water formed during the reaction. The solutions presently set into place for solving this major problem are at the origin of a substantial increase in the cost of ethyl lactate. Another problem is the oligomerization of lactic acid during the reaction.

Provenance & Evidence