Hydrochloric Acid → Mandelic Acid

Participants

Reaction Steps

To the filtrate remaining after process A above was added 201 grams of 50% sodium hydroxide solution, for a pH of 12.9. The basic solution was extracted 3 times with toluene, for a total toluene addition of 325 grams. The toluene and (-)PEA were distilled off under vacuum, resulting in a recovery of 303.6 grams (93.4%) of toluene, and L(-)PEA in about 260.2 grams. The sodium mandelate/sodium acetate phase was neutralized with 305.4 grams HCl, giving a pH of about 0.8. This was extracted 4 times with MIBK, in a fashion similar to that above, for a total addition of 295.3 grams MIBK. 185 grams H2O was added to the MIBK, and the MIBK was distilled off with azeotropic distillation, returning 274.4 grams or 92.9% MIBK recovery. The mandelic acid recovered from this process, together with that recovered above, gave a total recovery of 299.44 grams mandelic acid, or an 89.5% return.

Provenance & Evidence