Jenny Wu-Tiu-Yen1and Claire Fargues2
1eRcane, 29 rue d’Emmerez de Charmoy, BP 60315, 97494 Sainte-Clotilde Cedex, Réunion; jenny.wutiuyen@ercane.re
2Université Paris-Saclay, AgroParisTech, UMR SayFood, Massy, France
Cane stillage or vinasse, a co-product of ethanol distilleries, contains 5-7 g/L of aconitic acid, a valuable trivalent carboxylic acid that is an important building block in organic synthesis. Vinasse also contains a variety of other organic compounds (e.g., organic acids, amino acids, colorants) and minerals (e.g., chlorides, sulphates), which make purification difficult. The objective of this work was to develop the extraction and purification method for aconitic acid from stillage using anion exchange chromatography as the heart of the process. To improve performance a special type of resin was used. Separation column performances were studied for different pH, and different solutions to elucidate the separation mechanisms. The elution step was also investigated by testing different types of eluents and various concentrations. A 28% DM purity and a 61% total recovery were achieved for the organic acid in the eluate. The remaining impurities were mostly chlorides, sulphates, and colorants.