Sustainable Downstream Separation of Itaconic Acid Using Carbon-Based Adsorbents

Abstract

Separation of itaconic acid from aqueous solution has been explored using various carbon-based adsorbents obtained from the pyrolysis and KOH activation of coconut shell biomass. The best preparation conditions to obtain a tailored adsorbent for itaconic acid purification were identified via a Taguchi experimental design, where its adsorption properties were maximized. The best activated carbon was obtained via coconut shell pyrolysis at 750 °C for 4 h plus an activation with 0.1 KOH and a final treatment at 800 °C for 2 h. This adsorbent showed an adsorption capacity of 4.31 mmol/g at 20 °C and pH 3 with a surface area of 466 m2/g. Itaconic acid separation was exothermic and pH-dependent where electrostatic forces and hydrogen bonding were the main adsorption interactions. Calculated adsorption rate constants for itaconic acid adsorption were 0.44–1.20 h-1. Results of adsorbent characterization analysis indicated the presence of a crystallization of itaconic acid molecules onto the activated carbon surface where 3–4 molecules could interact to form the clusters. This organic acid was recovered from the adsorbent surface via desorption with water or ethanol, thus facilitating its final purification. The best activated carbon obtained in this study is a promising alternative to perform sustainable and energy-efficient downstream separation and purification of itaconic acid produced via fermentation.

Holistic Approach to Process Design and Scale-Up for Itaconic Acid Production from Crude Substrates

“…While in the sugar industry, decolorization is usually implemented using anion exchange resins [ 77 , 78 ], decolorization in organic acid production is most commonly realized by adding activated charcoal [ 22 , 79 , 80 , 81 ]. However, similar to other carboxylic acids, ITA can adsorb at both types of these decolorization agents, reducing process yield and thereby economic feasibility [ 82 ] ( Section 3.1.1 ). In this work, the potential yield loss is minimized by two measures.…”

Mesoporous Carbon-Based Materials: A Review of Synthesis, Modification, and Applications

“…They also introduce a lot of micropores into the structure. In addition, these techniques can produce diverse morphologies such as nanofibers, nanoparticles, nanosheets, and nanotubes in porous materials, which can meet all the needs of industrial applications [31][32][33]. It has been found that the performance of mesoporous materials in the various fields is affected mainly by structural properties such as the specific surface area, pore size, pore structure, and heteroatoms doping, such as nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), sulfur (S), and boron (B) [34].…”

Biomass‐Derived Carbon Materials for the Adsorption of Organic Pollutants

“…In wastewater treatment, the electrostatic interaction between the ionized functional groups of pollutants and the surface functional groups of biomass-derived carbon can be observed during adsorption, where pH value can affect the electrostatic force. [279] Guo et al [244] concluded in a study that triggering factors for the enhancement of adsorption capacity include electrostatic attraction. Under alkaline conditions, the electrostatic force between Mg 2+ and negatively charged active carbon ensured its stable and high adsorption capacity.…”