Nishant Joshi - Department of Chemical Engineering, National Institute of Technology Raipur, India
Amit Keshav - Department of Chemical Engineering, National Institute of Technology Raipur, India
Anil K. Poonia - Department of Chemical Engineering, National Institute of Technology Raipur, India
Jagamohan Meher - Department of Agriculture Engineering, Kalasalingam Academy of Research and Education, Krishnankoil, Tamil Nadu, India

Bio production of gallic acid and its recovery from bioconversion media have captured considerable interest of researchers. Extractive separation with solvents can be utilized for the recovery of gallic acid; however, the issue of toxicity of solvents towards microbes needs to be addressed. Physical extraction with natural solvents is observed to be insufficient as highest distribution coefficient (KD) were observed to be ۰.۱۳۶ for sesame oil, ۰.۱۱۱ for rice bran oil and around ۰.۰۴۱ for sunflower oil. Higher separation efficiencies are desirable for a successful extraction system and in this regard employing a reactive component (extractants) could be intensified solution. Three different extractants (tri-n-butyl phosphate (TBP), tri-octyl amine (TOA) and Aliquat ۳۳۶) were investigated for their capabilities to improve extraction when present in three non-toxic diluents (sunflower oil, rice bran oil and sesame oil) comprising ۹ possible combinations employed over acid concentrations (۰.۰۱-۰.۰۵ kmol.m-۳). TBP-sunflower oil (KD = ۰.۸۱-۱۵.۶۶, KE = ۱.۹۲۲ - ۷.۸۹۴), Aliquat ۳۳۶-rice bran oil (KD = ۳-۱۰.۷۱, KE = ۶.۳۷۸-۱۰.۶۷), and TOA-sesame oil (KD =۰.۱-۳.۵۴, KE = ۲.۰۸۱-۳.۴۰۹) combinations were observed to result in most suited systems resulting in higher distribution of acid. Thus, they were found to be ideal for efficient and low toxic extractant systems for acid recovery.

Reactive Separation, Gallic acid, Aminic Extractants, Phosphoric Extractants, Natural Diluents