Chemical interactions between aqueous and organic phases in a reactive extraction process

Partitioning of lactic acid between aqueous phase and kerosene containing trin-octyl phosphine oxide (TOPO) as a reactive agent was measured and analyzed in terms of an association model between lactic acid and TOPO. Equilibrium association was calculated to involve 1.1 mol of lactic acid/mol of TOPO.³¹P-NMR and FTIR analyses found no evidence of covalent bond formation between lactic acid and TOPO in solutions in kerosene, and pointed to hydrogen bond formation between the two chemicals. In a hydrophobic, microporous, hollow-fiber-membrane module, the simultaneous presence of lactic acid, TOPO, and the back-extractant NaOH resulted in drastic membrane fouling as evidenced by the loss of kerosene flux through the membrane. The membrane could be restored back to the original kerosene flux after extensive washing.