A method for separation of fatty acid from a mixture comprising fatty acid, the corresponding acyl lactylate and lactic acid, said method comprising the steps of: a) providing a dispersion of said mixture in a polar carrier; b) adjusting the dispersion mixture to a pH of from 5 to 9; and, c) extracting the fatty acid from the dispersion carrier mixture into a solvent immiscible with said polar carrier, thereby obtaining a fatty acid solution and an aqueous raffinate comprising lactic acid and fatty acid lactylate. The polar carrier comprises, by weight of said carrier, from 70 to 100 wt.% of water and from 0 to 30 wt.% of one or more miscible, polar co-solvents. The aqueous raffinate may be further processed by: i) acidifying said raffinate to a pH of from 0 to 3; and, either ii)a) allowing said acidified raffinate to separate into two layers and separating the lower, aqueous layer from the residual layer of acyl lactylate, or ii)b) extracting the fatty acid lactylate from the acidified raffinate into a second solvent which is immiscible with said aqueous raffinate, thereby obtaining an acyl lactylate solution.
一种从包含
脂肪酸、相应酰基
乳酸盐和
乳酸的混合物中分离
脂肪酸的方法,该方法包括以下步骤:a)在极性载体中提供所述混合物的分散液;b)将分散液混合物调节至pH 5至9;以及c)将
脂肪酸从分散载体混合物中提取到与所述极性载体不相混溶的溶剂中,从而获得
脂肪酸溶液和含有
乳酸和
脂肪酸乳酸盐的
水相残渣。极性载体包括,按重量计,从70至100重量%的
水和从0至30重量%的一个或多个混溶的、极性共溶剂。
水相残渣可以进一步处理:i)将残渣酸化至pH 0至3;以及,ii)a)允许酸化残渣分为两层并将下层
水相与酰基
乳酸盐的残留层分离,或者ii)b)将酸化残渣中的
脂肪酸乳酸盐提取到与
水相残渣不相混溶的第二溶剂中,从而获得酰基
乳酸盐溶液。