(338e) Alternative Uses of Sugarcane Molasses and Jagerry for PRODUCTION of VALUE Added FATTY Acids,Especially Oxalic ACID

ALTERNATIVE USES OF SUGARCANE MOLASSES AND JAGERRY FOR PRODUCTION OF VALUE ADDED FATTY ACIDS,ESPECIALLY OXALIC ACID

BY

P.SANYAL*and A.K. RAY

DEPARTMENT OF OF PAPER TECHNOLOGY

INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY ROORKEE

SAHARANPUR CAMPUS, SAHARANPUR-247001,INDIA

*NATIONAL SUGAR INSTITUTE,MINISTRY OF FOOD AND CIVIL SUPPLIES, GOVT. OF INDIA, INDIA

ABSTRACT

Sugarcane molasses and jiggery  provide a unique source for  large number of downstream products which include livestock and human food sources, potable alcohol and absolute alcohol, alcohol based chemicals like oxalic acid, citric acid, tartaric acid, lactic acids,acetic acid, diethyl oxalate, ethyl acelate, acetic anhydride etc., which are raw materials pharmaceuticals, plastics, synthetic rubber, base for yeast, lysine, protein and innumerable other products. In this present study, status and economics  of Indian industries who utilize molasses to produce organic acids through both chemical and biochemical routes like lactic,citric, tartaric, aconitric and oxalic acid etc. are reviewed with particular reference to oxalic acid production and updated research findings.The oxalic acid or its derivatives have widespread industrial applications  such as textiles, leather, oil refinery, metallurgy ,nuclear power plant, dyes, catalysts, explosives, straw bleaching, printing, marble polishing, metal and cloth cleaning, pharmaceuticals and antibiotics. It is also a very important chemical in petroleum, rare-earth, ink, rust, corrosion inhibitor, and dental adhesive processing.

Oxalic acid can be produced  from a number of sources from sugar itself,from sugarcane or sugar industry wastes, sugarcane trash,wastes from paper industry by  oxidation of their main components of carbohydrates e.g. sucrose,glucose, and other sugar bearing raw materials, from dry powder of parthenium hysterophorus L., and other cellulosic wastes, wood dust, wood cellulose etc. Sugar cane or sugar beet molasses, sugarcane jiggery,deionized cane juice can be a potential source from sugar industry wastes. Both chemical as well as biochemical process may be followed to produce this important chemical. In chemical route  generally catalytic oxidation of the above ingredients by nitric acid or by formed nitrogen oxides in batch or continuous stirred tank reactors produces oxalic acid, acid sachharate, and tartaric acid . Production of oxalic acid by fermentations of carbohydrates using Aspergillus niger  and Pseudomonas fluorescens and  radiation processing of carbonate solutions and molasses are  reported.Production of tartaric acid and citric acid under certain conditions can also be produced. However, the majority of work involves oxidation of sugar bearing materials by nitric acid to produce oxalic acid. In this present study, attempt has also been made to optimize the processes of producing oxalic acid from sugarcane molasses and sugar cane jaggery by oxidation with nitric acid in presence of dehydrant and catalyst with or without the presence of catalyst promoters.Parameters  affecting the reaction were: air flow rate, temperature, the amount of V₂O₅ , catalyst promoters and the concentrations of reactants and dehydrant. The maximum yields obtained by different processes were compared. Treatments of NO_x  vapour by absorbing in a suitable medium  (in soda ash or  sulphuric acid),  to avoid air pollution(and also to produce value added by-products,glauber salt  and sodium nitrate), mother liquor and catalyst recycling were attempted to enhance the economy of the plant.