Lactic acid saponification

The following specifications should conform to the representations of the vendor Acid Value, Acylated Monolactic Acid, Acylated Polylactic Acid, Free Fatty Acids, Total Lactic Acid, Saponification Value, and Water. 

Esterification/Saponification. Esterification of lactic acid with methanol/ethanol yields systems with good separation characteristics to separate many impurities with different boiling points [60]. However, the energy demand of a full reaction/distillation route from crude acid to pure acid is high. 

The rate of esterification of acetic, propionic, citric, butyric, malic, succinic, lactic, and tartaric acids at three different pH s over a 30- to 60-day period was determined by Espil and Peynaud (1936). They showed that none of the ethyl esters of the polyhydric alcohols contribute to the aroma and would not even if present at ten times their normal amounts. Tomaghelli (1937) studied the rate of esterification of the system acetic acid-ethyl alcohol and that of saponification of the system ethyl acetate-water at 100° C. (212° F.) for 500 hours and at 150° C. (302° F.) for 320 hours. 

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