Salicylic acid precipitation

Franck, R., David, R., Villenuaux, J. and Klein, J.P., 1988. Crystallization and precipitation engineering - II. A chemical reaction engineering approach to salicylic acid precipitation Modelling of batch kinetics and application to continuous operation. Chemical Engineering Science, 43, 69-11. 

Salicylic acid Precipitated sulfur Hydrophilic ointment... 

Figure 5.8 Progression of peel. (A) Baseline prior to application of peel (B) 1 min after peel application (C) 2 min after peel application (note more intense frosting representing complete crystallization of salicylic acid) (D) complete frosting achieved 4 min after peel application, and (E) postpeel after salicylic acid precipitate removed...

When the phenol contains a carboxylic acid group, e.g., m- or p-hydroxy-benzoic acid, the acetylated derivative will of course remain in solution as the sodium salt, but is precipitated when the solution is subsequently acidified. Salicylic acid, however, cannot be acetylated under these conditions. 

It should be emphasised that salicylic acid can be readily acetylated by Method 1, and that the above preparation of acetylsalicyclic acid is given solely as an illustration of Method 2. To employ Method 1, add 10 g. of salicylic acid to 20 ml. of a mixture of equal volumes of acetic anhydride and acetic acid, and boil gently under reflux for 30 minutes. Then pour into about 200 ml. of cold water in order to precipitate the acetylsalicylic acid (11 g.) and finally recrystallise as above. Method 2, however, gives the purer product. 

Oxidation to acids. Varm together in a small conical flask on a water-bath for lo minutes a mixture of 0 5 ml. of benzaldehyde or salicylaldehyde, 15 ml. of saturated KMn04 solution, and 0-5 g. of NajCOj. Then acidify with cone. HCl, and add 25% sodium sulphite solution until the precipitated manganese dioxide has redissolved. On cooling, benzoic or salicylic acid crystallises out. 

Action of sodium hydroxide. Does not undergo the Cannizzaro reaction. It dissolves in dil. NaOH solution, giving a yellow solution from which the aldehyde is precipitated unchanged on acidification. If heated with cone. NaOH solution, salicylaldehyde slowly undergoes atmospheric oxidation to salicylic acid. 

This may be determined roughly by treating a small test portion with 3-4 ml. of hot water and acidifying with concentrated hydrochloric acid the absence of a precipitate in the warm solution indicates the essential completeness of the reaction. Salicylic acid is sparingly soluble and p-hydroxybenzoic acid is relatively soluble under these conditions. 

Wagner s solution (phosphate rock analysis) dissolve 25 g citric acid and 1 g salicylic acid in water, and make up to 1 liter. Twenty-five to fifty milliliters of this reagent prevents precipitation of iron and aluminum. 

Trichloroacetic Acid (TCA) causes precipitation of proteins and coagulative necrosis of epidermal cells [4]. The extent of damage is indeed concentration dependent. Concentrations range from 10 to 50%. Superficial TCA peeling is induced by concentrations of 10-30% whereas higher concentrations cause medium depth or deep peeling. The combination of salicylic acid followed by TCA 10-15% induces superficial wounding. 

Note the uniform precipitate representing crystallization of the salicylic acid... 

During the traditional qualitative inorganic analytical procedure, samples containing the lead and salicylate radicals can lead to the formation and possible detonation of lead picrate. This arises dining evaporation of the filtrate with nitric acid, after precipitation of the copper-tin group metals with hydrogen sulfide. Salicylic acid is converted under these conditions to picric acid, which in presence of lead gives explosive lead picrate. An alternative (MAQA) scheme is described which avoids this possibility. 

Spectroscopic techniques may provide the least ambiguous methods for verification of actual sorption mechanisms. Zeltner et al. (Chapter 8) have applied FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared) spectroscopy and microcalorimetric titrations in a study of the adsorption of salicylic acid by goethite these techniques provide new information on the structure of organic acid complexes formed at the goethite-water interface. Ambe et al. (Chapter 19) present the results of an emission Mossbauer spectroscopic study of sorbed Co(II) and Sb(V). Although Mossbauer spectroscopy can only be used for a few chemical elements, the technique provides detailed information about the molecular bonding of sorbed species and may be used to differentiate between adsorption and surface precipitation. 

A review by Galli et al. describes several buffer-absorbing chromophores as co-ions. These include phthalate, PDG (2,6-pyridinedicarboxylic acid), PMA (1,2,4,5-benzenetetra-carboxylic acid or pyromellitic acid), TMA (trimellitic acid), MES, 2,4-dihydrobenzoic acid with s-aminocaproic acid, p-hydroxybenzoate, p-anisate, 3,5-dinitrobenzoic acid, salicylic acid with TRIS, benzoic acid with tris (hydroxymethyl)aminomethane (TRIS), and many others. On the other hand, some inorganic chromophores such as chromate (Figure 9) or molybdate may be added to a buffer. A BGE-containing chromate should have a pH above 8, because it precipitates below this value. The advantage of a TRIS buffer or buffers at around pH 6 is that carbonate will not interfere with the separation because it is not soluble in TRIS or at lower pHs. 

In Vitro Metabolism of Salicylic Acid. The protein precipitating between 50 and 65% (w/v) ammonium sulfate possessed the capacity to... 

Partial Purification of SA-GTase. Proteins extracted from oat roots Incubated for 20 h in salicylic acid were separated by salt precipitation and gel exclusion and anion exchange chromatography (Table IV). A 5 -fold purification of the SA-GTase was achieved with this... 

Drugs that are used to treat hyperkeratosis, a thickening of the stratum corneum, are called keratolytics. Examples of these agents are salicylic acid, urea, lactic acid, and colloidal or precipitated sulfur. The precise mechanisms by which these agents treat hyperkeratosis are not known. Presumably, a common property is the ability to denature keratin, the major structural protein of the epidermis. Other beneficial effects vary among the different drugs. All of them have antimicrobial or... 

---