SULFURIC-ACID SUGAR SEPARATION BY ION EXCLUSION

A process that separates sulfuric acid from glucose using ion-exclusion technology is presented. A 61 cm long, fixed-bed of Rohm and Haas Amberlite IR-118, strong cation-exchange resin in the hydrogen form was used. Samples containing 7. 7% H//2SO//4 and 1. 0% glucose, at sample volumes of 10% to 50% of the column void volume gave separation of H//2SO//4 from glucose at column temperatures ranging from 27 to 81 degree C with water as eluent at a superficial velocity of 0. 6 cm/min. Skewing of the H//2SO//4 peak was observed and traced to a sharp density gradient between the acid and the water eluent while the glucose peak was sufficiently symmetric to be fitted by an axial dispersion model. This work shows that a chromatographic resin having a particle size range of 300 to 1200 micrometers can give complete recovery of sulfuric acid with 94% recovery of glucose.