초록
<P>To develop an economic and efficient recovery and purification method for fermentation-produced fumaric acid, an integrated process was developed by adsorption with activated carbon, followed with acetone desorption. Activated carbon possessed a high adsorption capacity for fumaric acid (∼200 mg/g) at a lower pH (<2) with high selectivity over glucose and malic acid. Acetone was applied to effectively desorb fumaric acid from activated carbon. The desorption solution was heated at 70 °C to evaporate the acetone, resulting in purified fumaric acid powders. Both activated carbon and acetone can be recovered and reused. This process was also evaluated in a fixed-bed column to recover fumaric acid from fermentation broth, achieving a high recovery yield of 93%. Finally, water sweeping successfully increased the purity of fumaric acid to ∼98%. Although this process requires additional capital investment, it reduces operational costs and is economically attractive compared to the conventional process.</P>