Recovery of aconitic acid from molasses

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF RECOVERING ACONITIC ACID FROM BLACKSTRAP AND OTHER MOLASSES WHICH COMPRISES PASSING DILUTED MOLASSES CONTAINING ACONITATES BOTH IN SOLUTION AND IN SUSPENSION THEREIN THROUGH A SERIES OF BODIES OF A WEAKLY BASIC ANION EXCHANGE RESIN, WHICH RESIN HAS BEEN CONVERTED TO THE SALT FORM BY TREATMENT WITH A MINERAL ACID, WITH A RATE OF FLOW OF THE DILUTED MOLASSES THROUGH THE RESIN BODIES WHICH WILL EFFECT SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETE REMOVAL OF THE ACONITIC ACID OF THE ACONITATES IN SOLUTION AND IN SUSPENSION FROM THE MOLASSES, WITH RELEASE OF THE MINERAL ACID OF THE RESIN SALT AND FORMATION OF A RESIN ACONITATE, AND WITH ADSORPTION OF COLORING MATTER FROM THE MOLASSES BY THE RESIN, REMOVING EACH OF SAID BODIES FROM THE SERIES AFTER IT HAS BEEN CONVERTED TO RESIN ACONITATE, WASHING SUCH BODIES TO REMOVE MOLASSES THEREFROM, AND ELUTING THE COLORING MATTER AND ACONITIC ACID FROM SUCH BODIES BY TREATMENT WITH A DILUTE SOLUTION OF A MINERAL ACID PASSED THROUGH THE RESIN BODY AT A SLOW RATE TO ALLOW THE RESIN AND ELUTING SOLUTION TO APPROACH EQUILIBRIUM CONDITIONS, WHEREBY AN ELUATE FRACTION IS FIRST OBTAINED CONTAINING MOST OF THE COLORING MATTER, FOLLOWED BY AN ELUATE FRACTION RICH IN ACONITIC ACID AND A LATER FRACTION POOR IN ACONITIC ACID AND RICH IN MINERAL ACID.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF RECOVERING ACONITIC ACID FROM BLACKSTRAP AND OTHER MOLASSES WHICH COMPRISES PASSING DILUTED MOLASSES CONTAINING ACONITATES BOTH IN SOLUTION AND IN SUSPENSION THEREIN THROUGH A SERIES OF BODIES OF A WEAKLY BASIC ANION EXCHANGE RESIN, WHICH RESIN HAS BEEN CONVERTED TO THE SALT FORM BY TREATMENT WITH A MINERAL ACID, WITH A RATE OF FLOW OF THE DILUTED MOLASSES THROUGH THE RESIN BODIES WHICH WILL EFFECT SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETE REMOVAL OF THE ACONITIC ACID OF THE ACONITATES IN SOLUTION AND IN SUSPENSION FROM THE MOLASSES, WITH RELEASE OF THE MINERAL ACID OF THE RESIN SALT AND FORMATION OF A RESIN ACONITATE, AND WITH ADSORPTION OF COLORING MATTER FROM THE MOLASSES BY THE RESIN, REMOVING EACH OF SAID BODIES FROM THE SERIES AFTER IT HAS BEEN CONVERTED TO RESIN ACONITATE, WASHING SUCH BODIES TO REMOVE MOLASSES THEREFROM, AND ELUTING THE COLORING MATTER AND ACONITIC ACID FROM SUCH BODIES BY TREATMENT WITH A DILUTE SOLUTION OF A MINERAL ACID PASSED THROUGH THE RESIN BODY AT A SLOW RATE TO ALLOW THE RESIN AND ELUTING SOLUTION TO APPROACH EQUILIBRIUM CONDITIONS, WHEREBY AN ELUATE FRACTION IS FIRST OBTAINED CONTAINING MOST OF THE COLORING MATTER, FOLLOWED BY AN ELUATE FRACTION RICH IN ACONITIC ACID AND A LATER FRACTION POOR IN ACONITIC ACID AND RICH IN MINERAL ACID.