Synthesis of glutamic acid and salts thereof

Claim 1

IN A METHOD FOR SYNTHESIZING GLUTAMIC ACID AND SALTS THEREOF, THE STEPS COMPRISING DISTILLINF A POLYMER OF CYCLOPENTADDIENE TO OBTAIN THE MONOMER, TREATING THE MONOMERIC CYCLOPENTADIENE WITH A GASEOUS HYDROGEN HALIDE SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF HYDROGEN CHLORIDE AND HYDROGEN BROMIDE AT A TEMPERATURE OF FROM ABOUT -30* C. TO -35*C., TREATING THE RESULTING 2-HALO-CYCLOPENTENE-1 WITH AN OXIDIZING AGENT TO CLEAVE THE RING AND PRODUCE THE CORRESPONDING 2-HALO-GLUTARIC ACID, AUTOCLAVING THE LATTER IN WATER CONTAINING CARBON DIOXIDE AND FROM 4 TO 7 MOLS OF AMMONIA PER MOL OF THE 2-HALOGLUTARIC ACID CALCULATED AS THE SALT FORMED BY REACTION OF THE CARBON DIOXIDE AND AMMONIA, AT A TEMPERATURE BETWEEN 35*C. AND 65*C. AND A PRESSURE OF 0 TO 200 LBS/SQ. IN. UNTIL AMMONIUM GLUTAMATE IS PRODUCED, TREATING THE LATTER WITH HYDROCHLORIC ACID TO CONVERT IT TO GLUTAMIC ACID HYDROCHLORIDE, AND TREATING THE HYDROCHLORIDE WITH AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION OF A BASE SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ALKALI METAL AND ALKALINE EARTH METAL HYDROXIDES TO CONVERT THE HYDROCHLORIDE TO THE ALKALI METAL, RESPECTIVELY ALKALINE EARTH METAL, GLUAMATES.