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Ethyl Lactate Main Properties, Production Processes, and Applications

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Alternative Solvents for Natural Products Extraction

Part of the book series: Green Chemistry and Sustainable Technology ((GCST))

Abstract

Petroleum is still the basis for the production of chemicals. Nevertheless, alternatives such as biomass and waste have been developed due to both environmental impacts of petroleum production and use, and uncertainty about the longevity and stability of petroleum supplies.

Ethyl lactate is derived from nature-based feedstocks (it is synthesized trough the esterification reaction between ethanol and lactic acid, both reactants generated from biomass raw materials), and can be used in place of several environment-damaging halogenated and toxic solvents, including ozone depleting chlorofluorocarbons, carcinogenic methylene chloride, and toxic ethylene glycol ethers and chloroform. This chapter presents an overview regarding ethyl lactate main properties, its synthesis and production processes, with particular emphasis to reactive/separation processes based on innovative technologies, as reactive distillation, membrane reactors and simulated moving bed reactors, and its applications (mainly for extraction of bioactive compounds from natural sources).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. LSRE – Laboratory of Separation and Reaction Engineering – Associate Laboratory LSRE/LCM, Faculdade de Engenharia, Universidade do Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465, Porto, Portugal

    Carla S. M. Pereira & Alírio E. Rodrigues

Authors
  1. Carla S. M. Pereira
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  2. Alírio E. Rodrigues
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Correspondence to Alírio E. Rodrigues .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Green Extraction Team, Université d’Avignon et des Pays de Vaucluse, Avignon, France

    Farid Chemat

  2. Green Extraction Team, Université d’Avignon et des Pays du Vaucluse, Avignon, France

    Maryline Abert Vian

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Pereira, C.S.M., Rodrigues, A.E. (2014). Ethyl Lactate Main Properties, Production Processes, and Applications. In: Chemat, F., Vian, M. (eds) Alternative Solvents for Natural Products Extraction. Green Chemistry and Sustainable Technology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-43628-8_6

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