Chemistry of sodium lactate formation under simulated alumina refinery conditions

Abstract

The formation of sodium lactate, sodium acetate, and sodium formate under laboratory-simulated conditions for the production of alumina from organic-contaminated bauxite by dissolution in hot (145 °C) sodium hydroxide (3 M) has been studied. Not unexpectedly, sodium lactate, sodium acetate, and sodium formate are shown to arise from glucose. Studies up to 14 h show that, once formed, sodium acetate and sodium formate are stable. Sodium L-(+)-lactate, however, decomposes to sodium carbonate and ethanol under these conditions, but it reaches a constant concentration that appears to be dependent on the initial lactate and sodium hydroxide concentrations. Sodium [1-13C]L-lactate studies showed t..