Svnthesis of Tartaric Acid
Svnthesis of Tartaric Acid
Svnthesis of Tartaric Acid
Tartaric acid is available commercially only as a by- reaction occurred when a 30YG aqueous solution of maleic
product of the wine industry, with large quantities of the acid was heated with a 35YG hydrogen peroxide solution
acid and its salts being consumed in the production of i n the presence of 0.5% of tungstic acid as the catalyst.
foods and drugs. This investigation was undertaken to Using a molar ratio of 1.5 to 1 of the reactants a t a tem-
devise a suitable method for the synthesis of tartaric acid, perature of 80' to 100" C., a high yield of the pure racemic
utilizing fairly inexpensive chemicals and relatively simple tartaric acid, representing over 9594 of the theory of
operations, and thus providing an economical and feasible maleic consumed, or 8401, of the theory of peroxide, ')cas
commercial process for this important chemical inde- obtained.
pendent of natural source and consequent price fluctua- This method of synthesis offers good possibilities for a
tions. commercial process in view of availability and low cost of
Maleic acid was chosen as the starting material, in view starting materials, simplicity of operations, utilization of
of its structural relation to tartaric acid and its availability standard inexpensive equipment, practically quantitative
from existing maleic anhydride processes. Among the yields with no by-product formation, and a high quality
oxidizing agents investigated for a combined oxidation product requiring little or no purification. Based upon
and hydrolysis required for the hydroxylation, hydrogen these results, a practical process for the synthesis of tar-
peroxide was found to be the best. The most favorable taric acid from maleic acid is suggested.
have likewise been reported to yield only 45% of tartaric acid by use of Ekkerts color test ( 1 2 ) for detecting tartaric acid by
along with other acids, generally maleic acid (91, 18, 36, 39, 40, means of pyro allol and sulfuric acid. The method of Krauss
and Tampke f . 3 ) was used for a simultaneous detection of
44). tartaric, oxalic, and formic acids, by means of resorcinol and
Tanatar (61) in 1880 first investigated the oxidation of fumaric sulfuric acid. Tartaric acid also was determined quantitatively
and maleic acids by dilute alkaline permanganate, but it was
Kekule and Anschiitz (1, 98) who first showed that this reaction
with fumaric acid gave the dZ-tartaric or racemic acid, while from
maleic the meso acid was obtained. Later Lossen ( 2 4 ) reported
that the addition of hypochlorous acid to fumaric or maleic acid
produced only the monochloromalic acid. The acid potassium
salt of maleic acid, however, could readily be converted into
tartaric acid by boiling water. By a chlorate oxidation of
fumaric and maleic acids in a ueous solution in the presence of
osmium tetroxide, Milas and%erry (34) obtained the racemic
and meso-tartaric acids, respectively, claiming theoretical yields
of 97oJo. Working in tertbutanol solutions of hydrogen peroxide
with osmium tetroxide as the catalyst, Milas and Sussman (38)
hydroxylated maleic acid to obtain 30.3% of meso-tartaric acid
and 48.3% of racemic acid from fumaric acid. Under similar
conditions d-ethyl mesc-tartrate was obtained from diethyl
maleate in 41% yield, and diethyl racemate from diethyl fumar-
ate in 58% yield (9.9, 30, 33). A photochemical addition of
hydrogen peroxide to maleic acid was investigated by Milas,
Kurz, and Anslow ( 3 1 ) under ultraviolet light and resulted in a
9% yield of meso-tartaric acid. Braun (6) further observed the
effects of various chlorates on the oxidation of maleic anhydride
in the presence of osmium tetroxide, which led to a semicontinuous
process (7).
PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATIONS
The oxidizing agents investigated for the hydroxylation of
maleic acid were nitric acid, hypochlorous acid, potassium per-
manganate, aqueous hydrogen peroxide, and gaseous oxygen in
the presence of a catalyst.
PROCEDURES. Essentially the same equipment was used for
all of the hydroxylation reactions with the above agents, and it
is shown in Figure 1.
Maleic anhydride or acid of regular commercial grade was
6rst placed in a threenecked 1-liter flask which was equipped
with ground-glass connections and fitted with an adapter, a glass
stirrer, and a thermometer in the three openings. The adapter
contained a reflux condenser in one of the arms, and a dropping
funnel or gas inlet tube in the other; the oxidizing agent was
added through the latter. An oil or water bath surrounding the Figure 1. Hydroxylation Apparatus
flask waa employed for regulating the temperature of the reaction.
In the case of hydrogen peroxide and hypochlorous acid, after
the addition of the oxidizing agent, the reaction mixture was by adapting the method of Goldenberg (16),which is commonly
refluxed to hydrolyze intermediate addition products: used in analysis of winelees and argols. This method depends
uDon the conversion of tartaric
HOOC.CH=CH.COOH
(Maleic acid)
+ HOC1 +HOOC.CH(OH).CH(Cl).COOH (Chloromaleic acid)
2: tu:&$ft y$t&m ;$
+ \
standard alkali. Inanother sample
HzO HOOC.CH(OH).CH(OH).COOH of the mixed precipitate of calcium
salts oxalic acid was determined
- -
acted readily with maleic acid. When the reaction was carried Molar Rotio of Reoctontr 8.0
out in neutral solution, tartaric acid could be detected only after pH of Solution 1.0
Temporotvre- 51%.
the solution had been acidified and boiled for a short period.
This would indicate the formation of an intermediate epoxide
product initially, which upon acid hydrolysis formed t'he hy- 0 I I I I , l I I I L I
droxy acid. It is known that heating a t elevated temperature8 0 0.2 0.4 06 0.8 I.O I,2
CATALYST RATIO
in the presence of acid favors the hydrolysis of an ethylene oxide (Ports WO, per 100 ports Molenc
ring to the dihydroxy derivative ( I S , 49). I n preliminary ex- Anhydride- o r , Gromr W O j per
Grom Mole H y d r o g e n Perortde )
periments yields as high as 30% of theory of tartaric acid were
obtained, with little or no by-product formation, as shown in Figure 2. Effect of Catalyst Ratio on Yield
Table 11.
CATALYTIC OX~DATION WITH OXYGENGAS IN AQUEOUS SOLU- The effects of the quantity of tungstic oxide present in relation to
TION. As hydrogen peroxide appeared to give favorable results hydrogen peroxide and maleic acid are shown graphically in
for the hydroxylation of maleic acid to form the dihydroxy acid, it Figure 2. The yield of tartaric increases very rapidly vith in-
was decided to attempt a similar reaction using gaseous oxygen in crease of catalyst up to 0.4% based upon the weight of maleic
aqueous solution in the presence of a catalyst for preparing the anhydride, after which further additions of catalyst are without
hydrogen peroxide in situ. A first attempt was made in the appreciable effect. The tungstic oxide remaining in solution
vapor phase according to the method of McBee, Haw, and after crystallization of the tartaric acid retains its catalytic.
August 1951 INDUSTRIAL AND ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY 1783
activity, as is shown in Table IV. This permits recycling of the I I ] ' I 1 1 '
3%. 15%
B
-
1.0
0 I I I I I I I I I
0 20 40 60 80 IO0 I20
T E M P E R A T U R E ('C.)
1
fact that the results of curve B are consistently above
those of curve A is in accord with the effects of p H
and of concentration on yield, since B was a t lower
p H and higher concentration than A .
It has been pointed out by Slater (46) that pure
hydrogen peroxide behaves as a weak acid (H+- a
OOH-), and that addition of acid to reduce the p H 2
increases its stability. Increasing the p H much be- b'
40
yond 7.0 results in rapid increase in the rate of 9
w
decomposition. By employing free maleic acid,
potassium acid maleate, neutral potassium maleate,
> Molar R a t i o of Reactcrnfs
Concentration of H,Oz :
I 0
3%
.
+
1.0
15%
or an excess of potassium hydroxide with the neutral " '' Moleic A c i d ILOM I 4.2M
Temparature(Cent,grada). 4s.. 70.
salt, as the starting material to be hydroxylated, a C a t a l y s t R a t i o (W03based
W
P upon M a l e i c Anhydride). 1% 1%
the p H of the reaction solution was varied under L
(27) bIeilor, J. W., Comprehensive Treatise on Inorganic and 5th ed., pp. 127, 2180, New York, D. Van Nostrand Co.,
Theoretical Chemistry, Vol. XI, pp. 734, 833, London, 1938.
Longmans, Green and Co., 1931. (44) Sessions, W. V., J . Am. Chem. SOC.,50, 1696-8 (1928).
(28) Milas, N. A., J . Am. Chem. Soc., 49, 2005-11 (1927). (45) Slater, V. W., ChemistrzJ and I n d u s t r v , 1945, No. 6, 42-6.
(29) Ibid., 59, 2342-4, 2345-7 (1937). (46) Soltzberg, S., U. S. Patent 2,380,196 (1945).
(30) Milas, N. A., U. S. Patents 2,402,566 (1946); 2,414,384 (1947); (47) Stokes, W. E., and Barch, W. E., Ibid., 2,257,284 (1941).
2.437.648 (1948). (48) Stokes, W. E., and Peter, A. H., Ibid., 1,870,472 (1932).
(31) Milas, N. A:, Kurs, P. F., and Anslow, W. P., Jr., J . Am. (49) Swern, D., Billen, G. N., Findley, T. W., and Scanlan, J. T.,
Chem. SOC.,59, 543-4 (1937). J . Am. Chem. Soc., 67, 1786-9 (1945).
(32) Milas, N. A., and Sussman, S., Ibid., 58, 1302-4 (1936). (50) Szegedy, E., Z . anal. Chem., 109, 95-107 (1937).
(33) Milas, N. A,, Sussman. S..and Mason. H. S.. Ibid.. 61, 1844-7 (51) Tanatar, S., Ber., 12, 2293 (1879); 13, 1383 (1880).
(1939). (52) Terry, E. M., and Eichelberger, L., J . Am. Chem. Soc., 47,
(34) Milas, N. A., and Terry, E. bI., Ibid., 47, 1412-18 (1925). 1067-77 (1925).
(36) Milas, N. A., and Walsh, W. L., Ibid., 57, 1389-93 (1935). (53) Thorpe, J. F., Dictionary of Applied Chemistry, 3rd and
(36) Milas, N. A,, and Walsh, W. L., U. S. Patent 2,118,567 (1938). 4th eds.. London, Longmans, Green and Co., 1927 and 1937.
(37) Mugden, M., and Young, D. P., J. Chem. SOC.,1949, 2988-
8000. RECEIVED September 1.3, 19.30. Presented before the Division of Industrial
(38) Newman, A. C. C., and Riley, H. L., Ibid., 1933, 45-6. and Engineering Chemistry, Fifteenth Unit Proceas Symposium, a t the
(39) Nielaen, E. R., IND. ENG.CHEW., 41, 365 (1949). 118th Meeting of the AMERICANCHBMICAL SOCIBTY, Chicago, 111. Based
(40) Nielsen, E. R., U. S. Patent 2,421,428 (1947). on a thesis presented to the Department of Chemical Engineering, Columbia
(41) Pasternack, R., and Brown, E. I-.,Ibid., 2,197,021 (1940). University, in partial fulfillment of the requirementa for the Ph.D. degree,
(42) Sanders, M. T., Ibid., 2,419,038 (1947). June 1949. Contribution No. 18 from Chemical Engineering Laboratories,
(43) Scott,. A . W., Standard Methods of Chemical Analysis, Columbia University, N. Y.
Degradation Rate of
Cellulosic Pulps
R. L. MITCHELL
Rayonier Znc., Shelton, Wash.