Process for the separation of long chain amino acids and dibasic acids

1. A process for the separation of long chain dibasic acid from one or a mixture of two or more fatty acids, comprising:

(1) reacting a mixture of long chain dibasic acid and one or more fatty acids with an aqueous solution of ammonium hydroxide, ammonium bicarbonate, ammonium carbonate, organic amine of the formula NR 1 R 2 R 3 , or a mixture of two or more thereof, to form a suspension of the ammonium salt of fatty acid in a solution of the ammonium salt of long chain dibasic acid, in the absence or presence of solvent;

(2) separating the solid ammonium salt of fatty acid from step (1) by means of solid-liquid separation to provide a mother liquor containing the ammonium salt of long chain dibasic acid;

(3) adding an acid to the mother liquor of step (2) or a solution of the ammonium salt of long chain dibasic acid to yield the long chain dibasic acid; and

(4) recovering the long chain dibasic acid by means of solid-liquid separation or by extraction with an extractant solvent.

2. The process according to claim 1 , wherein R 1 , R 2 , and R 3 of the organic amine NR 1 R 2 R 3 , are each independently hydrogen, C 1 -C 8 alkyl groups, or benzyl group.

3. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the long chain dibasic acid is azelaic acid, sebacic acid, dodecanedioic acid, or brassylic acid.

4. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the fatty acid is stearic acid, palmitic acid, lauric acid, myristic acid, arachidic acid, behenic acid, lignoceric acid, hydroxy stearic acid, keto stearic acid, oxime stearic acid, the Beckmann rearrangement product of oxime fatty acid, or a mixture of two or more thereof.

5. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the solvent is selected from a group consisting of methanol, ethanol, propanol, isopropanol, tert-butanol, tetrahydrofuran, dioxane, or a mixture of two or more thereof.

6. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the acid is selected from a group consisting of hydrochloric acid, hydrobromic acid, hydroiodic acid, sulfuric acid, nitric acid, phosphoric acid, methanesulfonic acid, ethanesulfonic acid, propanesulfonic acid, isethionic acid, benzenesulfonic acid, toluenesulfonic acid, xylenesulfonic acid, sulfamic acid, malic acid, maleic acid, tartaric acid, glycolic acid, lactic acid, citric acid, oxalic acid, formic acid, acetic acid, propionic acid, or a mixture of two or more thereof.

7. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the acid is sulfuric acid.

8. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the extractant solvent is selected from a group consisting of butyl formate, isobutyl formate, butyl acetate, isobutyl acetate, propyl acetate, isopropyl acetate, ethyl acetate, ethyl propionate, octyl acetate, benzene, toluene, xylene, cumene, anisole, diethyl ether, diisopropyl ether, dibutyl ether, methyl tert-butyl ether, ethyl tert-butyl ether, methyl tetrahydrofuran, petroleum ether, cyclohexane, dichloroethane, methylene chloride, chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, trifluoromethylbenzene, n-butanol, isobutanol, amyl alcohol, isoamyl alcohol, hexanol, cyclohexanol, 2-ethylhexanol, isooctanol, sec-octanol, butanone, pentanone, hexanone, cyclohexanone, methyl isobutyl ketone, or a mixture of two or more thereof.

9. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the extractant solvent is toluene.