Lactic acid: recent advances in products, processes and technologies — a review

Abstract Lactic acid, the most widely occurring hydroxycarboxylic acid, is an enigmatic chemical. It was discovered a long time ago and its use in food preservation and processing and as a specialty chemical has grown over the years with current production of about 120 000 t yr −1 . Its potential as a major chemical feedstock, derived from renewable carbohydrates by sustainable technologies, to make plastics, fibers, solvents and oxygenated chemicals, had also been recognized. Recently, new technologies have emerged that can overcome major barriers in separations and purification and processing. Advances in electrodialysis (ED) and bipolar membranes and one particular process configuration termed the ‘double…