Purification of Terpenyl Amine by Reactive Extraction

This work analyzed the separation and purification of terpenyl amine by a reactive extraction in which an acid was used as complexing agent. Several different acids were investigated to form a water-soluble complex, but only carboxylic acids were found to be suitable for a reactive extraction of terpenyl amine. The best results according to yield and selectivity were found for acetic acid. Moreover, there was no formation of an emulsion using the acetic acid. The reaction mechanism and reaction location were determined to characterize this complexation reaction of acetic acid with terpenyl amine. The main mechanism was the H-bond formation at the interface between the organic and aqueous phases. Finally, the pseudo-mole-fraction-based equilibrium constant of 4.26 was estimated with a complex factor of 1 to 4.26 with selectivity above 98%.