GCSP research stipend | Spring 2026

Gas Chromatographic Characterization of Ethyl Lactate from the Reactive Distillation of Post-Fermentation Broth

A gas chromatographic method was developed to characterize ethyl lactate production by the reversible reaction between ethanol and lactic acid to facilitate product recovery from Escherichia coli fermentation broths via reactive distillation. To improve product recovery, ethyl acetate, toluene, and n-hexane were evaluated as liquid-liquid extraction solvents. Extracted ethyl lactate samples were analyzed by gas chromatography to characterize esterification reaction performance and support the development of an effective bioseparation process for downstream recovery of lactic acid from fermentation broths.