Safe and Fast Determination of N/S/Cl Contents in Lactic Acid by Means of Organic Elemental Analysis Application Note · multi EA 5100

Introduction

Lactic acid is one of the most popular biochemicals in the food, animal food and cosmetics industries and a valuable starting material for the production of sustainable biopolymers. Especially in the food industry it is used in many ways, e.g., as an additive to regulate the pH value or to improve the taste of beverages, to extend the shelf life of refrigerated food and dairy products or as antibacterial agent. Lactic acid is a true all-rounder, which has led to a rapid increase in demand. As a result, industrial production is becoming increasingly important.

Lactic acid is mainly produced by fermentation of starch- or sugar-rich biomaterials (e.g., corn, molasses, grass silage, whey, etc.). These natural precursors and the manufacturing process have a direct influence on the sulfur, chlorine and nitrogen concentrations in the lactic acid and lactates. Impurities need to be strictly monitored as they can have undesirable effects on food quality, safety and shelf life. Elemental analysis provides an optimal tool for the reliable determination of those elements by combustion analysis.

Precondition for correct analysis results is a quantitative combustion of all sample types (solid, liquid, highly viscose) independent of their physical properties (boiling/melting point, digestion behavior). The innovative flame sensor technology of the elemental analyzer multi EA 5100 automatically optimizes the combustion process to the specific needs of any matrix type, quantity and composition. This effectively prevents soot formation and contamination of the analyzer and reduces maintenance efforts to a minimum. Furthermore the automated process reduces the need for time-consuming and error-prone development of matrix-specific boat programs, enabling fast and reliable sample analysis.