Process of Selective Extraction of Pure Lac Resin from the Aqueous Effluent

The shellac industries are dumping the stick lac effluent into the environment due to the lack of innovative technology to recover the dissolved lac resin. The present invention not only evades environmental pollution caused by the effluent, but also provides an economical process for the recovery of value-added products from the aqueous effluent.

During the process of recovery of lac from the stick lac, the stick lac is scraped and washed with hot alkali solution to get a refined product known as seedlac. During this process, two by-products, lac dye and wax, may dissolve and go into the aqueous effluent (filtrate). To recover these by-products in the pure form for commercial applications, many difficulties are faced by the shellac industry. These industries are dumping this effluent into the environment due to the lack of innovative technology to recover the dissolved lac resin. The present invention not only evades environmental pollution but also provides an economical process for the recovery of value-added products from the aqueous effluent.

• Complete recovery of lac resin from the alkaline aqueous effluent
• Economically and commercially viable process.
• Eliminates the use of filtration steps
• The solvents used in the process are recoverable and reusable.
• The final aqueous solution is clear and easy to recover inorganic salts, or the concentrated solution will be used as a brine in the aleuritic acid recovery process.