Steps in The Creation of Artificial Sweeteners

Artificial sweetener is a sugar substitute that contains less energy than sugar. What’s inside artificial sweetener is amino acids, aspartic acid and phenylalanine. Amino acids are chemical substances that are found in plants and animals to make protein. Aspartic acid is also an amino acid which had been isolated from asparagus juice. Phenylalanine is also an amino acid which had the same formula as in yellow lupine (Lupinus luteus) seedlings. Now I’ll be talking about the three main steps for chemically creating artificial sweetener.

The first chemical processes to create artificial sweetener is called Fermentation. A sample from a pure culture of bacteria is put into a test tube containing the nutrients necessary for its growth. After that the bacteria begin to multiply. When their population is large enough, they are transferred to a seed tank. The seed tank provides an ideal environment for growing more bacteria. These are required for the bacteria to synthesize large quantities of the desired amino acid. The seed tank is equipped with a mixer, which keeps the growth medium moving, and a pump, which delivers filtered, compressed air. When enough bacterial growth is present, the contents from the seed tank are pumped to the fermentation tank. Here the bacteria are allowed to grow and produce large quantities of amino acids. Since pH control is vital for optimal growth, ammonia water is added to the tank as necessary. When enough amino acid is present, the contents of the fermentation tank are transferred out so isolation can begin. This process starts with a centrifugal separator, which isolates a large portion of the bacterial amino acids. The desired amino acid is further segregated and purified in an ion-exchange column. From this column, the amino acids are pumped to a crystallizing tank and then to a crystal separator. They are then dried and readied for the synthesis phase of aspartame production.

The second step in creating artificial sugar is Synthesis. The amino acids derived from the fermentation process are initially modified to produce aspartame. Phenylalanine is reacted with methanol resulting in a compound called L-phenylalanine methyl ester. Aspartic acid is also modified in such a way to shield various portions of the molecule from the effects of further reactions. After the amino acids are appropriately modified, they are pumped into a reactor tank, where they are allowed to mix at room temperature for 24 hours. The temperature is then increased to approximately 149°F (65 °C) and maintained for another 24 hours. The reaction is then cooled to room temperature. It is diluted with an appropriate solvent and cooled to about 0°F (-18°C), causing crystallization. The crystals are then isolated by filtration and dried. These crystals are an intermediate of aspartame which must be further modified. The intermediate is converted to aspartame by reacting it with acetic acid. This reaction is performed in a large tank filled with an aqueous acid solution, a palladium metal catalyst, and hydrogen. It is thoroughly mixed and allowed to react for about 12 hours.

The last step in creating artificial sugar is Purification. The metal catalyst is removed by filtration, and the solvent is distilled, leaving a solid residue. This residue is purified by dissolving it in an aqueous ethanol solution and recrystallizing. These crystals are filtered and dried to provide the finished, powder aspartame.