| abstract |
The invention relates to a process for the production of rhamnose from rhamnolipids in which an acid emulsion of the rhamnolipid is hydrolysed at 100 to 200 °C and then cooled, the aqueous phase of the hydrolysate produced is separated from the lipid phase, its pH is raised by the addition of a basic compound, any remaining precipitate is separated, the remaining solution condensed and either further processed directly or chromatographed via an ion exchange resin. The eluate comprises rhamnose-containing fractions which can be further processed as such or converted into crystalline rhamnose monohydrate. |