Citric acid was recovered from fermentation broth by precipitating with lime calcium oxide, calcium hydroxide or calcium carbonate. Twenty five percent of colloidal suspension of calcium oxide was the most appropriate to recover the calcium citrate. The optimal conditions for neutralization of the acid was at 90̊-100̊ C, pH 7 for 30 minutes. In this step, the recovery of citric acid was about 99.20%. Calcium citrate was converted to citric acid and calcium sulfate by acidified with 70% sulfuric acid at 60̊ C for 2 hours. Recovery of citric acid was about 97.30% with respected to fermentation broth. It was then decolorized with 5.40% (w/w) activated carbon powder at 70 C for 30 minutes. The recovery of citric acid was about 96.11% with respected to acidified step. The residual of calcium sulfate in citric acid solution was removed by passing through cation exchange resin (Dowex-50) and anion exchange resin (Dowex-l). The recovery of citric acid was about 95.18% with respected to carbon adsorption step. Citric acid solution was then evaporated to 68̊ Brix and further crystallized at 25̊ C for 24 hours. The yield of citric acid monohydrate was about 46% with purity of 99.08%.
