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The Reichstein Process toc

History
Vitamin C was the first vitamin to be artificially synthesized in 1935. A process invented by Dr. Tadeusz Reichstein, of the Swiss Institute of Technology in Zurich. The Reichstein process uses a single pre-fermentation followed by a purely chemical route. The modern two-step fermentation process, originally developed in China in the 1960s, uses additional fermentation to replace part of the later chemical stages. Both processes yield approximately 60% vitamin C from the glucose feed.

Uses of the product
The final product of the Reichstein process is Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), this product has many uses especially in the medical field. Historically Vitamin C was used for treating scurvy, more commonly now it is used to help treat the common cold. Vitamin C has many other medical uses such as helping to treat gum disease, acne and other skin infections, bronchitis, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease, stomach ulcers caused by bacteria called Helicobacter pylori, tuberculosis, dysentery (an infection of the lower intestine), skin infections that produce boils (furunculosis), and it is also used for infections of the bladder and prostate.

Some people use vitamin C for depression, thinking problems, dementia, Alzheimer's disease, physical and mental stress, fatigue, and attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Vitamin C is so useful because it is required for the proper development and function of many parts of the body. It also plays an important role in maintaining proper immune function.

Economics
The current world production of Ascorbic Acid is estimated at 80 000 tons per annum with a global market in excess of US$600 million and an annual growth rate of 3–4%. Approximately 50% of Ascorbic Acid is used in vitamin supplements and for pharmaceutical uses.

The global market is demanding more production of Ascorbic Acid as it has many uses, from health improvements in humans and animals to uses in food manufacturing and uses in cosmetic products.

The majority of manufactured Ascorbic Acid is synthesized via the seven-step Reichstein process using D-glucose. Although the Reichstein process has many advantages over 60 years of development, it requires high-energy consumption from high temperatures and pressures required to add hydrogens, ferment and protect the solution.

The Reichstein process also requires many organic and inorganic solvents and reagents such as acetone, sulphuric acid and sodium hydroxide. Most of which cannot be recycled and have high disposal costs.

Because of the high costs of the Reichstein process, this is motivating many scientists to develop other methods of production. Like single step fermentation processes using yeast. This process requires is quicker than the Reichstein process, which makes the supply of Ascorbic acid more available, the process using yeast does not require as much solvents as the Reichstein process and uses less energy through a single step rather than Reichstein's six steps, which shows how much money you could save by choosing a more simpler process.

The result of the economics of the Reichstein process shows that it can be economically unstable, and it would be easier for companies to produce ascorbic acid through a single step process.