Ion Exchange for Glyphosate Recovery

The first generation Monsanto glyphosate (Active ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup® herbicide, N-phosphonomethylglycine) manufacturing process, operated since 1976, produced a stream to waste treatment containing a significant amount of glyphosate. As a result of several research and engineering innovations, a new process was developed and a new plant recently commenced operations which reduced the glyphosate lost to waste treatment by a very significant amount. This result was mainly due to the use of an innovative ion exchange process for glyphosate recovery from the waste stream which also contained the process byproducts.