US Patent 11174523 Recovery of lactose from an aqueous solution

The invention is directed to a method for recovering lactose from an aqueous lactose solution comprising a concentration step, wherein water is removed from the aqueous lactose solution by freezing out water at a temperature below the eutectic temperature of the aqueous lactose solution and at a lactose concentration higher than the eutectic concentration of the aqueous lactose solution, thereby obtaining a concentrated lactose solution; and a crystallization step, wherein at least part of the concentrated lactose solution is subjected to crystallization at a temperature above the eutectic temperature of the concentrated lactose solution, thereby obtaining lactose crystals.