Patent · US Expired

Production of terephthalic acid

US4334086A · kind A · utility

71Cited by
1References
9Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 16, 1981
Grant dateJun 8, 1982
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 16, 2001

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02P20/52
  • WIPO fieldOrganic fine chemistry
  • WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

Disclosed is a process for the continuous production of terephthalic acid from p-xylene, comprising the steps of oxidizing p-xylene in a first oxidation zone in the presence of not more than about 10 weight % of water and a cobalt/manganese catalyst up to a conversion of about 15% terephthalic acid; oxidizing the partially-oxidized compounds in a second oxidation zone in the presence of an additional amount of water up to about 20 to 70% by weight and in the presence of an additional amount of the catalyst up to a conversion of about 50% by weight terephthalic acid; stripping p-xylene vapors from the second oxidation zone; separating crystals of crude terephthalic acid from the effluent from the second oxidation zone from the soluble components of the effluent; countercurrently washing the separated crystals with fresh water to produce a slurry; recycling a part of soluble components to the second oxidation zone, and another part of the first oxidation zone to provide the latter with heavy metal catalyst; and recovering purified terephthalic acid by recyrstallizing the crystals contained in the slurry.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.